BBC to end Formula 1 television contract early

[Dal]

BBC Sport is to "reluctantly" end its Formula 1 television contract three years early as part of savings across the corporation.
Channel 4 will take on the BBC's F1 broadcast rights from next season.
"The current financial position of the BBC means some tough and unwanted choices have to be made," said Barbara Slater, the BBC's director of sport.
However, BBC Radio 5 live has extended its commentary rights for F1 until the 2021 season.
BBC Sport broadcast 10 live races of Briton Lewis Hamilton's world championship-winning season in 2015 with a one-hour build-up to each grands prix. It also offered extensive highlights of the nine other races.
But as part of a £150m gap in the corporation's finances from next year, BBC Sport was asked to deliver £35m of savings.
"A significant chunk of BBC Sport's savings target will be delivered through the immediate termination of our TV rights agreement for Formula 1," added Slater.
"Any decision to have to stop broadcasting a particular sport or sporting event is hugely disappointing and taken reluctantly.
"There are no easy solutions; all of the options available would be unpopular with audiences."
BBC Sport regained F1 rights from ITV in 2009 but - in another cost-saving move - had been sharing the broadcast rights with Sky Sports since the 2012 season.
"These are very challenging times for the BBC and sport is not immune to those financial pressures," added Slater.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35149963?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_breaking&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=news_central" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Channel 4 statement:
http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/channel-4-becomes-terrestrial-home-of-formula-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Head of BBC Sport statement:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/d65fc069-ca52-41dd-a7be-674ca1614e14" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[red]

Tightened purse strings.. this is quite a high value component.. probably first choice to go.

 

[yippeekiay]

I wish I could get into the BBC, I'd save them millions more.
I have seen numerous programmes where people visit places all round the world for reasons which could be just as easily shown in our own country which I find ridiculous.
Only the other day I thought to myself that a lot of BBC 'stars' seem to use the BBC as a way of touring the world and get paid for it too!
It's as if the BBC only do it to justify the money they spend/waste.

 

[lusid666]

Doesn't help that they lost millions of pounds of revenue when they sacked Clarkson.

 

[tuonokid]

That's the only thing left that I watch on the BBC anymore, oh apart from MOTD but I suppose they'll cut that soon or lose it to BT or SKY. :-(

 

[Skippy]

Mick Fleetwood will be gutted.

 

[Robyorks]

I haven't watched F1 in ages, makes me go to sleep. They should swap it for Nascar, cheaper and loads more fun

 

[Dal]

Funny that in the summer, Channel 4 invested (a rumoured £5 > £20m) in a production company involved in motorsport productions called Whisper Films.
Whisper Films MD is Sunil Patel who used to be a BBC Sport producer and the other 2 directors are Jake Humphrey and David Coulthard.

I wonder who may get the call from Channel 4 to produce it's F1 coverage.

Coincidence?

 

[dingwells1985]

I agree i think they will use the same team that presented it on the bbc,why change a winning formula!

 

[Frank]

Funny that in the summer, Channel 4 ...

Like post 5 July 2015 type summer? Word on the street would have been a good month earlier than that, as well.

...Coincidence?

Not really, you only have to follow the Government funding announcements and know how the BBC works and how it will make its budget cuts, both selectively and across the board, to be able to predict which programs/services or channels will be axed.

This was a 'fortune favours the brave' move. Good job it paid off or we'd be seeing David Coulthard having to do 'One Hundred and Eighty!!!' on the darts.

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2015-07-05/government-to-cut-bbc-budget-by-650m/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Dal]

13th August it was reported they made the investment:

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/channel-4-invests-in-sports-indie-whisper-films" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was only spouting a coincidence in jest. No way could they have known..

:roll:

 

[Frank]

I was only spouting a coincidence in jest. No way could they have known..

:roll:

Well, no need to roll your eyes at me, as the very point I was making was that there was a way they would, based on probabilities, have known.

 

[Cherie]

Frank, you obviously missed (or don't understand) the sarcasm in the use of the word 'coincidence'.

 

[Frank]

Frank, you obviously missed

Er, I think not, with or without a giveaway smilie after it.

I had moved on from there and was explaining the background to the story, as per the thread title.

 

[Fanwheel]

Channel 4 will bring a fresh perspective on it, like they did with the cricket, and they ought to have more money to invest than the bbc did. Terrestrial coverage is important so I do hope that this deal isn't a precursor to losing everything to sky in a few years time.

I have the sky f1 channel which is good with Brundle, Damon Hill etc and as a committed fan I don't mind paying in principle. But, they have a nasty habit of creeping up the package costs and it's starting to get to the point where I might not bother with it anymore. And no way is the average viewer going to pay for f1.

 

[Dal]

Coulthard signed up to be a presenter

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/channel-4-awards-formula-one-production-contract-to-whisper-films?hootPostID=8d7b948b7955c751aa0bba5051ab2312" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(Seeing as he's part owner in the production company awarded the contract)

 

[Dal]

Channel 4 announced which races they're showing live:

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/channel-4-announces-2016-live-formula-1-races?hootPostID=fcdd3551d936b801496eb9f5945fd2e3

British Grand Prix one of ten Formula1® races shown live in by broadcaster, with highlights of all 21 races

Live races to be broadcast without advertising breaks

Channel 4 has confirmed the ten Formula 1® Grands Prix it will broadcast live in 2016, which will include the 2016 Formula 1 British Grand Prix on July 10th.

As part of a new three-year deal from 2016-2018 with Formula One World Championship Limited, announced last month, Channel 4 will broadcast live coverage of ten Grands Prix, including practice sessions and qualifying over each season. Channel 4 will broadcast comprehensive highlights of all 21 races, including those broadcast by Sky Sports.

Channel 4 coverage will begin over the weekend of March 18th-20th with build up to, and comprehensive highlights coverage of the 2016 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix weekend. Channel 4’s first live race will be the 2016 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix, broadcast over the weekend of 1st-3rd April.

Following a picks process with Sky Sports, the full list of races broadcast live by Channel 4 is:

(Provisional Grand Prix start times – which are subject to confirmation – are indicated in brackets.)

Bahrain– 1st-3rdApril (4.00pm)

Spain– 13th-15th May (1.00pm)

Europe (Azerbaijan) – 17th-19th June (TBC)

Britain– 8th-10th July (1.00pm)

Hungary– 22nd-24th July (1.00pm)

Belgium– 26th-28th August (1.00pm)

Italy– 2nd-4th September (1.00pm)

Malaysia– 30th September-2nd October (8.00am)

Mexico – 28th-30th October (7.00pm)

Abu Dhabi– 25th-27th November (1.00pm)

All of the live coverage and highlights will be broadcast free-to-air and in high definition.

 

[yippeekiay]

:thumbs:

 

[crystalpuma]

They're keeping The Chain...best thing about F1 these days! :wub:

 

[Fanwheel]

Sky have now secured exclusive rights to F1 from 2019 when the Channel 4 deal finishes:

http://gu.com/p/4hzf7?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Whilst Sky do a good job and I enjoy their coverage, it's bad news for the sport I fear. Going to a dedicated pay channel will only further reduce viewers. I suppose channel 4 could continue showing highlights, but it's not the same...