159 replies to this topic

[Lazy]

Ok, bit of an exaggeration but not far off.

 

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone insists he is not alarmed by the sport's declining television audience and sees no need to revamp its social media approach.

Amid viewership drops in key markets such as Italy and Germany, there have been calls for F1 to make the most of opportunities offered by new media channels like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

But Ecclestone remains unmoved, and doubts the social media boom will last.

 

 

"But I think the change that is currently taking place is very shortlived, as these social media people are starting to think it is not as good as they thought."

 

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/114278

He really needs to go, or listen to Hembury.

 

"We've been looking at some studies done by Premier League and Sky, and they've seen a very increased take-up on the iPad viewing and not watching on TV. That's certainly a way many people are going," said Hembery.

 

Edited by Lazy, 06 June 2014 - 10:15.

[Bartonz20let]

I think the preservation fluid they are giving him is affecting his mind , social media is for the now and the future.

[boldhakka]

The internet, social media, and iPad are all different things. 

[kosmos]

Disconnected from reality as always.

[SophieB]

Is Bernie also still waiting for Talkies to blow over?

[johnmhinds]

The internet, social media, and iPad are all different things. 

 

This^

 

And in the UK I can already watch every F1 session on my iPad so i've no idea what Paul Hembery is talking about.

[Fastcake]

Bernie trolling like he always does.

[chunder27]

Everything is just a fad

 

AS I ahve said before and will say again, only one sport can sustain PPV and it's not F1.

[Seanspeed]

Someone ask him what he thinks of McLaren's title chances this year.

[bauss]

He is out of touch... not surprising for his age, what is a shame is there is no one in FOM /F1 that talk sense into him. 

[Clatter]

To some extent I agree with him. I seriously doubt that any amount of messing around with Facebook or Twitter would increase the popularity of F1. Taking down everything F1 related from Youtube is a bit self defeating though. The main media for watching F1 is the television,and I don't see that changing for a long time, but F1 is shooting themselves in the foot with the move away from FTA.

[Waffle]

Hmmm.  Ok Bernie, let's analyse the problem;

 

Falling audiences

Teams can't get sponsors

 

Let's see what you're doing wrong:

 

Bafflement in the face of the internet - where do you even start?

Charging to watch the races - this one's a joke.  I certainly wouldn't take up a pay-TV subscription just to watch 19 events.  It's not football with lots of matches every week. 

Charging for live timing

Stratospheric ticket prices

When tracks are chosen, their record or possibility of producing exciting races is not a factor - only money is.

Too much secrecy - for example, you can't even get live timing for tests, yet alone any other information.  As a result...

Everything goes dead quiet for 2 weeks between races and F1 journos are (frequently) reduced to just making up stories

No (non-team) F1 merchandising to speak of - Bernie's only method of making more money is just to squeeze more, not develop new opportunities

 

Have I missed anything?

[Lazy]

The internet, social media, and iPad are all different things. 

Not really, that's a bit like saying computers and the internet are different things.

[ardbeg]

Not really, that's a bit like saying computers and the internet are different things.

Yes, just as silly as to say that roads and cars are different things.

 

Anyway, I pay a subscription for MotoGP and it is excellent. I can watch the practice, qualification and races whenever I want, all three classes. I would definitely pay for a similar F1 deal and if combined with F2 a6 F3, I would watch those races also and get to know the drivers, which would enhance my knowledge of, and interest in the sport.

I can get F1 on pay TV, but I get a lot of other **** as well and have to pay plenty for it. Since I know I will miss most of whats on there, I do not bother. Live is good but "as if it was live" is not far behind.

[drunkenmaster]

The internet, social media, and iPad are all different things. 

Exactly

 

I'm in the internet since 1996, so I'm really a kind of "early adopter", but I stay away from all the modern "social media" crap, like facebook, twitter, etc... It's simply not my cup of tea.

 

Please don't equalize the whole internet with just some part if it...

