Formula One will be broadcast on satellite pay-television in the UK from 2012, after the current contract – due to expire in 2013 – was revised.
Sky Sports will broadcast every race, whilst current rights holders, government funded free-to-air station BBC, will continue to broadcast F1 in a reduced capacity, screening 10 of the season’s 20 events.
This outcome is a compromise, with talk in recent weeks that the “Beeb” would offload their critically acclaimed coverage in an attempt to cut spiraling costs, and Sky showing interest through controversial figure, media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
Formula One will take advantage of the perks that come with broadcast on pay-TV, something many other sports have capitalised on in recent times, with those unable to afford the fee for satellite TV still able to enjoy the action, albeit in moderation.
The real question out of this is, where does Australia’s coverage of the sport stand in all of this?
As Australia takes the BBC’s qualifying and race feed, one wonders if we will be treated to only their coverage on free-to-air, since it is likely that Sky will play hard ball.
Will free-to-air channel OneHD only broadcast races on the BBC, with Sky Sports’ races on Foxtel?
If this is the case, there will be blood, words will be said – there will be chaos.
Formula One will be dead if Australia simply follows the UK’s route to pay-TV, not that it already isn’t headed in this direction in the motherland. These are grim times, indeed.
Bernie Ecclestone has deceived society once again, after stating how important it is that the sport remains on free-to-air, his dealings and insane obsession with the pound have now left the average person high and dry, once again.
It has certainly left many people seeing red, and thinking like radicals, as this decision has come with no prior consultation to those concerned.
As more information comes to light, we will know with more certainty whether Formula One lives, or Formula One dies.
mike
Guest
ahem. someone who has the same opinion as me. channl 10, give it to foxsports and save wasting your money on the muppet commentators.
Nick Bollockov
Guest
It's already looking like it is going to disappear all together from Australian TV before the season is even half way through. The Bahrain GP this weekend has been shifted to Channel 10 and everything else is now just showing as TBC on the TV Guides. To be honest I would rather it went to FoxTel then we would hopefully get the straight forward Sky Sports feed with no ill timed and elongated ad breaks or muppet commentators who know absolutely nothing about Formula 1, it's history, the tracks, cars and any drivers whose nationality is not Australian.
Argus Tuft
Guest
If the coverage of the Aust F1 GP by ONE HD is anything to go by, then this should be the last time the Aust F1 is broadcast by ONE HD. They can't even get the audio in synch, so who knows how this is being broadcast overseas. Thankfully, there is another channel broadcasting the race, so I switch to that when there on-track action is done.
Mike
Guest
Good luck downloading live sports mate. And if you think foxsports hd is worse quality then one hd then it sounds like youve never even seen foxtel hd. Some shows are not in hd maybe thats what you are comparing it to. F1 on one hd does look good ill admit, but foxsports would still allow a higher bit rate. Compare the exact same nascar broadcast on one hd and foxsports hd, foxsports is noticeably better. Foxsports dont show adds during the match where you would miss important action eg nrl and super rugby. F1 wouldnt have add breaks either im sure. Yeh u can download tv shows in your own time but we are talking live sports here.
Rob
Guest
Bring on web site streaming / downloads, I'd rather pay for that then ever go to Foxtel HD - Foxtel HD thats not HD - Channel Ten shows them in FULL HD - sure there are adds, but they aren't abusive adds like the adds on Foxtel. I'll just keep downloading off the web and watch in FULL HD without adds and when I want. All TV channels are terrible at keeping schedules and swapping days / times week to week. Need to give power back to the people.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
:D I certainly agree about the Formula One Grand Prix. If NSW wants it, they are welcome to it! :D
sk
Roar Rookie
"the death of motorsports in australia" oh please let this be the case
matt
Guest
I don't think F1 being on pay tv will cause a downturn in popularity. people are known to go out of their way to watch the sports they love and whether this be by buying a subscription to pay tv or streaming the race online, most will find a way to watch the F1 races. maybe even more fans will come to the sport as i'm sure replays will be shown many more times on pay tv than on free-to-air
mike
Guest
I hope foxtel gets to show f1. i am sick to death of channel ten's coverage, they show far too many commerical breaks! they come back from the add break and we have to listen to the amatuer channel 10 guys rambling on. F1 on foxsports HD...live and uninterupted. mmmm that would be awesome
Bakkies
Guest
Not everyone has digital (can't speak for rural Australia I doubt a lot of regional areas would have coverage) or is aware that analogue is going to be switched off. It was supposed to be switched off in 2008. Sky having the rights doesn't mean Foxsports will get them. Seperate entities and contracts. England's rugby internationals outside of the Six Nations are broadcast on Sky in the UK but are televised on Setanta in Australia. The ESPN broadcasted Premiership soccer matches aren't shown on ESPN in Australia because they don't have the rights.
