ESPN takes over US TV rights for F1 [Archive]

SteveH

10-04-17, 11:52 AM

ESPN takes over US TV rights for F1 (https://www.racer.com/f1/item/144733-espn-takes-over-us-tv-rights-for-f1)

Under the new multi-year linear and digital partnership, all 21 races will air live on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC. More than 125 hours of Formula 1 programming, including all practice sessions, qualifying and races, will be shown live and in replay across ESPN platforms in 2018.

datachicane

10-04-17, 11:59 AM

NBC Sports said in a statement. "In this case, we chose not to enter into a new agreement in which the rights holder itself competes with us and our distribution partners. We wish the new owners of F1 well.”

Heh

cameraman

10-04-17, 12:23 PM

Cue Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever...

:cry:

Gopeddle

10-04-17, 03:59 PM

I would be just fine with Varsha, Matchett & Hobbs. Can't stand Diffy.

WickerBill

10-04-17, 04:28 PM

Hobbs is the only one of the four I can tolerate.

What would be IDEAL is for them to just license Sky commentary. That's why I was hoping FOX would nab it.

gerhard911

10-04-17, 05:11 PM

I would be just fine with Varsha, Matchett & Hobbs. Can't stand Diffy.

This.

SteveH

10-04-17, 05:13 PM

https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/F1-ESPN-schedule.jpg

opinionated ow

10-04-17, 05:15 PM

https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/F1-ESPN-schedule.jpg

You get three on free to air? Totally jealous. We're down to the Australian GP only. F1 is about to enter the wilderness in Australia.

chop456

10-05-17, 01:27 AM

WickerBill

10-05-17, 03:17 AM

Oh come on chop, there's FIVE MINUTES of pre-race - what else could you need?

chop456

10-05-17, 07:39 AM

Qualifying?

Although not televising it eliminates the spoiler angle.

SteveH

10-05-17, 07:45 AM

Supposedly qualifications as well as all practice session will be broadcast on the Fine Family of Channels.

dirtyboy

10-05-17, 08:03 AM

Back to the days of SpeedWorld

The old SpeedWorld intro with this right after. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgiBkydMW8k

SteveH

10-05-17, 09:28 AM

The old SpeedWorld intro with this right after. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgiBkydMW8k

followed by this shortly afterwards

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5d/4b/9e/5d4b9ef664f354284eacbce34bb0ebce.jpg

Insomniac

10-05-17, 09:36 AM

I guess ESPN was willing to pay more than $3M?

Insomniac

10-05-17, 10:58 AM

Per a contact at ESPN, its 2018 F1 broadcasts will use the commentators and pit reporters supplied by F1 on the world feed.
https://twitter.com/marshallpruett/status/915631007683842049

JohnHKart

10-05-17, 09:20 PM

I would be happy if they used Sky’s crew. This US team is really tired and outdated and it seems impossible to get anyone in the booth that’s actually driven an F1 race car recently. Like Varsha and Matchett though.

gerhard911

10-05-17, 09:39 PM

Oh come on chop, there's FIVE MINUTES of pre-race - what else could you need?

I, for one, don't need 35 minutes of Diffey, Buxton & Hobbo swallowing Louise and saying "Thank you sir, may I have another?" :shakehead:

nissan gtp

10-05-17, 09:40 PM

This will suck. Hopefully there will be a good digital feed.

JohnHKart

10-05-17, 10:28 PM

And now we get to watch races with a never ending sports scroll on the bottom of the screen. Still have my big envelope here I will again have to tape to the tv. And guess what race score is on the bottom line when you are watching an F1 Repeat? BS.

SteveH

10-05-17, 11:12 PM

This will suck. Hopefully there will be a good digital feed.

https://www.reddit.com/r/motorsportsstreams/

Dave99

10-20-17, 12:25 PM

Dave99

10-20-17, 01:50 PM

"Red Bull/Renault were the last manufacturer to win four constructors championships in a row..." :rolleyes: :shakehead: :gomer:

WAS, not WERE. Come on, Matchett!

And Diffey with his blanket "Grand Prix", whether he's talking about one race or a number of races really ticks me off, too. :gomer:

nissan gtp

10-20-17, 05:08 PM

I just want announcers in the booth who talk good English.