[Ferrari2183]

This^

And in the UK I can already watch every F1 session on my iPad so i've no idea what Paul Hembery is talking about.

So can I in South Africa but it still requires a very expensive subscription to a satellite service which I refuse to pay. I use my cousins log in details to watch sport.

I hope that one day F1 will offer a subscription service with apps on Smart TV's and Apple TV etc.

[spacekid]

I don't understand the topic, or what we are meant to be discussing here.

 

There is a HUGE difference between 'the internet' and 'social media'.

 

Should F1 invest in online content etc? In my opinion its a no-brainer, thats just how content is going to be delivered for decades to come. I also think F1/CVC whoever are very far behind the times in this respect.

 

Should F1 be all that bothered about Facebook/Twitter? Yeah probably, but is it also a fad? I'm not sure, but possibly.

 

Facebook/Twitter may well be a fad. If Bernie has called it as such I wouldn't disagree with his opinion, he might be right. These things often are. Remember Bebo?

 

Saying that Bernie has called the internet a 'fad', and then saying 'oh he's gone senile' or whatever - more than a little disingenous I'm afraid.

[Lazy]

To some extent I agree with him. I seriously doubt that any amount of messing around with Facebook or Twitter would increase the popularity of F1. Taking down everything F1 related from Youtube is a bit self defeating though. The main media for watching F1 is the television,and I don't see that changing for a long time, but F1 is shooting themselves in the foot with the move away from FTA.

Depends what you mean by TV, I suppose, but I think the days of scheduled TV are numbered. Pay per view will be the future and you'll find the links to the content via the social media.

Certainly how it is for me and the people I know and i think we'll see increasingly sophisticated evolutions of that.

[ch103]

The title of this thread is slightly misleading but one thing to keep in mind.  F1 is so in demand that people, like myself, will still watch all of the races on TV.  The owners have no pressing need to invest cash in building out new technologies.  Once new owners take over, or demand dwindles, I think we will see more access to F1 using mobile and social media technologies.

[Lazy]

I don't understand the topic, or what we are meant to be discussing here.

 

There is a HUGE difference between 'the internet' and 'social media'.

 

Should F1 invest in online content etc? In my opinion its a no-brainer, thats just how content is going to be delivered for decades to come. I also think F1/CVC whoever are very far behind the times in this respect.

 

Should F1 be all that bothered about Facebook/Twitter? Yeah probably, but is it also a fad? I'm not sure, but possibly.

 

Facebook/Twitter may well be a fad. If Bernie has called it as such I wouldn't disagree with his opinion, he might be right. These things often are. Remember Bebo?

 

Saying that Bernie has called the internet a 'fad', and then saying 'oh he's gone senile' or whatever - more than a little disingenous I'm afraid.

As I said in the OP, it's an exaggeration, but I think separating things like twitter and Fb from the internet is more tricky than it appears. The whole thing is intertwined to a huge extent and is getting ever more so, just look at the way Google does it's searches. 

 

FB and Twitter may die but they will be replaced by holographic, VR type whatevers. Social media will evolve but it won't dissapear, far from it.

[ardbeg]

The title of this thread is slightly misleading but one thing to keep in mind.  F1 is so in demand that people, like myself, will still watch all of the races on TV.  The owners have no pressing need to invest cash in building out new technologies.  Once new owners take over, or demand dwindles, I think we will see more access to F1 using mobile and social media technologies.

Yes, the current business model is based on getting shitloads of money for the broadcasting rights. At a certain point, if the decline continues (which it will of course), RTL and everyone will want to re-negotiate and they will want it cheap or not at all. The classic commercials-driven TV are having hard times to compete with Netflix, Watchever, Apple TV, Youtube and so on, and it is getting harder every day. They can not throw millions on Bernie for much longer.

But I understand Bernie, as long as the money comes in, why change the model? It is easy enough to do it when it becomes necessary.

[SCUDmissile]

This guy runs our sport. 

[Rocket73]

Ha nice one Bernie

[ReeVe]

Bernie is a master troll

[Jovanotti]

Bernie finds the internet.

