F1 goes to Sky sports

[Carsandmotorracing]

Originally Posted by henners88

I learnt that to my peril this morning when I googled her name whilst at work and had a page load of adult links come up. I had to phone the IT department to clear things up, so thanks for that Mr V. Another reason to keep my presence here rather brief.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by henners88

so thanks for that Mr V.

You can't blame that on me, i didn't actually make you type her name in

[Marbot]

Some people apparently had a similar experience when typing in the name 'Jordan' when looking for information about the F1 team.

[Alex E]

Originally Posted by brands

I have Sky, ironically got it for Bernievision back in '03 ?, and so where I watch the races or highlights depends solely on where EJ isn't. He's an embarrassment I will be able to avoid.

I would pay £40 a race not to have to listen to Brundle propping Coulthard up for one & a half hours. As I start watching when the red lights start, & stop when the flag drops EJ is fine with me.....

[henners88]

Originally Posted by Mr V

You can't blame that on me, i didn't actually make you type her name in

Well I did think it was an attractive celebrity so thought I would look to understand what you meant. I didn't expect it to be a cosmetically enhanced pornstar where the google search flags up on my works system. They were fine with it anyway, but the moral of the story is if you don't understand what someone is talking about, move on and don't look it up.

PS: She isn't the best looking girl I've ever seen and without being big headed, my wife is alot more attractive.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by henners88

without being big headed, my wife is alot more attractive.

Lucky you then

[henners88]

Originally Posted by Mr V

Lucky you then

Thank you.

[Flat12-Aircool]

Anyway, I don't think the prospect of Brundle going to Sky is as certain as some people here think it is.

He intimated a good while ago that he wanted to do a few more Sportscar races next year, probably with his son. Obviously you'd think the BBC's part time coverage would be more conducive to getting the time off to do that. Conversely however, a potentially increased Sky wage packet would go somewhat towards financing those ambitions.

Whichever he chooses I do think this is a factor in his negotiations.

[Adam43]

Above his motives are being questioned! It seems his motives might revolve round wanting to race. I'm not one who is going to question that!

[courageous]

George Lazenby (Sky Sports company man) is the latest name to be strongly linked to the anchor job for sky.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by courageous

George Lazenby (Sky Sports company man) is the latest name to be strongly linked to the anchor job for sky.

Not the George Lazenby who played James Bond, in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', ?

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Not the George Lazenby who played James Bond, in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', ?

You beat me to it young man!
So I'll add: Not the man from the Big Fry TV adverts in the 60's?
For all of you too young to remember: http://www.tellyads.com/show_movie_v...ilename=VA0167

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

You beat me to it young man!
So I'll add: Not the man from the Big Fry TV adverts in the 60's?
For all of you too young to remember: http://www.tellyads.com/show_movie_v...ilename=VA0167

That's amazing. !

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Flat12-Aircool

Anyway, I don't think the prospect of Brundle going to Sky is as certain as some people here think it is.

He intimated a good while ago that he wanted to do a few more Sportscar races next year, probably with his son. Obviously you'd think the BBC's part time coverage would be more conducive to getting the time off to do that. Conversely however, a potentially increased Sky wage packet would go somewhat towards financing those ambitions.

Whichever he chooses I do think this is a factor in his negotiations.

Trouble for Martin i think is, when the BBC drop their coverage altogether (now that will be a thread and a half!!) he could potentially be out of a commentating job, if he doesn't go with Sky now, thus allowing them to put their own commentators in place.

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by Alex E

I would pay £40 a race not to have to listen to Brundle propping Coulthard up for one & a half hours. As I start watching when the red lights start, & stop when the flag drops EJ is fine with me.....

If I had to pay £40 a race I would expect Kylie Minogue to personally commentate whilst sitting on my knee *. You listening Bernie?

*Commentate on the RACE that is.

[henners88]

Originally Posted by Mr V

Trouble for Martin i think is, when the BBC drop their coverage altogether (now that will be a thread and a half!!) he could potentially be out of a commentating job, if he doesn't go with Sky now, thus allowing them to put their own commentators in place.

Good point regarding Brundle, but there is a flipside to that. If Sky don't get a massive amount of viewers for races and sponsors become unhappy their brands are not as widely available to the UK market as they would be on FTA, there might be pressure for Sky to either make allowances or cut the contract off early. I can't see F1 completely disappearing off FTA TV as I don't think Bernie is that stupid. The Sky deal with football worked because of the sheer amount of people who watch football and the amount of matches that are shown. With F1 its a single event that needs to attract a one-off audience every other week. The UK market is an important sector in the overall European market, and losing a couple of millions viewers will be damaging if the number of subscribers doesn't go up as expected IMO.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by henners88

Good point regarding Brundle, but there is a flipside to that. If Sky don't get a massive amount of viewers for races and sponsors become unhappy their brands are not as widely available to the UK market as they would be on FTA, there might be pressure for Sky to either make allowances or cut the contract off early. I can't see F1 completely disappearing off FTA TV as I don't think Bernie is that stupid. The Sky deal with football worked because of the sheer amount of people who watch football and the amount of matches that are shown. With F1 its a single event that needs to attract a one-off audience every other week. The UK market is an important sector in the overall European market, and losing a couple of millions viewers will be damaging if the number of subscribers doesn't go up as expected IMO.

You may well be right, maybe Sky will fall flat on its face, trouble is, is one of the terrestrial channels in a position to be able to afford Bernies financial demands?

