An F-1 Pay-Per-View set up may well work here but only if the commentary and coverage improves a lot, can't see many going the PPV route as things stand now. To suggest the end-to-end NASCAR coverage on Speed has helped sustain F-1's presence is pure folly. If anything, NASCAR's control of Speed has seen to it that F-1 and any other form of racing not under the NASCAR umbrella is treated like the red headed step child. How else do they explain "Formula One Debrief" airing at 1:00 or 2:00AM? NASCAR's presence on Speed dosent raise all boats. Quite the opposite. BHW
My bad I forgot that important detail. My meaning was that when a race is on FOX I have never seen post race interviews aired like we see on SPEED's coverage.
Fox Sports Net had F1 races before Speedvision came into existence. I always thought that "Speedvision" was just re-branded Fox racing coverage. Basically, I think this is all just a name-change exercise. Format will remain as lame as it currently is. (note: I thought Speedvision was excellent in comparison to what is now just "Speed". Laps of the Gods was great programming, as was the replay of historical F1 grand prix seasons alongside the current one. What they have now is just heartless garbage made solely to attract advertising dollars)
From the SPEED website: "It's disappointing to learn that F1 has elected to move forward with a different media partner. SPEED had been the US voice of F1 since the mid '90s, and it was a passion for many people at the network. FOX Sports Media Group made what we believed to be a fiscally responsible bid based on the sport's current viewership levels, but F1 has elected to go in another direction. We wish them well." FOX Sports Media Group spokesman
Well, that blows! I know many are guilty of much whining about their coverage, but at least we got most of it live...... "Dunno what you're missing till it's gone." Hopefully, someone will pick it up but I have a bad feeling VPN is gonna be the only way to go next year. Cheers, Ian
Apparently the new deal will be with NBC but nothing specific on what channels or combination of channels. Jeff
So it will be one of the Comcast channels. F1 on E! Bernie meets the Kardashians. Should be interesting.
NBC Sports Network apparently... Speed was "outbid". Comments via twitter... Will Buxton: "Just read the news via twitter. Can't help but feel a pit on my stomach had to learn this way. But that's life. Onwards my friends. ❤ U all." I assume that Speed doesn't have F1 next year is the context... Bob Varsha: "Thanks for all the comments following the announcement of a new broadcast home for F1 in 2013. Let's enjoy our last five weekends." Steve Matchett: "Thank you for all of your kind comments: SPEED have built an incredibly talented F1 team; the remaining races of 2012 will be significant." Mr. Hobbs: "Thanks to all our fans who are so supportive. It's been a good run and I have enjoyed every minute of working with everyone from Speed."
Oh no! What if NBC brings in that tool Derek Daly? We'll have to listen to him expaining the nuances of "grasscrete"...
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49057112/ns/sports-the_week_in_sports_pictures/displaymode/1247/?beginSlide=12 NBC Sports F1 coverage??? Oh boy...?!!
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CAR_SPEED_FORMULA_ONE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT NBC sports not confirmed yet. In other news, the Pygmy thinks Lettuce can't see..... http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-bernie-ecclestone-urges-lotus-to-test-romain-grosjeans-vision/?
Yup. They landed the contract after ESPN2 (which had it after ESPN). And I was not a fan of their commentary team - Derek Bell may know Le Mans, but his knowledge of Formula One... I've followed Varsha and Hobbs covering F1 since ESPN in the 1980s and I've always enjoyed the two of them - even when I could also watch the Murray Walker BBC coverage of the race via CBUT Vancouver.
If NBC Sports covers F1 like they do Tour de France coverage, I'll welcome the change. Having people in the actual country of the event or (GASP) hemisphere might actually pump some new blood into it. When my wife and I would go to the USGP in Indy, she'd always comment on the international flavor and the drama with team rivals, etc... that doesn't translate in SPEED's coverage. Watch NBC's TdF coverage and they suck my wife in with the human interest stories without dumbing down bike racing for me... I think it could be a good thing. Fingers crossed.
I thought that the beginning of this thread was the fact that Fox was turning SPEED into an all-baseball channel. If so, I expected F1 to look elsewhere for its U.S. coverage anyway. So this announcement was no real surprise to me. NBC's coverage of IndyCar has been quite good, certainly better than ABC's. If they can do as well with F1, it would not be a bad thing. If they can grab Steve Matchett, that would be a plus.
Too bad that the ability to be on site is not possible under Bernie rules except at the home venue. Jeff
At least they are going to enjoy one full USGP in all its glory before taking off. They'll have more motivation for doing the best posible. Maybe the USGP was a bad karma to stay on Speed. More coverage attracks more people and more broadcasters...
Well I have been unfortunate enough to watch Speed coverage in the past. It's probably the worst coverage of F1 on the planet. I really can't see NBC going backwards
i just hope they keep them live and not on tape delay...hate when fox does that..I feel like im not watching the same race..
You're going to have to let that go, man. For the sport to work in the USA they either need to schedule all the races to occur between noon and 6pm on Sundays in the US timezones, or use tape delay. The mainstream US audience, the audience this whole thing is about, just will not get up early, or stay up late, to watch a race.