Johnno
Guest
I mean also to add to the add the majority of big world title fights in the sport of boxing are pay per view and no one protests or complains why should AFL,NL, F1, EPL, NBA,NFL,NHL,MLB be any different. i mean the A-league soccer is not on free to air same with super 15 is barley shown on free to air to and hardly any one protests about that.
Johnno
Guest
I don't get the protests with free to air VS pay tv. Any pro sports comp should have the right to show it on free to air or pay tv. And if no one buys pay tv subscriptions to watch it, then that pro sports comp goes down the drain. Pro sport is not a free thing. Is going to the movies free no. And pro sport is entertainment and is not for free either. How do you think all those nice stadiums gets built and maintained, or flashy race circuits and mechanics in F1. And the endless medical and coaching and logistics staff in pro sport get paid for. The EPL in England survived coz people want it badly enough that they bought subscriptions. theymade it affordable to the masses. And if the fans don't buy them then the pro sports comp has to have a readjustment. The fans in reality like in a democratic political society vote fi they arE NOT HAPPY. Pro sport the fans or viewer rules not the corparation. If racing fans supposedly love F1 pro car racing so much, they will pay for it on pay tv subsriptions, if not then f1 will have are think. BUT i really don't like when fans or governments puts restriction on a pro sports comp which is only it for the money , we do live in a captailist society, putting regulations on haveing to show a certain amount of content on free to air tv. That is a constraint of trade. pro sport to me is a business to entertain and maintain fans, but you have to pay for it like going to a move or watching live show it is not for free, and if you think it costs to much too buy you the fan speak up and boycott the product in this case f1, then f1 group may change there minds if they think they can make money. Let a industry in this case pro sport evolve naturally to how the market dictates it to do not put restrictions or contraiNTS of trade on it. I think the same with the AFL, and NRL. just liKE the EPL and USA sports leagues(NBA,NHLMLB,NHL), they are under no obligation to show any content on free to air. they are a bussines, not an amatuer or a community orginastion.
Brendon
Guest
Every man and his dog has digital TV now. Even my mother who can barely operate a remote control. If you can't afford a digital TV then not getting to see Formula 1 and MotoGP live is the least of your problems. As for coverage in Australia for non BBC races. Only hope is Lachlan Murdoch can get Sky to give Channel 10 coverage.
Bakkies
Guest
The BBC will probably broadcast the European Grand Prixs (including Silverstone) it makes sense if they are cutting costs sending broadcast crews all over the world to far flung places like Melbourne, Singapore, Shanghai, Korea and Japan is expensive and these races are broadcast at odd hours for British audiences. Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Brazil are not cheap places either. Not only do they broadcast the race they show the practice sessions and the qualifying. Sky will probably give BBC rights to replay those races at reasonable hours. The coverage is shocking in Australia as Ch 9 and 10 used to put the races on delay. They don't finish that late at night. The Grand Prixs from Europe are over before midnight and the Asian races are around prime time or close to it for Australian audiences. Having it on One HD is similar to broadcasting it on Foxtel as not everyone has access to it. In the next two years that will change with analogue tv being switched off in the UK and Australia.
Ben Carter
Roar Guru
Seriously - if this does happen, that'd be terrible. I'm not someone who's always able to be up at midnight watching arguably the world's premier motorsport series, but the fact remains that some free-to-air channel should always have it available - and ONE.HD/TEN's coverage this year (via the Beeb) has been fantastic. Probably even better than when Nine used to do it!...
Andy S.
Guest
Come on Aussies.....Us Poms need your help with some whingeing! This is a lousy deal for all of us, so lets make sure it doesn't happen!
Simon Varnam
Guest
Help us Brits out a bit then by going here http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors/2011/07/f1_coverage_to_be_shared_betwe.html and leaving comments
stephanie isherwood
Guest
Australia welcome to our world! Please feel free to join the UK in protesting about this. As a nation we have a reputation as being somewhat reserved but let me tell you. We are mightily pissed off about this. Just check out the comments on the BBC website - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors/2011/07/f1_coverage_to_be_shared_betwe.html