It's... Mercedes IS, not Mercedes ARE

It's... Red Bull HAS, not Red Bull HAVE

It's... Ferrari WAS, not Ferrari WERE

It's... Haas Motorsports HAILS from, not Haas Motorsports HAIL from

And finally, it's... the crowd IS, not the crowd ARE

Is that too much to ask?

British-isms perhaps?

And quit saying “the drivers love this track”, it’s great, we know. :irked:

WickerBill

10-20-17, 05:08 PM

Lol Dave99, love it.

You would not enjoy the rest of the English-speaking world if you don't like entities being treated as plurals instead of singulars. :)

gerhard911

10-20-17, 06:25 PM

Lol :gomer:, love it.

You would not enjoy the rest of the English-speaking world if you don't like entities being treated as plurals instead of singulars. :)

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Insomniac

10-20-17, 11:18 PM

talk good English

:rofl:

WickerBill

10-21-17, 07:11 AM

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/132542/f1-plans-to-launch-live-streaming-service

Yes. I will happily pay for this, assuming it isn’t several hundred dollars.

nissan gtp

10-21-17, 08:26 AM

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/132542/f1-plans-to-launch-live-streaming-service

Yes. I will happily pay for this, assuming it isn’t several hundred dollars.

COTA general admission for the weekend is $145. I’d expect the streaming package to be between $100 and $250.

Insomniac

10-21-17, 10:30 AM

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/132542/f1-plans-to-launch-live-streaming-service

Yes. I will happily pay for this, assuming it isn’t several hundred dollars.

From a MotorSport article:

“We are going to next year have a brand new graphics package,” added Bratches. “We will have a whole new production point of view – in terms of how we go to the marketplace. This is a window of time where everyone is benefitting. It is unique.”
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-plans-online-streaming-service-for-2018-season-968398/

I for one was certainly missing the graphics NASCAR and the IRL use.

opinionated ow

10-21-17, 12:08 PM

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/132542/f1-plans-to-launch-live-streaming-service

Yes. I will happily pay for this, assuming it isn’t several hundred dollars.

I won't. This is a desperation move because Bernie sold off television rights to subscription companies around the world and they've realised nobody will be able to watch it. My entire life I've been able to watch F1 races on free to air television. BUggered if I'm going to start paying for the privilege. PPV is fine if you only watch one sport or series but if like me you're heavily invested in lots of sports and competitions it's just not viable. Given I currently follow WEC, IMSA, ELMS, Blancpain, F1, Indycar, ARCA, NASCAR Canada, Rugby Union, Triathlon, Netball, Cycling, Swimming, Athletics etc that would be a major financial input.

WickerBill

10-21-17, 01:19 PM

COTA general admission for the weekend is $145. I’d expect the streaming package to be between $100 and $250.

$100 would be ~$5 a race, to be able to watch whenever I want in HD, without commercials, including all practice sessions and probably testing as well? Yeah, I'd do that. $250 would be pretty hard to stomach, though.

WickerBill

10-21-17, 01:20 PM

I won't. This is a desperation move

You think? I think it's where everything is going outside the absolute top tier sports.

Insomniac

10-21-17, 02:15 PM

I think the most I'd pay is $100. That would assume I didn't have ESPN since it looks like there won't be a difference between them. I think OTT is where everything is going. Air/Cable are a long, long way from being replaced completely, but a digital/streaming solution is needed for everything if you don't want to keep watching your audience shrink. This new a la carte world is going to be a mess and won't be cheap.

nissan gtp

10-22-17, 08:35 AM

Maybe they’re depending on ESPN to suck (likely given ABC’s terrible Indycar work). That way a higher subscription cost would be more attractive.

SteveH

10-22-17, 10:02 AM

Boxing has primarily gone PPV. And has disappeared except for its hardcore followers. There has to be some amount of free public access if it is to grow in the US.

Lux Interior

10-22-17, 11:56 AM

If there were a fee I would not watch. Will gladly buy a ticket to see the race live at the track, but not for this.

Insomniac

10-22-17, 11:58 AM

Maybe they’re depending on ESPN to suck (likely given ABC’s terrible Indycar work). That way a higher subscription cost would be more attractive.

