BBC & Sky to share Formula 1 rights from 2012
July 29, 2011 · 100 Comments
The BBC and Sky Sports will broadcast Formula 1 in the UK between 2012 and 2018 under a new rights deal, however only half of the races will be broadcast by the BBC.
Sky will broadcast all the races, qualifying and practice sessions live while the BBC will have the rights to half the races live including qualifying and practice for “key races” such as the British Grand Prix, Monaco Grand Prix and the final race of the season.
The BBC will have extensive highlights on TV and mobile for any race it it is not showing live, and all races will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 live. It will be the first time Formula 1 races have not been available live on free-to-air television. The BBC has broadcast Formula One since buying the exclusive rights to the sport in 2009, previously held by ITV.
Sky Sports will broadcast all races, qualifying and practice sessions live on Sky Sports across TV, Online and Mobile and Tablet devices.
Barney Francis, Managing Director of Sky Sports, said: “This is fantastic news for F1 fans and Sky Sports will be the only place to follow every race live and in HD.
“We will give F1 the full Sky Sports treatment with a commitment to each race never seen before on UK television. As well as unrivalled build up to each race on Sky Sports News, we will broadcast in-depth live coverage of every session.
“Sky customers with Sky Sports will also be able to enjoy F1 across multiple platforms and devices, including Sky Go.”
Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, said: “We are absolutely delighted that F1 will remain on the BBC.
“The sport has never been more popular with TV audiences at a 10-year high and the BBC has always stated its commitment to the big national sporting moments.
“With this new deal not only have we delivered significant savings but we have also ensured that through our live and extended highlights coverage all the action continues to be available to licence-fee payers.”
Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has hailed the “super” deal, saying: “There will be highlights as well as live coverage on two different networks now, so we get the best of both worlds.”
Speaking on twitter, BBC F1 presenter Jake Humphrey said : “Feels like the right time to say how proud I am of the whole BBC F1 production team & the programmes we’ve produced for you guys since ’09″
Only half of live races available free-to-air from 2012-2018 – tell us what you think of this news below.
Tags: Barbara Slater, Barney Francis, BBC Sport, F1, Sky Sports
Premier League put UK broadcast rights out to tender
The Premier League have invited broadcasters to bid for domestic UK broadcast rights for the 2013/14-2015/16 football seasons. The Premier League say that 154 matches will be shown live on TV each season from 2013/14-2015/16 more than currently broadcast and more than 40% of all top-level matches. The extra 16 live games ...
BBC announce details of Euro 2012 coverage
The BBC have announced the details of their Euro 2012 coverage which will include 16 live games, including a potential England quarter final, both semi finals and the final. Coverage kicks off on Friday 8 June and will be fronted by Gary Lineker who will be joined by Harry Redknapp, Jurgen Klinsmann, ...
Sky Sports agree 4-year ICC deal
England’s men and women’s cricket teams will defend their ICC crowns exclusively live on Sky Sports under a new 4-year deal with ESPN STAR Sports. The agreement awards Sky Sports exclusive rights to the next two ICC World Twenty20 tournaments from Sri Lanka in September 2012 and South Asia in February 2014. ...
That Paralympic Show returns to Channel 4
With the London 2012 Paralympic games now just around the corner, Rick Edwards, Ade Adepitan MBE and Iwan Thomas MBE return with a fourth series of Channel 4’s Road to London 2012: That Paralympic Show. Starting on Saturday 5 May at 1.20pm, the first episode is dedicated to swimming, as Rick, Ade ...
2012 Badminton Horse Trials live on the BBC
UPDATE : HEAVY RAIN & FLOOD WARNING FORCE CANCELLATION OF 2012 BADMINTON HORSE TRIALS Hugh Thomas, event director for the horse trials, said: “The recent exceptional rainfall has left the ground at Badminton totally waterlogged and partially flooded. “Further rain is due this week, leaving no chance of the ground drying out. ...
