UK TV coverage

[Chris Jenkins]

Apparently Sky are looking to offer Martin Brundle a £1m contract to lead the commentary next year.
As long as Sky can do the pre/post race features as well as the BBC, I'll be happy.

In an ideal situation, I'd love to see Sky snap up Jake Humphrey and Eddie Jordan too, but I don't think that's going to happen.

 

[Kyle Puttifer]

Nah Jake will probably do the Olympics.
As for EJ, the main attractions are his dodgy shirts and the uncertainty of what he will say next.
Thing is, if Brundle and DC go one way, the other one will be severely compromised. I'd say Brundle will go to Sky, and he will probably take DC with him. That leaves no-one decent on the BBC team, unless Crofty and Ant's radio commentary is pasted onto the TV show like in the practice sessions?
I wasn't too impressed with Jake's attitude towards this deal. His positiveness in the buildup and forum, to be fair, was justified by F1 being on the BBC at all, but when he was interviewing the fans and one shouted "We don't want Sky" he turned away like he didn't want to talk about it. Obviously his optimism was scripted, and he possibly didn't mean it. I whole-heartedly agreed with EJ when he said that the past 3 years are the most fun he's ever had in F1 (or something along those lines). It's now the end of an era.

 

[Chris Jenkins]

I don't blame Jake for turning away from the fan chanting "We don't want Sky".

He's a BBC employee, he's got to be very careful what he says on the matter.

 

[Adam Eggbeer]

Tbf though Sky do do sports well. Cricket is a good example - When it went from Channel Four to Sky, Sky took the succesful team from Four and improved it, with extra graphics, nicer studios and jsut a general slicker show.

They took half of the successful team but left 2 of the better members of the team behind. Mark Nicholas is far better at hosting than David Gower - who is monotonous at best - and it is backed up by the fact that he presents the channel 5 highlights show (one of the reasons I watch that instead of Sky), presents for Channel 9 in Australia, and even did the Ashes highlights for ITV. They should of taken Simon Hughes as well as he can analyse what is going on far better than the makeshift Sky ones that they rotate. They took Hussain and Atherton, two of the dullest commentators and they also have Botham, who just moans at everything, and David Lloyd who is just cringeworthy. Hopefully Sky don't do the same with the F1.

I wasn't too impressed with Jake's attitude towards this deal. His positiveness in the buildup and forum, to be fair, was justified by F1 being on the BBC at all, but when he was interviewing the fans and one shouted "We don't want Sky" he turned away like he didn't want to talk about it. Obviously his optimism was scripted, and he possibly didn't mean it. I whole-heartedly agreed with EJ when he said that the past 3 years are the most fun he's ever had in F1 (or something along those lines). It's now the end of an era.

I don't believe any of the BBC team are happy with the decision, especially when Jake kept tweeting for months that the BBC are not going to reduce the F1 coverage. Martin Brundle also had a couple of "digs" during the broadcast with one in particular that I remember during Q1; "So who will be 7 drivers ahead of us in the queue at the Job Centre on Monday morning".

 

[Lee Palmer]

Offtopic here but how can you say David LLoyd is cringe-worthy! Sacrilege!

 

[Chris Butcher]

I don't believe any of the BBC team are happy with the decision, especially when Jake kept tweeting for months that the BBC are not going to reduce the F1 coverage. Martin Brundle also had a couple of "digs" during the broadcast with one in particular that I remember during Q1; "So who will be 7 drivers ahead of us in the queue at the Job Centre on Monday morning".

Just goes to show the passion they have for their jobs. Let's hope Sky recognise the BBC have the best F1 team going and hopefully the majority of the guys can move across.

 

[Kyle Puttifer]

Just goes to show the passion they have for their jobs. Let's hope Sky recognise the BBC have the best F1 team going and hopefully the majority of the guys can move across.

And what will happen to the half BBC coverage? People will be forced to watch Sky, otherwise they will not get the quality of the BBC team.
Nightmare scenario IMO.

 

[Chris Butcher]

And what will happen to the half BBC coverage? People will be forced to watch Sky, otherwise they will not get the quality of the BBC team.
Nightmare scenario IMO.

If Sky take the BBC team, I'll consider paying for the sky sports packages on Virgin. If they on't, I'll just watch the BBC highlights. I'll stay wherever the current team stays.

 

[Nick Brooke]

This all reminds me of the 80s where you could only see some of the races live and the rest were highlights and poor ones at that, I cant go back no matter how i look at it because i know the possibility is there for the whole race but i refuse to pay for sky sports when there is naff all else on i watch, hate football, hate cricket, hate cycling, hate olympics, hate rugby and the list goes on.

IMO when i used to have sly sports years ago as part of the package i couldnt stand listening to the muppets they employed to try to be a geed team and give you good feedback. I do not see anyone coming close to the current team on the BBC. We all have our opinions but for me F1 lost its shine overnight and judging by comments from twitter and other places alot of people feel the same way as me.