From the initial reports it seems likely the ESPN broadcast and the F1 service will be the same feed (maybe a difference in commercials).

Insomniac

10-22-17, 06:22 PM

Ohh, and NBC gave up. Didn't even send the team on site for the USGP.

chop456

10-23-17, 01:51 AM

I thought Matchett was going to pop before the race was over. Calm down.

cameraman

10-23-17, 11:40 AM

And I watched the Sky coverage this morning...

I'd pay a fair sum to watch the Sky coverage live. You put scrolls over & commercials in my race then I'm not watching your coverage period. I pay for excellent WEC coverage, I'll pay for F1 if you allow me to. If not I'll continue watching a well delayed (as my internet speed does suck out loud) Sky.

Mary

10-29-17, 05:12 PM

(Almost) everything on the deuce? Is that HD on all carriers?

Poor earl. Now they won't even have the chance to cross-pollute with the in-race plugs.

And looks like no pre-race, either. Back to the days of SpeedWorld.

^This

Feels a bit like back to the future, huh. I get ESPN2, so I'm okay with that, but no American slant at all? Why are they bothering to pay for this? Do they want to drive away the 15 people in the USA who like F1? Maybe I missed this but are they showing qualifying? Will they even run qualifying results on the never ending scroll? I know they're not going to mention anything on SportCenter (not that I watch that much these days).

I have Spectrum in NYC (formerly Time Warner) and it is HD here. (An aside gripe about Spectrum, they're ruining NY1.) I'll quit kvetching. At least I can deprogram NBCSN from my TV. There is a bright side to everything.

Mary

Rus'L

11-08-17, 12:16 PM

Feels a bit like back to the future, huh. I get ESPN2, so I'm okay with that, but no American slant at all? Why are they bothering to pay for this? Do they want to drive away the 15 people in the USA who like F1? Maybe I missed this but are they showing qualifying? Will they even run qualifying results on the never ending scroll? I know they're not going to mention anything on SportCenter (not that I watch that much these days).

I have Spectrum in NYC (formerly Time Warner) and it is HD here. (An aside gripe about Spectrum, they're ruining NY1.) I'll quit kvetching. At least I can deprogram NBCSN from my TV. There is a bright side to everything.

Mary

ESPN isn't paying anything for it. F1 gave it to them, because NBC backed out, and F1 had nowhere else to go.

Spectrum killed all the local 24-hour sports channels in Upstate NY. :mad:

nissan gtp

11-08-17, 06:13 PM

pfc_m_drake

11-08-17, 09:10 PM

pfc_m_drake

11-08-17, 09:14 PM

$100 would be ~$5 a race, to be able to watch whenever I want in HD, without commercials, including all practice sessions and probably testing as well? Yeah, I'd do that. $250 would be pretty hard to stomach, though.

how much is the WEC season?
Don't know about WEC, but I just got my renewal notice for the MotoGP package in my email today: It's 139 Euros (allegedly as a limited time renewal offer just for me).

But it is great and I like it a lot - full HD of all sessions (including Moto 3 and Moto 2), no commercials, completely on demand.

I have to admit, I'm not sure I'd pay that for F1 though.

Rus'L

11-10-17, 12:23 PM

Correction: John Rigas killed all the local 24-hour sports channels in Upstage NY :(

Umm, no.

John Rigas and Adelphia were long gone before the recent "kill off."

He might have killed off Empire Sports Network due to Adelphia's demise thanks to Rigas' crimes and jail term, but Time Warner after that set up local 24-hour sports channels in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and Binghamton. They mostly covered local high school and college sports unique to their area with no overlapping. Occasionally they picked up statewide various events, like Syracuse football and basketball, or of course state high school championships or simulcasted ESPN2 if there was local interest in the game they were showing. These channels had absolutely nothing to do with Rigas or Adelphia. They were owned by Time Warner Cable.

When Spectrum bought out Time Warner Cable, they shuttered all these local sports channels. This happened just a month ago.

Rus'L

11-10-17, 12:29 PM

Don't know about WEC, but I just got my renewal notice for the MotoGP package in my email today: It's 139 Euros (allegedly as a limited time renewal offer just for me).

But it is great and I like it a lot - full HD of all sessions (including Moto 3 and Moto 2), no commercials, completely on demand.