 

(Sorry, not the finest hour of photoshopping, but I needed to have a quick go at it )

[Pingu Pi]

Social Media is how the modern generation receives it's information, they open their facebook app, twitter feed, reddit or the likes and scroll down. Simple as that.

Does Bernie expect it to suddenly stop? that we'll just disconnect from having such an easy and available source of information that is designed towards our specific interests through optimization?  

WHAT A ******* MORON.

Edited by Pingu Pi, 06 June 2014 - 11:42.

[Lazy]

But I understand Bernie, as long as the money comes in, why change the model? It is easy enough to do it when it becomes necessary.

Because things move on, and their position will get weaker everyday, By the time it becomes necessary their bargaining power will be greatly reduced.

Edited by Lazy, 06 June 2014 - 11:48.

[Disgrace]

Using social media is a world away from a fundamental shift in the business model by providing an online broadcast package like MotoGP does. That is where the future of television is.

[Ross Stonefeld]

If I'm guessing the broader point of what Bernie's trying to say, I agree with him. Social media is a bit of a 'fad' when it comes to marketing. Eventually people will realise social media teams don't really 'do' anything. There are the rare corporate Twitter accounts that are funny and that has a knock-on effect to the company's image/reputation. But those are very rare. 

 

As a marketing vehicle I'm not convinced it works.

 

If you say to a prospective sponsor "We've got tons of TV viewers!" they'll roll their eyes and want to know about demographics, the engagement rate, purchase responses, etc. Ie, does it work. But with social media for some reason people think "1. Twitter followers. 2. ??? 3. Profit". Eventually someone clued up enough, or brave enough, at the higher corporate levels will want a root and branch appraisal of the value of social media marketing and realise that Facebook likes require so little effort they barely qualify as engagement. In other words, how's that Joseph Kony thing going? 

 

Social media has a corporate use, but mainly as a defensive corporate communications tool. Dealing with the customer revolt early. 

 

And sport still lives off TV, it's one of the few areas where people still tune in live. So trying to stay on that island for as long as possible does have its merits. As for the whole third screen phenomenon, yeah there is some logic in that because it's where the younger audience is. So while they may want to watch F1 live, they want to watch it on their own terms. 

 

But fundamentally I don't think F1's biggest problems are internet related nor will it provide much of a solution.

Edited by Ross Stonefeld, 06 June 2014 - 11:59.

[pRy]

Ok, bit of an exaggeration but not far off.

 

 

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/114278

He really needs to go, or listen to Hembury.

 

But to watch the Premier League on a tablet you need to have either a Sky Sports subscription or a BT Sport subscription.. which is the same as with F1. You can watch F1 on a tablet this weekend.. you still need the subscription. So what does that have to do with F1? F1 sells on the package to Sky and BT who then provide it on a tablet.

 

I think Bernie is pretty happy with that. I happen to agree with him to a certain extent. Social media will not be around forever and I don't believe it's some magic answer to getting more people watching F1. The root cause of that will be more exciting races and offering the sport to as many people as possible across TV networks.. who in turn will provide it across hand held devices. But unless F1 plans to broadcast direct to the internet and do their own package.. why does Bernie even need to concern himself with it?

 

Just let Sky do it for him (and all the other broadcasters he has deals with).

[ardbeg]

Because things move on, and their position will get weaker everyday, By the time it becomes necessary their bargaining power will be greatly reduced.

Not at all, they have all the bargaining power. If, for instance, RTL, say they do not want to pay Bernie just say "ok" we stream it in it Germany. But why would he do it if RTL pays more than what they can expect getting from individuals subscribing?  You should not for one moment believe that the people around Bernie can not do their math.

[bushgold]

Thread title is way off. No excuse for stabbing millions of F1 fans in the back with the Sky deal but he's right on this one. Twitter is a good platform for journos to release breaking news quickly but that's about it. Bernie said something along the lines of "if they want to pay to be associated with F1 then we'll talk". Why should F1 embrace Twitter and and win them ad revenue for nothing.