British Eurosport to screen Great Britain v Sweden Fed Cup tie
British Eurosport will broadcast live coverage of the Fed Cup tie between Great Britain and Sweden over the weekend 21-22 April. Following their successful Euro/Africa Zone Group I wins over Portugal, Netherlands, Israel and Austria in Eilat, Israel in February, the GB Fed Cup team captained by Judy Murray will play Sweden ...
Disgraceful. Doesn’t Bernie have enough billions that he now has to take the few ££s we have left. Sky is also a greedy bottomless money grabbing pit. And shame on the BBC for taking the crumbs that sky has left for them. I WAS an avid F1 fan not any more. I’ll find another sport to follow when the viewing figure drop like a brick someone will learn their lesson.
How can this be good news for British F1 fans???
This just digs at the heart of British TV. Why shouldn’t we be able to enjoy our sport free? Why should British F1 fans have to suffer simply because greedy people at Sky can afford to muscle in?
It stinks. I won’t be watching F1 anymore. I bet I won’t be the only one. It’s pointless watching half the races on BBC, and “highlights” are just plain irritating because bits get missed out. And who wants to go back to the bad old days of having adverts in the coverage????
I am disgusted with the BBC over f1 as that is all I watch with the BBC, so now I will be paying for a tv licence I don’t use. Why don’t they just get rid of all sports and have done with it.
Why didn’t the BBC ask us viewers how we felt before selling f1 to sky?
the BBC didnt sell the rights, Formula One did – sky paid more than the BBC could afford. And thats it basically
I love F1 and my partner works at silverstone circuit !! Both of us will now not be watching due to this stupid deal.Its a shame but out principal i hope people stop watching and the ratings fall dramatically. Also you have to feel sorry for the f1 drivers thay also are suffering from this.
44 years of watching formula 1 thru thick and thin, 2011 was my last season as a fan.
Destroyed…..
Not everyone is a sky pay monkey!!!!
Thanks for the memories!
I wish Sky would bid for Eastenders because that is what i will have to endure now every sunday until i die!
Absolutely agree with this comment!
Well thats us all ripped off.
FREEVIEW what a loada pish, it was only time that we would lose all the programs we enjoy just so the goverment could get more money out of us.
I have watched F1 all my life never missed a race until now, I have sky but am unwilling 2 pay 4 sky sports just to watch my favourite program.
Shame bbc couldn`t have spent more of our tv licencing money on F1 rather than the pish of eastenders, it aint as if we dont pay enough 4 our licenses.
Rant over thanku bbc NOT
This is an absolute joke !!!!! Free to air races we can still watch, ?? Excuse me do we not pay a television licence fee £145 ???? And now if we want to watch all the races live another £16 per month for sky sports ??? So to watch our much loved sport we now pay £145 licence fee and now £192 per year for subscription to sky sports that’s an absolute balls out rip off! !!! I say everyone who has sky cancel there subscriptions now, lets see how long sky lasts if we all leave it, what is Bernie ecclestone thinking when this deal was signed, total utter disgrace
I can’t believe it.I never miss a race as I love formula one.If I can only watch half the races how can I follow the progress teams make throughout the season.There is NO WAY I will pay for Sky so I will never watch another race as I am sure lots of other fans will feel the sameIt is pure GREED and it will RUIN Formula one for a majority of it’s fan.Think again BBC
I was a very dedicated viewer of F1 watching all the early ones too,But now with sky and adverts and being unable to watch free on the bbc GOODBYE Formula 1 have a good life . I will not be forced to pay to watch sport on tv.
Unfortunately I will no longer be able to watch F1. I have enjoyed it on ITV and BBC for30 years or so. I am pleased to pay my TV licence fee and think it good value for money. I will not pay additional fees and never will for the little I watch TV. R.I.P. wonderful F1.
Barney Francis, Smug B***ard of Sky Sports, said: “This is fantastic news for F1 fans….. ? The only people its not fantastic to.
We Fans build it up and they licence it out to the highest bidder. Business i know but, Such a shame. Always the fans having to suffer.
Just what England is now a service industry.