I have to admit, I'm not sure I'd pay that for F1 though.

According to the WEC website, it's 5 Euros per race pack. Since there were only two races left in the season when that page was updated, they don't yet list the season subscription for next year. It will be interesting to see if they now charge per calendar year or per season, and in this case, the super season.

Mary

11-11-17, 03:45 PM

ESPN isn't paying anything for it. F1 gave it to them, because NBC backed out, and F1 had nowhere else to go.

Spectrum killed all the local 24-hour sports channels in Upstate NY. :mad:

Wow, it's that bad? I guess if Bernie still controlled F1, we wouldn't see it at all, but since an American company bought it, they want it on TV here. Wonder how much they're paying ESPN2 to broadcast it, LOL!

I see Spectrum is making a lot of friends in NYS.

Mary

pfc_m_drake

11-12-17, 05:08 PM

Umm, no.

John Rigas and Adelphia were long gone before the recent "kill off."

He might have killed off Empire Sports Network due to Adelphia's demise thanks to Rigas' crimes and jail term, but Time Warner after that set up local 24-hour sports channels in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and Binghamton. They mostly covered local high school and college sports unique to their area with no overlapping. Occasionally they picked up statewide various events, like Syracuse football and basketball, or of course state high school championships or simulcasted ESPN2 if there was local interest in the game they were showing. These channels had absolutely nothing to do with Rigas or Adelphia. They were owned by Time Warner Cable.

When Spectrum bought out Time Warner Cable, they shuttered all these local sports channels. This happened just a month ago.
The point being that, if Empire Sports was still around, you'd have regional 'flagship' backing, and likely wouldn't have seen widespread demise.

But as it stands...yeah...sorry that Spectrum killed off all your High School Sports Cable Channels that you (evidently) loved.

Rus'L

11-13-17, 04:44 PM

Wow, it's that bad? I guess if Bernie still controlled F1, we wouldn't see it at all, but since an American company bought it, they want it on TV here. Wonder how much they're paying ESPN2 to broadcast it, LOL!

From what I've been reading, NBC wanted to bid on F1. However, when F1 informed them that NBC could not bid on any of the online content -- F1 was going to completely control that -- NBC backed out, because NBC planned on making online content a key component to their package.

At that point, F1 had nowhere to go (apparently FOX, who said they were going to bid, wasn't interested after all). Since Sean Bratches came from ESPN as at top executive before his F1 job, he went back to his old buddies and offered F1 to ESPN for free. F1 isn't paying anything (some reports say ESPN is paying a meager fee).

ESPN is doing this all on the cheap. The are going to pick up the world field entirely, even though currently the world feed is only video. There are no announcers. So, what announcing crew they are going to pipe into the world feed is unknown. There will be no pre or post race show. Who knows how the commercials will work other than probably just hackneyed interruptions which make no sense (unless ESPN can find sponsors like in soccer and not show commercials -- considering how much they are paying for F1, this actually could work and would be the only good thing about ESPN getting F1). And if races run long, do we really think ESPN will stick with it?

People can say what they want about NBC, but they truly respected F1 and put a lot of effort into broadcasting the sport. We will probably not see that with ESPN. Not at all. And it will be evident right away.

I see Spectrum is making a lot of friends in NYS.

Mary

Yep, a ton of friends up here... :eek:

Insomniac

11-13-17, 05:03 PM

I read somewhere that ESPN had a policy not to switch away from live broadcasts if they exceed the broadcast window.

datachicane

11-13-17, 10:21 PM

I read somewhere that ESPN had a policy not to switch away from live broadcasts if they exceed the broadcast window.

I'm gonna assume there won't be any live F1 broadcasts on ESPN, so there you go. On the other hand, I do recall a nice segment showing the manufacturing of a golf trophy preempting the first umpteen laps of a CART race back when they were on ESPN.

SteveH

11-13-17, 11:54 PM

It is going to suck and then we'll all be happy to pay for PPV from F1 the following year.

datachicane

11-14-17, 03:26 AM

It is going to suck and then we'll all be happy to pay for PPV from F1 the following year.