[Ksharp]

We are likely to be talking about the much larger issue that the sport is disconnected from the fan base, whether this is social media or regular public forums with real people.
This is part of the dress that F1 has to wear in order to maintain its elite status. Otherwise it would be too accessible and therefore not that much of a shining crazy diamond. 

[jjcale]

No way Ross.... lots of businesses are now Internet only re marketing. Some folks make it work and some dont.

 

If I was advising Bernie I would be telling him to transition to internet only at some stage..... I personally dont even watch TV anymore.... and I am finding more and more people like me. 

[jjcale]

Just a clarification - did he say Internet or social media? .... I doubt Bernie knows what social media is - but he has probably heard of the internet.

[HoldenRT]

Oh dear..

 

Twitter might be a fad, but Youtube is pretty much the new TV.  More interactive, more direct.. less commercialized or watered down.  Less mass produced "cookie cutter" and more individualized and personal.  How many TV shows do you watch, where afterwards you can talk with the person who made it?  Online is more stimulating and interactive.

 

Myspace was a fad.  Facebook might be a fad.  Twitter might be a fad.

 

The internet in general?  The basic idea of social media, or message boards, or online content?  It's only going to grow in the future.  It might transform and take on new names or brands or formats but it whatever it is will be growing more and more.

 

Let's not even get into the fact that F1 is the worst sport/form of entertainment that I've followed online, with the least support and features.  How in the heck, does it not have a live TV feed on the website that you can pay for yet?  That doesn't even really appeal to me but major sports websites have had this for how many years now?  I was already paying for a feed of radio (not video) from nba.com for NBA games back in 2004.  The main thing has been whether people's connections could support high definition video or not, and it's now to the point where you can get 1080 feeds.  Even 720p feeds are highly watchable and most people's connections these days can handle that.  But still.. F1 has nothing.  Because it's just a fad.

 

F1 and the internet is such an embaressing topic.  Bernie is the master troll.

[HoldenRT]

Ross Brawn already brought up this issue years ago, when he had to stay at home for a race and watch it from his lounge room.. when he returned into the F1 paddock, he said that F1 support is horrible.  It was one of the only times I've seen where someone who is inside the paddock, can try to relate to how the sport is perceived or viewed from outside the paddock.

[Nonesuch]

'Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone insists he is not alarmed by the sport's declining television audience and sees no need to revamp its social media approach.

Amid viewership drops in key markets such as Italy and Germany, there have been calls for F1 to make the most of opportunities offered by new media channels like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. But Ecclestone remains unmoved, and doubts the social media boom will last.'

 

The bolded part might not be wrong, I actually think he's right on that part, but the relation to the problem of television audiences isn't convincing.

[Jamiednm]

 

Let's not even get into the fact that F1 is the worst sport/form of entertainment that I've followed online, with the least support and features.  How in the heck, does it not have a live TV feed on the website that you can pay for yet?  That doesn't even really appeal to me but major sports websites have had this for how many years now?  I was already paying for a feed of radio (not video) from nba.com for NBA games back in 2004.  The main thing has been whether people's connections could support high definition video or not, and it's now to the point where you can get 1080 feeds.  Even 720p feeds are highly watchable and most people's connections these days can handle that.  But still.. F1 has nothing.  Because it's just a fad.

 

 

 

I don't know any major sports that offer video streaming of their live events on their website (apart from minor Tennis/Golf tournaments). The Premier League, for example - probably the most popular sports series (that also has a very active social media strategy) in the world doesn't even offer it, because it can make more money by selling rights to broadcasters around the world.

[SR388]

Clearly he hasn't seen the amount of pornography on the internet. It is here to stay.

[slideways]

IMO the absolute key issue is that Internet rights and subsequently streaming and other online content availability and content are granted by FOM on a national basis.