I may well be wrong here (and i usually am) but i've read on here about each race costing £70 to view (or whatever it's been worked out at), but i wouldn't be surprised if every sunday when the race is on Sky and those without Sky, (some at least) actually start looking into how cost effective it may be, and realise that for the money that they have to pay they get football, golf, rugby, cricket, tennis etc etc etc, they also get Sky one and Sky Atlantic (with the premium shows that are shown on those channels), not to mention the kids channels and all of a sudden that £70 per race isn't actually £70 a race anymore, it's x amount of pounds a month to get so much more than just Formula 1.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Mr V

I may well be wrong here (and i usually am) but i've read on here about each race costing £70 to view (or whatever it's been worked out at), but i wouldn't be surprised if every sunday when the race is on Sky and those without Sky, (some at least) actually start looking into how cost effective it may be, and realise that for the money that they have to pay they get football, golf, rugby, cricket, tennis etc etc etc, they also get Sky one and Sky Atlantic (with the premium shows that are shown on those channels), not to mention the kids channels and all of a sudden that £70 per race isn't actually £70 a race anymore, it's x amount of pounds a month to get so much more than just Formula 1.

I asked a friend, who is quite a knowledgeable F1 fan, how much he would be prepared to pay to watch 10 F1 races through a season. He already has SKY (but not Sports), doesn't mind soccer, and is married with two children.

"£10 per race. And I'm not paying anyone to get up at silly hours in the morning! But I tend to look at it as more Sunday afternoons freed up to do other things, rather than anything else". He said.

[henners88]

Originally Posted by Mr V

I may well be wrong here (and i usually am) but i've read on here about each race costing £70 to view (or whatever it's been worked out at), but i wouldn't be surprised if every sunday when the race is on Sky and those without Sky, (some at least) actually start looking into how cost effective it may be, and realise that for the money that they have to pay they get football, golf, rugby, cricket, tennis etc etc etc, they also get Sky one and Sky Atlantic (with the premium shows that are shown on those channels), not to mention the kids channels and all of a sudden that £70 per race isn't actually £70 a race anymore, it's x amount of pounds a month to get so much more than just Formula 1.

I get alot of hassle for wanting to watch F1 on a Sunday but my wife knows its the one programme on TV I don't like to miss, so she begrudgingly lets me watch it. I certainly wouldn't watch all the other sports on the channel, and they don't really interest me if I'm honest. i doubt I would watch Sky One either as I don't tend to watch half the channels on freeview as it is. I suppose for a family who spend most of their time watching TV, its not a bad deal, whereas I spend my evenings exercising or editing photographs as I am a photographer in my spare time. It would be £48 per race for someone like myself which wouldn't be cost effective at all regardless of how many channels I wouldn't watch are thrown in.

I wouldn't mind if this deal meant the BBC showed delayed full race re-runs as I agree it would free up my Sunday's and I could watch the race at a delayed time. That would have been a compromise, but at least I'd have seen the whole race. There was a bit of hope when that was rumoured and Bernie did assure the team bosses that this would be a strong possibility before the idea was dropped.

[Ingsy]

According to Jake Humphrey on Twitter (via the BBC F1 website) the India race got 7.2million viewers: "This weekend a peak audience of 7.2m people tuned into the first ever Indian Grand Prix. In TV terms those figures are the size of Everest."


Not quite sure how an audience that size can be overlooked and discounted, but the Beeb have managed it.

[henners88]

I saw another interesting point being discussed elsewhere and that is the proposed plans for ad breaks on Sky Sports. Sky announced there would be no ad breaks during the lives races in 2012, but they would not confirm whether or not from 2013 onwards they would impliment ads into the coverage.

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by Ingsy

According to Jake Humphrey on Twitter (via the BBC F1 website) the India race got 7.2million viewers: "This weekend a peak audience of 7.2m people tuned into the first ever Indian Grand Prix. In TV terms those figures are the size of Everest."


Not quite sure how an audience that size can be overlooked and discounted, but the Beeb have managed it.

They haven't overlooked and discounted it. They just cannot afford Bernie's price - 7.5mill viewers isn't enough to cover it. They have better things to spend the license payers money on. And I agree.

[henners88]

Originally Posted by JamesH

7.5mill viewers isn't enough to cover it. They have better things to spend the license payers money on. And I agree.

Sky will be lucky to get a quarter of that figure judging by the amount of Sky subscriptions at present.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by henners88

Sky will be lucky to get a quarter of that figure judging by the amount of Sky subscriptions at present.

Only 2 weeks ago, Sky announced quarterly profits of £295 (16% rise), now, i'm no Einstein, but they do that 3 more times this year and that's a healthy £1.18 billion. here

I'm sure, with, or without anymore subscribers, they can afford to foot the bill each year. Whether you like it or not my friend, i don't think it will fall flat on it's face because aslong as Bernie's seeing the green, i don't think he cares how many viewers there actually are.

[henners88]

Originally Posted by Mr V

Only 2 weeks ago, Sky announced quarterly profits of £295 (16% rise), now, i'm no Einstein, but they do that 3 more times this year and that's a healthy £1.18 billion. here

I'm sure, with, or without anymore subscribers, they can afford to foot the bill each year. Whether you like it or not my friend, i don't think it will fall flat on it's face because aslong as Bernie's seeing the green, i don't think he cares how many viewers there actually are.

I agree and infact I've made that point already.
I can hope though, and hopefully the next scandal Murdock is involved in will destroy him and his seedy empire.