That's probably the plan- a year of Beast Rabban and we'll all welcome Feyd Rautha with open arms.

chop456

11-14-17, 04:22 AM

:laugh:

Rus'L

11-15-17, 09:04 AM

I'm gonna assume there won't be any live F1 broadcasts on ESPN, so there you go. On the other hand, I do recall a nice segment showing the manufacturing of a golf trophy preempting the first umpteen laps of a CART race back when they were on ESPN.

ESPN already released the TV schedule. They will all be shown live. Some even on ABC.

However, this policy must be new. I remember when they left a live F1 race where Prost was about to beat Stewart's win record just so they could start SportsCenter on time. Unless the policy doesn't apply to open wheel racing... :eek:

jimclark

11-19-17, 12:26 PM

I just want announcers in the booth who talk good English.

It's... Mercedes IS, not Mercedes ARE

It's... Red Bull HAS, not Red Bull HAVE

It's... Ferrari WAS, not Ferrari WERE

It's... Haas Motorsports HAILS from, not Haas Motorsports HAIL from

And finally, it's... the crowd IS, not the crowd ARE

Is that too much to ask?

'Awful lot of work for one person, no? Besides, I see more than one working on the cars and a crowd, by definition, is more than one..... ;)

(btw, you "write good English". I try to speak and write it it well.)

stroker

11-27-17, 10:57 PM

Based on the "highlights" I see on YouTube I'm not missing much from being unable to see the races regardless of what format in which they're available. I'd pay money for someone to stick a sock in that dimwit's mouth for the first lap of the race, though.

Mary

12-10-17, 11:35 AM

It is going to suck and then we'll all be happy to pay for PPV from F1 the following year.

Agreed, this is the plan. BUT as I implied earlier in this thread, even if all 15 of us who actually like F1 enough to PPV it do so, they still won't make much money. Does Liberty not realize there is not much of a fan base here?

Back to Spectrum - it is official, they've totally ruined NY1. They've turned it into a GMA-like clone, couch and all. They still have weather on the ones, but the continuous scroll of the subway lines is gone! I don't wanna hear c*h*i*t-chat, I need to know if I should take a different train or leave earlier or something. They are of no help now. They have a road and rails report every 1/2 hour, but I'm getting dressed, not sitting around watching them with a cup of coffee. Geez! BTW, it isn't any cheaper, either. I never thought I would pine away for Time Warner (which sucked, BTW). Rant over for real.

SteveH

12-10-17, 12:07 PM

Agreed, this is the plan. BUT as I implied earlier in this thread, even if all 15 of us who actually like F1 enough to PPV it do so, they still won't make much money. Does Liberty not realize there is not much of a fan base here?

Mary, I hope that Liberty does know how little support F1 enjoys in the US, that they have done market research and understand they must grow the base before they increase the cost of being a fan. Increasing the fan base requires more than one US based race and one US based (sort of) team. I do not believe Bernie really cared if support increased in the US or not. I think that Liberty does. I hope they can succeed. Charging a premium to watch races in the early hours of Sunday mornings won’t accomplish that.

opinionated ow

12-10-17, 08:05 PM

Mary, I hope that Liberty does know how little support F1 enjoys in the US, that they have done market research and understand they must grow the base before they increase the cost of being a fan. Increasing the fan base requires more than one US based race and one US based (sort of) team. I do not believe Bernie really cared if support increased in the US or not. I think that Liberty does. I hope they can succeed. Charging a premium to watch races in the early hours of Sunday mornings won’t accomplish that.

Charging a premium to watch any sport is a fast way to make sure your sport is dead within half a decade.

SteveH

12-10-17, 08:13 PM

Charging a premium to watch any sport is a fast way to make sure your sport is dead within half a decade.

right, look at boxing (other problems exist there also)

SteveH

02-27-18, 11:28 AM

First details of Formula 1's 2018 TV shake-up revealed (https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/134555/first-details-of-f1-tv-shakeup-revealed)

"We are going to launch in USA, Latin America other than Brazil, Germany, France and a number of other Nordic countries," he said.

cameraman

02-27-18, 07:14 PM

Commercial free F1, GP1 & GP2 races (or whatever they got renamed to...) for a not too terrible fee.

Oh hell yes.

cameraman

02-27-18, 11:58 PM

You can "register your interest" for F1 Pro on the official F! site.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/headlines/2018/2/formula-1-to-launch-f1-tv-a-live-grand-prix-subscription-service.html

aka putting yourself on their email list.....