 

Secondary issues are lack of FOM sponsored youtube content, overzealous youtube content removal, and lack of a paid access mechanism to the FOM feed archives (blueray releases and DRM free digital downloads of all F1 sessions, ever, please).

[Exb]

I'm probably straying slightly off topic here? (not absolutely sure what we're discussing) but I think a lot more could be done viewing wise via the internet.  For example whilst the race is on (either Sky or when BBC is live) there is a race control on both platforms that allows you to watch on-boards or the pitlane channel and hear the team radio, however unless you follow those live (and not the race) I haven't found anyway to go back and watch them - I would be more than happy to pay a subscription if it meant I could go back and view some of those things after a race (maybe via the F1 website or something) - same with live timing, I can't get the app as its incompatible with my phone, and there is nothing available for the laptop. I'm sure something could be done if they thought about it and priced it correctly that wouldn't necessarily take away from the current TV model they are using (which may or may not be the right one - I suspect the later to be honest looking at the declining viewing figures, at some point TV channels won't want to pay the fees being asked.)

[pRy]

Oh dear..

 

Twitter might be a fad, but Youtube is pretty much the new TV.  More interactive, more direct.. less commercialized or watered down.  Less mass produced "cookie cutter" and more individualized and personal.  How many TV shows do you watch, where afterwards you can talk with the person who made it?  Online is more stimulating and interactive.

 

I'm not so sure it's the same with sport. I can't recall the last time I watched a sporting event on TV and said to myself "Gee I wish I could watch this on YouTube and talk to the producer afterwards". A show like 24? Yeah I can see how YouTube streaming would be ideal for that. Or TV shows designed just for YouTube or Netflix that never actually reach TV. There is a lot of potential there. But the difference is that's content consumed at the viewers pace and at a time convenient to the viewer. With a sporting event it's for the most part live. And for that I think TV will always be the best vehicle. And it's not as if F1 is restricted to TV sets.. the people Bernie does deals with generally have the ability to stream their content already.. so for example in the UK you can watch F1 on TV, tablets, phones.. whatever you want. And you can re-watch the content also. The broadcasters provide that service.. so why should Bernie spend money doing so on the side? Plus it reduces his bargaining position when trying to negotiate rights.

 

I really don't think F1 is lacking as much as some say it is. If the coverage provided by Sky etc was of poor quality and people were literally without any options to watch F1 at home then yeah.. they perhaps should look at doing something online maybe. But I think they're doing a good enough job currently. At least here in the UK. And I say that as someone who begrudgingly pays £9.99 every other race to watch Sky on my PS3.

[AlmightyGod]

Maybe he knows something we don't

[bauss]

No way Ross.... lots of businesses are now Internet only re marketing. Some folks make it work and some dont.

 

If I was advising Bernie I would be telling him to transition to internet only at some stage..... I personally dont even watch TV anymore.... and I am finding more and more people like me. 

 

I don't have a TV 

[Ali_G]

Bernie is correct though.  Social media usage is reducing.  At least Facebook is seeing less traffic now than it did a year ago.

[Fastcake]

Yeah I'm with those who question the real value of social media. Sure Bernie could get a twitter account, but is that really going to increase F1's popularity? People aren't going to start following F1 just because Bernie tweets them - in reality the only ones who are going to seek out F1 are those who are already involved.

The overzealous YouTube takedowns are another matter. That does F1 no favours, as having videos of brilliant overtaking manoeuvres, or spectacular crashes, posted around the internet is something that will help gain new fans.

[jjcale]

I don't have a TV 

 

Nothing to be ashamed of ..... in a few years no one will have an idiot-box

[bauss]

Bernie is correct though.  Social media usage is reducing.  At least Facebook is seeing less traffic now than it did a year ago.

 

because twitter, instagram and others are increasing. 

 

Internet Social Media usage is here to stay just like the Internet is here to stay...it's impossible to have one without the other, that much should be obvious now.

[sldsmkd]

because twitter, instagram and others are increasing. 

 

It's because people are moving to mobile / tablets for their social media