BBC / Sky F1 deal : The reaction

July 29, 2011   ·   12 Comments

Today’s controversial BBC/Sky Sports F1 television deal announcement has outraged many fans, here’s how some of F1′s leading figures and insiders have reacted to the news :

Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One supremo : “There will be highlights as well as live coverage on two different networks now, so we get the best of both worlds.”

“It’s good for Formula 1. For sure there are going to be a lot more people viewing, and a lot more opportunities for people to view, so from that point I’m very happy.

“I’ve been finalising this all night long and one or two things might change a little.”

“Sky will broadcast everything, all the races, live. The Beeb will do 50 per cent live, and when it isn’t live, they will be putting together a very good highlights package.

“They [the BBC] may yet do the whole race deferred, we have to see.”

Daily Telegraph’s Formula 1 correspondent Tom Cary said : “The simple fact is the BBC was never going to keep paying what it was paying. Something had to give. Fortunately, F1 has not left the BBC entirely. Far from it.

It has been almost overlooked amid the howls of outrage that the BBC has in fact extended its coverage for a further five years (it was due to end in 2013) until 2018. Or to put it another way, they have signed a new seven-year deal. Half the races (the best ones) are remaining on terrestrial free-to-air (which is much better than you get with football on the BBC), while the rest of the season will be covered by highlights shows. That is still get a very good service for the licence payer.”

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh told Autosport : “As I understand BBC are covering half the grands prix, and Sky are doing every practice session and everything else. It’s interesting. I don’t think anyone should be immediately reacting to say this is good, bad, or indifferent.

What we need to understand is whether the large audience we currently enjoy in Formula 1 will be maintained. I think we also need to understand exactly how this is being done.”

Williams chairman Adam Parr told Autosport : “In principle I have no issue with optimising the balance between the revenues that we need, and getting a good reach in the audience. The devil is in the detail.

“I think it is a balance and, without knowing the details, you cannot comment on whether it is good or bad. What I do know is that Bernie is a very passionate believer in getting the broadest audience possible and I think he has almost certainly done this in order to do that. ”

BBC commentator and former F1 driver Martin Brundle (on Twitter) : “BBC/Sky/F1 2012+. Found out last night, no idea how it will work yet I’m out of contract, will calmly work through options. Not impressed”

Jake Humphrey, BBC F1 presenter in the Evening Standard : “I’d like to start by saying how proud I am of the past two-and-a-half years of F1 coverage on the BBC.

“The aim of the whole team was to try to bring the viewers as close to possible to a sport that, at times, can seem very alien to the wider public.

“I guess it is with that in mind that it is with a little sadness that we won’t be covering every race live from 2012 onwards.

“On the flip side, it is important to retain perspective and to point out that the BBC will still be the place to come to for broad, inclusive F1 coverage.”

Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports : “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.”

• 

Tags: BBC, Bernie Ecclestone, F1, Jake Humphrey, Martin Brundle, Sky Sports