SteveH

02-28-18, 11:12 AM

F1 TV to launch in 40 countries but VPN access will be blocked (https://www.racefans.net/2018/02/28/f1-will-block-vpn-access-f1-tv/)

“And the second demographic is the super-hardcore fans. We have by our estimates around 500 million Formula One fans in the world, about 5% percent of the world’s population, which is quite a number. If even conservatively 1% of that customer base is a super-avid hardcore fan, that’s 5 million addressable audience to who would potentially be willing to pay the incremental fee for what is really the best way to watch Formula One in the market.”

staggering numbers

datachicane

02-28-18, 04:14 PM

http://seveninchesofyourtime.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/dune2.jpg

nissan gtp

02-28-18, 05:46 PM

gjc2

02-28-18, 07:52 PM

I did it. :D

Me too.

SteveH

03-02-18, 04:18 PM

Sky responds to F1 TV by slashing the price of its F1 channel stream (https://www.racefans.net/2018/03/02/sky-responds-f1-tv-slashing-price-f1-channel-stream/)

The Sky Sports F1 channel is now being offered on its Now TV platform at a reduced price £150 for nine months, allowing fans to watch all 21 races on the 2018 F1 calendar. It was previously available at £33.99 per month, or £305.91 for the same period.

:D

Mary

03-03-18, 11:05 AM

right, look at boxing (other problems exist there also)

I used to buy PPV heavyweight fights in the 90s but I always fell asleep during the preliminary bouts usually to wake up to Jim Lampley or someone screaming about a 1st or 2nd round knockout. I seriously missed every one of them.

Mary

SteveH

03-07-18, 04:29 PM

Will F1 TV succeed where F1 Digital + failed? (https://www.racefans.net/2018/03/07/will-f1-tv-pro-succeed-where-f1-digital-failed/)

The offering is impressively extensive, having upwards of 20 different feeds, offering in-car, paddock, pit lane, interview, data and general race channels. In short, fans can become their own producers, able to switch and swap feeds as the fancy grabs them.

SteveH

03-20-18, 09:26 PM

Package info
https://sit.formula1.com/en/subscribe-to-f1-tv-access.html#en

Registration to F1 site
https://account-staging.formula1.com/#/en/register

Insomniac

03-20-18, 09:59 PM

Package info
https://sit.formula1.com/en/subscribe-to-f1-tv-access.html#en

Registration to F1 site
https://account-staging.formula1.com/#/en/register

Be interesting to see how quickly after the race ends they post and allow access to replay.

WickerBill

03-21-18, 06:48 AM

So you can't watch a race live online - only timing and scoring?

Not that I'm complaining about getting Sky coverage, but how exactly did this infringe on NBC to the point they didn't want to bid? It seems positioned specifically to protect TV partners.

WickerBill

03-21-18, 04:01 PM

Package info
https://sit.formula1.com/en/subscribe-to-f1-tv-access.html#en

Registration to F1 site
https://account-staging.formula1.com/#/en/register

Okay, so that first link is now dead. You can still find the $2.99/mo option if you dig around, but this link: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/headlines/2018/2/formula-1-to-launch-f1-tv-a-live-grand-prix-subscription-service.html indicates the *real* option will be $8-12/mo and will include live broadcasts.

This is a big mess for two days before the first race weekend.

nissan gtp

03-21-18, 04:36 PM

Buxton is part of the team, and he's in AUS, so something is going on, but talk about just in time availability. Bet it doesn't work real very well at first.

WickerBill

03-21-18, 04:59 PM

Buxton is part of the team, and he's in AUS, so something is going on, but talk about just in time availability. Bet it doesn't work real very well at first.

Buxton? Crud, it isn't the Sky team?

If they have Matchett they won't get a single cent from me.

nissan gtp

03-21-18, 06:19 PM

Buxton? Crud, it isn't the Sky team?

If they have Matchett they won't get a single cent from me.

Buxton is with the F1 digital feed team.