Pay more or find a way around it and I WILL, find a way
Keep Formula 1 real, for all to view, not just the rich. Peace
this is outrageous F1 should be available to all to view, and the bbc will learn when view figures drop and they wonder why their profit margin isn’t as high, its all about the money this was a family event, where we all sat round with our sunday dinners and watch and root on the teams and players. bring it back to the bbc, this is what we pay our tv license for.
Hope the greed of Bernie Ecclestine shows as a drastic drop in viewing figures as F1 moves to channel that cannot be enjoyed to all those fans who have supported it until now.
Bring it back to the beeb where it belongs!
Such a shame, that F1 will potentially go the same way as boxing did. Already the interest and excitement has dropped in the office for those of us without Sky – especially for the first race of the season. It will not be the same.
Could not agree more with the sentiments expressed so far. An absolute disgrace is the only way to describe such a deal.
I remember Bernie Ecclestone back in 2008.. announcing the new deal with the BBC.. and saying how happy he was that F1 was coming back home blah blah blah.. just 3 years later and he’s spouting some rhetoric about it being good for the fans to move the sport onto a premium subscription channel accessible by only half the population.
I foresee a significant drop in viewing figures over the coming years, as well as a significant increase in the number of hacked live feeds being beamed out to the world.
To allow the BBC an exclusive license for only 3 years whilst offering Sky the same license for 6.. shows that Bernie is more interested in securing his own financial future.. than at least restricting the length of sky’s stranglehold and keeping options for the sport open…
Very bad news. I will miss the polished professionalism of BBC covering this wonderful sport. The biggest problem with ITV and Sky commentators in any sport is that they have not got the professionalism to complement the viewers own interest as it proceeds. They always seem more interested in trotting out mindless statistics and reminding one of the effect of the result every 5 minutes. They are never interested in what’s currently going on except to make sure that they are screaming incoherently when they happen to notice that something is happening. At least the BBC semi coverage will keep F1 in the big league. Any sport monopolised by Sky becomes a sidelined sport. So why haven’t I got Sky? Because it’s just like piping the Sun newspaper into your house.
That’s got that off my chest – yes your right I have got grey hair and I am of the last generation but next time you’re watching the premiership on Sky or ITV or Channel 5, ask yourself – do you really want to know the inside leg measurement of the goalkeepers granny or would you rather just watch the game. Just to see what I am talking about try to imagine the commentator is sitting next to you in the stand giving you all that crap info. in your ear while you are trying to concentrate on the actual game of soccer in progress.
Trouble is if you turn the commentator off you turn the crowd and the ambience off as well.
Oh dear. I think this is a very bad idea and will be sure to lose a lot of viewers. What was wrong with f1 on bbc1????? Stupid decision. What a load of rubbish, very unhappy.
My partner is so happy I won’t be watching F1 all weekend anymore as she has endured for many years me watching it every week end that racing was obviously on,I am very p s ed of as I have watched it on ITV / BBC for most of my life and we can not afford sky tv subscriptions as times are hard for us, that is the normal people who have taken pleasure and true followers of the sport of F1 well I suppose it’s back to gardening at the weekends as Mr Ecclestone can’t rob me for that and before anyone thinks we have not ever paid for F1 we have with our TV license money I am very angry.
I have been an F1 fan since the 80′s. It is the only program I insist on watching and my family relinquishes all tv rights as I enjoy a relaxing Sunday afternoon. I have stuck with it even though some of the the rule changes have left much to be desired. Now thanks to Bernie and the BBC, my lazy Sunday afternoons are over. Goodbye F1, I’m going to walk my dog instead. James
I have been an F1 fan for many years both my wife and i enjoy watching it together on a sunday afternoon trying never to miss a race even when on holiday. it is the only sport i take any intrest in following and enjoy watching the development and tension of each race to the next now only getting to watch half of them afraid not that would be like asking a foot ball supporter to watch only half a season
times are tight and the thought of someone trying to get the arm in makes me cross i will not subcribe to sky sports and wiil say good bye to F1
I only hope that those who feel the same will let there fingers to the talking and switch off on both bbc and sky sports see what they do when the viewing figures drop greedy bleepers
and again sky have managed to turn people off a quality sport like f1, solid greed in my eyes!
