F1 tv viewing set to plummet further

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

I think that you may have misunderstood why Liberty bought out FOM.

FOM is a huge cash cow, which is generated from the income from selling the broadcasting rights of F1, from the contracts with individual circuits for the privilege of holding a F1 race and from various other licencing streams.

However, SKY in the UK certainly doesn't recoup the vast sums that it pays for holding the right to broadcast F1 races; it is a loss leader although their advertisers help to defray some of the costs. Why do you think that Channel 4 didn't even compete to continue their coverage after their contracts finishes at the end of this year?

Just look at the figures. In 2015 when the BBC were still broadcasting F1, the average viewing audience was 3.1 million. By the end of last year, Channel 4's average was down to 1.9 million, whilst SKY only brought in an average of 625,000 and they had to reduce the subscription to even achieve that.

F1 to a broadcaster is not a money-spinner; in fact, it's a drain on their resources. Liberty bought FOM, but they did so because FOM is not a TV broadcaster.

Yes, but FOM's ultimate business model now as they seek to montise and razzamataz it up, is how many people watch it. You are not going to sell $200M sponsorship deals on a 100,000 (at best) race day attendance. Ulitmately it is about viewers- no viewer equals falling market, equals the end.

[justracing]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

When the racing goes behind a paywall, my will to watch it will not be sufficient enough for me to follow & pay to watch. I may use forums such as this to follow what's happening, but then I may lose interest so much that I can't be bothered to do that anymore either.
I can't be alone in thinking like this, and surely, the less spectators the sport gets, the less benefit there is to the sponsors & manufacturers involved? This makes me believe that unless this situation is addressed, the whole thing will simply implode, and the huge financial system will just vanish down it's own (er?) plug hole.

Just about sums up my sentiments, having followed not only F1 but many forms of motor racing for 50+ years, the commercial influences are enough to put me off entirely. I find myself more and more resorting back to watching club racing in its pure form at affordable spectating levels.

[littleman]

F1 just isn't good enough to go behind a "Pay Wall".....it's that simple!

If you follow football, golf, tennis, cricket etc,etc on pay TV you know you're watching the best players in the World, and it might just be worth paying for it.They're on TV because they're super talented.That's not true of F1.

Half the grid are only there because they've bought the drive, half the grid isn't remotely competitive and half the grid wouldn't be missed if they didn't turn up!
Why would I want to pay decent money to watch Lance Stroll, Sergey Sirotkin,Marcus Ericsson etc, etc tool around wasting daddy's money?

Qualifying produces virtually the same grid every time and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to predict the top 6 either.

Free to air highlights are more than adequate. They'll have a job editing that into something entertaining anyway.

[Sodemo]

I think Liberty are delusional if they think that hiding F1 behind a paywall (pay TV or streaming) will automatically mean that the majority of free viewers will then move to the pay to watch model. It simply won’t happen. It worked with football because the fanbase is super passionate and somewhat tribal in nature. Look at people spending £40-70 to watch a single match. You could argue its profiteering what the football clubs and Sky TV do (and I would agree), however it works (for the moment). I really don’t think F1 will have that same level of demand, perhaps I am underestimating the level of interest and desire to watch, but I just can’t see it myself.

It’s just not the same product that it was 10-20 years ago. I’ve found my interest waning, and I was the kind of viewer who would get up at every race weekend 2am, 3am to watch quali and then the race. My father doesn’t watch it any more and neither do any of my friends.

I also think that the sport could be hit by the current populist movement of anti-capitalism, anti-globalisation and anti-big business, all of which F1 normally thrives upon.

It will be interesting to see what happens in Italy with their TV viewership, although I don’t think the Italian situation is representative of the market as a whole due to their somewhat unique fan relationship with Ferrari.

[Akrapovic]

It's not as simple as a paywall is automatically bad. But I'd have to spend £50 a month to watch F1. That's the problem. I can spend £30 a year for WEC, or £600 a year on F1.