Not a Matchett fan, huh? :rofl:

WickerBill

03-21-18, 06:23 PM

Pretty sure I'd rather listen to Scott Goodyear. And that's saying a lot.

nissan gtp

03-21-18, 06:39 PM

Pretty sure I'd rather listen to Scott Goodyear. And that's saying a lot.

wow :saywhat:

TedN

03-21-18, 06:44 PM

Thankfully here in Canada, TSN is once again picking up the Sky coverage. Listings Here (http://prnmag.com/gear-tech-guides/tv-listings).

Ted

WickerBill

03-22-18, 08:14 AM

F1 OTT delayed: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/134948/f1-delays-launch-of-live-streaming-service

Insomniac

03-25-18, 03:53 PM

Well, I'm not sure if ESPN was as bad as expected or worse. They just went to commercial whenever (mostly side-by-side). Since the coverage is provided by Sky and that is commercial free you get to guess what the radio conversations were and figure out what's going on in side-by-side. The Sky team isn't going to recap what we missed. I'm just waiting for ESPN to go to commercial during the final laps (they already decided a race restart was unimportant).

They couldn't just do soccer style ads and throw in quick 30 second ads when there is maybe a safety car or lull? Is this basically F1's plan to just get the money directly from OTT?

Ohh, and did I mention the pre-show or whatever was so messed up that ESPN just aired alternate programming after a few minutes?

Insomniac

03-25-18, 03:55 PM

F1 OTT delayed: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/134948/f1-delays-launch-of-live-streaming-service

Dumb idea here, why not do the beta for free? Then no one complains as you work out the kinks and you get high usage.

SteveH

03-25-18, 03:57 PM

I don’t think ESPN carrying the Sky broadcast will work just for the reason you cited. This is going to be a very frustrating season. And the best advertisement for their pay per view service.

SteveH

03-25-18, 05:21 PM

ESPN apologizes for Australian GP technical issues (http://www.racer.com/f1/item/148321-espn-apologizes-for-australian-gp-technical-issues)

cameraman

04-10-18, 01:36 PM

The F1 races on ESPN will be commercial free for the rest of the season.

nissan gtp

04-10-18, 04:37 PM

The F1 races on ESPN will be commercial free for the rest of the season.

OTT not coming anytime soon?

WickerBill

04-10-18, 07:23 PM

The F1 races on ESPN will be commercial free for the rest of the season.

That is fantastic and makes me want to buy Mothers Polish.

Insomniac

04-12-18, 02:49 AM

The F1 races on ESPN will be commercial free for the rest of the season.

That was a welcome surprise.

gjc2

04-12-18, 06:31 AM

The F1 races on ESPN will be commercial free for the rest of the season.

Doesn't that just mean they couldn't sell any ads?

WickerBill

04-12-18, 08:35 AM

I don't think that's the case. They had plenty for the Australian GP, and they seem to have plenty before and after qualifying and race coverage. Of course, they're not exactly demanding super bowl money for those spots, but the usual car advertisement suspects all seem to be there: Mothers, Hagerty insurance, General insurance, tires, etc.

SteveH

04-13-18, 02:26 PM

Formula 1’s streaming service goes live with the Spanish GP in May (https://arstechnica.com/cars/2018/04/formula-1s-streaming-service-goes-live-with-the-spanish-gp-in-may/?comments=1)

WickerBill

04-13-18, 04:05 PM

I wonder if Liberty is cringing at ESPN's decision to go commercial free. I have absolutely no need for the OTT service now - I have a DVR and a perfect HD version of the Sky broadcasts.

SteveH

04-13-18, 04:54 PM

I wonder if Liberty is cringing at ESPN's decision to go commercial free. I have absolutely no need for the OTT service now - I have a DVR and a perfect HD version of the Sky broadcasts.

On the other hand, I'm sure next year won't be commercial free on ESPN. So spoiling us with commercial free broadcasts might just improve the subscription overall next year.

Insomniac

04-15-18, 05:37 PM

I wonder if Liberty is cringing at ESPN's decision to go commercial free. I have absolutely no need for the OTT service now - I have a DVR and a perfect HD version of the Sky broadcasts.

It's a mess they created though. They knew ESPN wasn't going to do the broadcast. Sounds like Liberty was going to produce a broadcast that ESPN was going to air and Liberty probably dropped the ball and Sky was the fallback plan and just sticking commercials in arbitrarily is really bad for the viewers.