I am yet to hear one person I know say that they are happy with this situation. Those of us like me who do not have/want Sky are refusing to switch to them & pay for the priviledge. Those who do have Sky are also refusing to pay extra to watch F1. Its OK for the football fans to pay for their sport as there is at least one match on a night. F1 is only on once every couple of weeks, but you still have to pay the same amount!
This is the 1st step to the demise of the sport. Viewer ratings will drop dramatically, sponsors will drop out, no money coming into the sport equals no sport.
Goodbye F1…
I have only just discovered this news about F1 when I looked up to see the date of the first race. I and my whole family have watch for many many years, I feel totally cheated and disgusted, basically we are being told what we can and can’t watch by doing this. If your well off you can watch, if your not or a pensioner like me tuff you can’t watch. well Mr Eccleston stick your F1 where the sun don’t shine and I hope you loose loads of money you greedy b stard, RIP Formula 1.
I have not been a constant follower of F1 for a few seasons now,mainly due to the processional nature of the sport. I notice though that last season was quite interesting. A shame now that anyone who wants to watch the whole season must now pay a fortune – not only the extortionate standard sky package, but then subscribe specifically to F1 channel as well. I think the BBC should save themselves a fortune and start airing more interesting, less well known motorsport.
Absolutely gutted ! been a f1 fan for years but do not watch any other sports.
I cannot justify or afford to pay for a load of extra channels i dont watch.
Jake humphries and all those people at the bbc who think they should be proud must be brainwashed bbc creaps. I think they should be embarassed. good bye f1 thanks for the memories.
God, WHO! WHAT! SKY! And us normal people who love the sport, now can only watch half the year for god sake who do these people think they are it’s all money money money. Wha about us the little people who work all week for our normal TV license, then they expect us to pay again its crap just crap it’s about time you took your self out into the real world Mr Ecclestone and see how hard it is on the other side you selfish ………….
Bye bye F1. I’ve got lots of fond memories going back a long way but I will not subscribe to Sky to watch you. You are deleted forever.
Absolutely Disgraceful, MONEY MONEY MONEY. I can’t believe that F1 would do this to us LOYAL fans. This was the only sport i have ever followed or liked. Not any more i guess. Goodbye F1 been nice knowing you. I do have sky but not the sports package so like many many others i will have to miss out. HOPE YOUR SATISFIED.
What a disgrace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The only sport I am passionate about and its gone to sky. We can only hope that the idiotic broadcasting authorities realise what they have done. Not everyone has, wants or can afford sky and who wants to watch half the races and highlights. Im absolutely livid. Ive loved F1 forever but its out of my reach now.
rubbish. how am I supposed to watch all the races now? I don’t have £30 a month for TV. Thanks Bernie, as if you’re not rich enough already.
Isn’t this typical of everything these days. After 2 of the best seasons for some years & eagerly ticking the days off to this years season start, it now seems that we have to pay to watch! Bloody outrageous & disgusting don’t begin to describe how I feel. I parted with the rip-off Sky viewing 2 years ago & won’t be forced to go back – even for my beloved F1 viewing. Another of life’s pleasures consigned to the ‘pay or lose it’ heap. Damn the BBC – they always find the money for Tennis, Cricket & Snooker (yawn, yawn & yawn)- but can’t finance the total viewing of a sport that the UK leads the world in.
Wake up BBC & sod off Sky.
PS: Isn’t it time Mr Ecclestone retired to a care home for the over rich & we got someone in charge who wasn’t only interested in money!
Live radio commentary of F1 races as a compromise to fans has got to be the idea of a genius. Poor show auntie!