Paywall is fine. I'll pay for a product. But the price has to be reasonable. To get F1 in the UK, you need various packages and services. That becomes a lot.

[littleman]

F1 has an awfully high opinion of itself.

It's now become that classic old sales technique......"Sell the sizzle not the sausage!"

Strip away all the hype, the perceived glamour and the endless talking and the product itself is pretty rubbish.

[S griffin]

Well the problem is Liberty have picked a lot of problems Bernie left, but they haven’t done anything about it, especially regarding the problem of no live races on FTA in 2019. They need to do better

[NaBUru38]

In the United States, ESPN get similar ratings to broadcast networks. That's not the case in Europe, where pay TV ratings are minimal.

The less viewers F1 has, the less sponsors will pay the teams, and the less fans will exist in the future.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by djinvicta

I for one will not be happy with a "highlights of the race" played during a live race. How damn stupid is that?

Nascar and IndyCar have done it for decades. Perfect for caution periods.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Nascar and IndyCar have done it for decades. Perfect for caution periods.

Incessant caution periods. The very reason I have never watched an entire NASCAR race or any oval race in my life. Other than the Indy 500 which I have endured. I find them tedious.

The limited SC periods we get in F1 now are too much. If F1 was to move to the NASCAR habit of regular cautions I would not watch F1. No doubt about it.

[Mike E]

Starting the races at 10 past the hour?

Where do I sign???

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by littleman

F1 has an awfully high opinion of itself.

It's now become that classic old sales technique......"Sell the sizzle not the sausage!"

Strip away all the hype, the perceived glamour and the endless talking and the product itself is pretty rubbish.

I think its odd how F1 has the appeal it does. In the US, Nascar is much more popular overall than Indycar. It always struck me how there isn't the same fan appeal over our own European stock car (well saloon car) series. For example the World Touring Car series. Surely you have a series there which is tailor made for manufacturers to get behind and promote? Good racing, absolutely relate-able cars... but no. That series has effectively just folded, I don't get it.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I think its odd how F1 has the appeal it does. In the US, Nascar is much more popular overall than Indycar. It always struck me how there isn't the same fan appeal over our own European stock car (well saloon car) series. For example the World Touring Car series. Surely you have a series there which is tailor made for manufacturers to get behind and promote? Good racing, absolutely relate-able cars... but no. That series has effectively just folded, I don't get it.

Perhaps it is something to do with the fact that the UK is the nucleus of the F1 industry, with most of the teams and ancillary suppliers being based there.

Plus of course fan influence from the historical success of British drivers in World Championship terms, in both total years and individual winners.... winning 17 years with 10 drivers, 11 of those years being British drivers in British cars. (The next best being Germany with 12 titles and 3 drivers.)

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

It's not as simple as a paywall is automatically bad. But I'd have to spend £50 a month to watch F1. That's the problem. I can spend £30 a year for WEC, or £600 a year on F1.

Paywall is fine. I'll pay for a product. But the price has to be reasonable. To get F1 in the UK, you need various packages and services. That becomes a lot.

for sure they way they bundle their channel line ups is a problem and agree the bigger issue (for me anyways) are the high price points that also come with the limitations typically associated with cable subscriptions.

but i guess if i am confused by anything, it is that they still seem to be having the same debate between FTA vs paywall.

after a year in, i was hoping to see them make a significant announcement towards offering more hybrid solutions.

offer some races for free globally via facebook or twitter (akin to what the NFL has done with twitter) or a deal with netflix or amazon (perhaps for live broadcasts but at least for full replays).

more choices on how and when to watch via multiple platforms/mediums and at every price point ranging from free to pay with all the bells and whistles.

[AdrianM]

Biggest issue for me (as others have said) is that you can't just pay for F1. I have zero interest in getting a Sky or Virgin subscription purely to watch F1 and MotorSport TV.

With the WEC I can subscribe to watch all the races in HD from multiple camera angles with no adverts for less than one months Sky or Virgin subscription.