I will NOT be pushed into paying £30 a month for something i dont want so i will be doing something else on sundays next year lol. Dont anyone say you cant be a true F1 fan if you dont pay for sky like i have seen posted elsewhere, being a fan and feeling ripped off are two totaly seperate things

 

[Craig Stevenson]

So much garbage on the BBC at the minute with programs like "I'm a 3rd Rate Celeb Please Watch Me" or "Desperate for Attention on Ice" type crap, all that should be scrapped before F1.

The coverage of F1 on the BBC at the minute is exceptional with the current Team, the icing on the cake was HD.

F1 must be given the same Jewel in the Crown status as The Olympics, Snoozball World and UAFA (or whatever it's called) Cups and Tennis, there would be questions asked in Parliament if the BBC tried to ditch ANY of these, I object to paying for ALL of these and watch none of them.

 

[Adam Eggbeer]

Offtopic here but how can you say David LLoyd is cringe-worthy! Sacrilege!

Easily. One of the most annoying people on TV.

Just goes to show the passion they have for their jobs. Let's hope Sky recognise the BBC have the best F1 team going and hopefully the majority of the guys can move across.

Agreed, however I very much doubt Jake will move across as he has too many ties with the BBC. It would take a very large offer for him to jump ship when he knows he will be hosting the majority of sporting events on the BBC including the Olympics.

So much garbage on the BBC at the minute with programs like "I'm a 3rd Rate Celeb Please Watch Me" or "Desperate for Attention on Ice" type crap, all that should be scrapped before F1.

The coverage of F1 on the BBC at the minute is exceptional with the current Team, the icing on the cake was HD.

F1 must be given the same Jewel in the Crown status as The Olympics, Snoozball World and UAFA (or whatever it's called) Cups and Tennis, there would be questions asked in Parliament if the BBC tried to ditch ANY of these, I object to paying for ALL of these and watch none of them.

The race show was the most watched programme on any channel at any time on Sunday so they can't say the don't get the viewers.

 

[Ramon Alonso]

This news was like being hit in the face by a Mack truck. I don't live in the UK but I watch the races live through the BBC online. IMO it's the best race broadcast anywhere, compared to my alternative which is Speed or when Fox has a few races, ugh!! I don't think they'll be streaming live for free anymore, I guess it was good until it lasted.

 

[Mark Ryan]

Looks liike from next season F1 will be split between BBC and Sky sports. think there will be alot of angry people because of this but personally doesnt affect me as i already subscribe but would prefer it just stayed on the beeb as i do enjoy their coverage and dont think you could beat martin and dc for comentary (unless of course you got the ledgend Murray Walker back)

bad news this for sure sandy, i realy look foward to my race weekends in front of the tv,,, bbc coverage is fantastic, ive only been with F1 for the last 4 seasons or so. Im not sure i would subscribe to sky just to watch a few races, the price does not justify it for me, but in saying that i will certainly take interest in how there coverage goes.

 

[Michael Brailey]

I think most of us will agree that the 2011 f1 season has been one of the most exciting seasons to watch and that the bbc covers really well lets hope that SKY can broadcast the sport just as good if not better than the BBC 1 thing that car ruin F1 would be the comentary KEEP BRUNDLE AND COLTARD they know what they on about and i would like to finish by saying british fans of f1 are the BEST....LEWIS IS A LEGEND

 

[António da Cunha]

I am not a brit, but I also watch BBC. Why? Because it has the best coverage and comentators without a doubt. This season has been amazing to watch. I hope that this doesn't ruin the quality that I got used.

 

[Thomas Dougherty]

im american yet this still kind of concerns me. since they're making the UK pay for it, whats stopping an american network from doing it? once it reaches a bigger market over here there's a chance someone will do that.

 

[TheHemps]

im american yet this still kind of concerns me. since they're making the UK pay for it, whats stopping an american network from doing it? once it reaches a bigger market over here there's a chance someone will do that.

If your in America, it's pretty much a given that's what will happen. Not a chance, a certainty. I'm a big fan of American Sports and there is not one I don't have to pay for. Costs me £100 a year just to watch my Phillies play and an extra £60 if I want to watch the Eagles games.

 

[Thomas Dougherty]

If your in America, it's pretty much a given that's what will happen. Not a chance, a certainty. I'm a big fan of American Sports and there is not one I don't have to pay for. Costs me £100 a year just to watch my Phillies play and an extra £60 if I want to watch the Eagles games.

Off-Topic: Coincidence that you should say those 2 teams since I live 20 minutes away from their stadiums and go to Phillies games almost weekly

Well that's scare then :/ It's absurd that they're doing this. I understand that they're trying to run a business but I highly doubt Formula One is worried about money and viewers, and for Sky having free F1 coverage is enough to draw a large audience.

 

[TheHemps]

Well that's scare then :/ It's absurd that they're doing this. I understand that they're trying to run a business but I highly doubt Formula One is worried about money and viewers, and for Sky having free F1 coverage is enough to draw a large audience.

Sky could come out and surprise us all by putting F1 on Sky1 or another standard subscription channel instead of the £22 a month sports channels. But I doubt that will happen. Off Topic: GO PHILLIES! haha

 

[Kyle Puttifer]

No, although that would be very nice. Unfortunately, Murdoch needs to line his pockets just as Bernie does.