“They’re all on the grid waiting for the lights…. go go go (remember that?) and it’s a bit of a squeeze as they fight for track position into the first corner where a race can be won or lost…….blah blah.” zzzzzzzzzzz. Sorry fell asleep. F/Fwd the highlights, Red Bull will win anyway. What does BBC stand for now? …..Broadcasting Boring Codswallop. I used to travel to see F1 races, not anymore. I can cut my money from Bernie’s purse. Shame I can’t withold payment to the beeb. I’d get locked up ! Wait a minute, don’t they get SKY in prison nowadays? There’s an idea. BBC Documentary makers take note. “Volunteer willing to go to prison to follow F1″ could be a winner.
Does the BBC consider feedback a valuable tool? 1. You have let down the paying public. 2. You may wish to consider market research. 3. The excitement of cars travelling at 200mph inches apart (Jenson Button style)cannot be delivered by a commentary alone………….
Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, said: “We are absolutely delighted that F1 will remain on the BBC. Yeah well half of it. I don’t understand how BBC think this is a good thing. Surely they must realise this will destroy the ratings. Ok maybe it was F1 who made the deal but stop trying to pretend this is all for the best. In my opinion I think F1 has had good ratings in the past because of the media coverage and the fact it was shown on the TV. I’m really angry. I hope someone U-Tubes the whole season for me.
I have watched F1 for 45 years and I love it what are the BBC doing to the real fans of a very exciting sport.Why are you stopping us watching what we love,something to look forward too.What do we do now, I cant afford Sky and probably never will.So does this mean I will never see a full season of full races again.How unbelievably selfish and thoughtless.
What a joke! Bernie Ecclestone hailing the super deal as the best of both worlds…for whom? Not for the F1 fans who have watched and loved the sport for years. How does having to miss races or purchase sky sports, not mentioning having to suffer unwanted adverts, hail as best of both worlds? It’s a joke!
Congratulations Barney Francis, when you say it’s fantastic news for FI fans do you assume a degree of stupidity amongst us that we will hail your praises and thank you for ruining our sport?
I am a big formula one fan and i ‘ve been watching on BBC, allthough in Belgium we also have a channel were you can watch live, but the background info and commentaries of the BBC presentators are very much professional an indepth, so i regret the descission to only present half of the races on the open air. What ‘s the use of sending highlights in the afternoon, when everyone by then nows the result?
I am outraged that I will not be able to see all F1 races free on BBC. I have no access to Sky Sports channels (can’t afford it and also I live in a remote rural area). I have no interest in any other sport anyway. I feel cheated and very very cross. The BBC should save money on some of the endless drivel they commission and broadcast like quiz shows, comedy and mindless unreal ‘reality’ shows and stick with the things that people really want to watch. Here’s an idea – dump football!
Yet another disgraceful situation. Why don’t the BBC just close down completely , and save us all licence fees , and having to put up with 3rd rate American RUBBISH on freeview – for I refuse to be forced to finance sky . Half of the races is exactly that, HALF !! Shutdown the BBC ! Mind you if they got rid of the excessive salaries and wastage,and LESS FOOTBALL – there would probably be sufficient funds to finance F1.This is a bloody disgrace, F1 is almost part of our heritage .Totally disgusted .Write to your MP and the BBC.
I am a 56 year old disabled fan of F1 or should i say was a fan. I have watched F1 as long as i can remember even whilst in hospital i had it recorded for me to watch when i got home. Its disgusting how the BBC have stuffed the regular fans just so they can make even more money for them selves. I hope it turns out to be a big failure and it reverts back to the way it was before. I cant afford to pay out more money to sky to watch my favorite program so as of now ive not got F1 in my life RIP F1
I think this is such a stupid idea. All the people i have seen on here have said they are not going to watch it. How do they expect people to watch it on sky when some cant afford it. F**king stupid really really rip the british public up!!
My little boy rushed down stairs this morning excited to watch the first grand prix of the season … And was frantically searching the channels to find his favourite programme but to no avail. This is a massive disappointment. You’d have thought from the official line that we were getting a better service. Were the BBC offering less money this year or Is F1 greedy? Very disappointed !!!!
Very dissapointed. We pay more than enough for the TV licience to BBC. We should not have to pay extra for F1. I have been a fan for 35 years, but this is too much. The world is in crisis and we are all having to tighten out belts.
This needs re-thinking.