526 replies to this topic

[MikeTekRacing]

I just hope they don't lock F1 TV subs out the way they do in UK and Germany.

if they do that, VPN is always an option

PS I don't plan on doing it unless forced

Edited by MikeTekRacing, 08 April 2022 - 19:14.

[ARTGP]

ah well it was fun while it lasted....

 

With Netflix, Miami, Vegas, and Austin, there's no way somebody wasn't going to want to shove ads in our faces....I hope they have the courtesy to show PIP or side by side ads. I remember the absolute hell that was SpeedVision/Speed Channel. Insipid ad breaks. 

Edited by ARTGP, 08 April 2022 - 19:21.

[boomn]

Welp, it was good while it lasted.

 

https://twitter.com/...442676746063872

 

 

I hope that, whatever network ends up showing F1, that they just continue rebroadcasting the Sky coverage. I don't like all the presenters, but I'll take the overall package we have now over anything else we've ever had access to in the US, and it's not really close.

What was F1 getting annually from the previous NBC deal? 

 

ESPN supposedly didn't have to pay for F1 in their first year, but then they signed a new deal in 2019 through this year.  Was that ESPN deal significantly reduced from prior rates due to F1 not seeing better options or interest?  Or was $5 million similar or higher than NBC paid?

[KWSN - DSM]

Apple, Amazon, Facebok bidding? Or F1 not big enough to be interesting for them?

[AustinF1]

ah well it was fun while it lasted....

 

With Netflix, Miami, Vegas, and Austin, there's no way somebody wasn't going to want to shove ads in our faces....I hope they have the courtesy to show PIP or side by side ads. I remember the absolute hell that was SpeedVision/Speed Channel. Insipid ad breaks. 

...and they weren't nearly as bad as NBC. The were unreal. NBC ruins every sports broadcast they touch. 

Edited by AustinF1, 09 April 2022 - 02:39.

[loki]

What was F1 getting annually from the previous NBC deal? 

 

ESPN supposedly didn't have to pay for F1 in their first year, but then they signed a new deal in 2019 through this year.  Was that ESPN deal significantly reduced from prior rates due to F1 not seeing better options or interest?  Or was $5 million similar or higher than NBC paid?

It was about what NBC paid.  No one is going to pay $75 mil a year in the US.  I doubt they’ll get $7.5 mil.  The market just isn’t that big.  When NBC dropped coverage they had to buy time,  It’s not going to go from time buy to $75 mil in a few years with the average audience numbers for all sessions under a million households.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Yeah it's not that much bigger than Indycar right now, if they(Indy) were getting 50m pro rata for their series or IMSA 40m those series would be flush with cash.

[jonpollak]

I’ll bet ESPN retains the rights and Gregg and Sean work a decent deal.

Jp

[loki]

Yeah it's not that much bigger than Indycar right now, if they(Indy) were getting 50m pro rata for their series or IMSA 40m those series would be flush with cash.

The ICS deal is primarily for the 500.  The series picks up the production cost for all the races using IMS Productions who also do a fair amount of college stick and ball for The Mouse and NBC ( and some pro ball as well).  

 

Like JP says they’ll strike some sort of deal.  I’d bet it will be either the Sky coverage or whatever English language F1TV simulcast.  I doubt we’ll see a homegrown commentary team unless Liberty set it up and pay for it.  I don’t know we need one or that there is even the demand for a US based team/hosts.

Edited by loki, 09 April 2022 - 01:02.

[jonpollak]

I’m buying as much MothersPolish as I can.
Jp

[AustinF1]

Looks like ESPN will continue to carry F1 coverage in the U.S. Some races may be streamed on ESPN+.

 

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2022/06/24/Formula-1-espn-media-rights-us.aspx

 

The only drawback I see is a few of the races being put exclusively on ESPN+. I have ESPN+ through Verizon, so it wouldn't affect me too much as long as the app is working right that day, which is far from a sure thing. But limiting the audience that way seems to go against the idea of trying to grow the sport here. Maybe that won't be in the final deal that gets signed. About 84M households get ESPN. About 22M people have ESPN+.

 

I'll definitely be happy if it stays as is now though. NBC is horribad.

Edited by AustinF1, 25 June 2022 - 15:02.

[Ross Stonefeld]

I'm surprised at how much they bid given the ratings and the sponsorship opportunities. They're either anticipating a lot of growth, an eventual format change, or both? 

[FLB]

I'm surprised at how much they bid given the ratings and the sponsorship opportunities. They're either anticipating a lot of growth, an eventual format change, or both? 

 

There has been growth in the digital side of the business:

 

https://twitter.com/...7546113/photo/1

[ARTGP]

Well I guess there will be commercials from 2023 onwards? *sad noises*

[HeadFirst]

There's always the F1 Official streaming thing (I'm not sure what it is really called), F! TV I think. My wife and I have it added to our our Amazon "Firestick" and it is pretty cool ... lots of old and recent races, and some interesting features to play with. Occasionally we get the spinning circle of death, but at it's worst it is still better than the commercials on TSN.

[LolaB0860]

I don’t know we need one or that there is even the demand for a US based team/hosts.

 

I wish there was demand for it, so that there'd be another commentary option like in the past. I'd take Diffey or Varsha any day over Crofty's shouting and crappy jokes + tired Brundle.

Edited by LolaB0860, 25 June 2022 - 15:56.

[SlipperyDiff]

Well I guess there will be commercials from 2023 onwards? *sad noises*

I think it was reported earlier that commercials might be an option on ESPN but only with the use of split screens. No breakaway commercials.

Edited by SlipperyDiff, 25 June 2022 - 17:55.

[r4mses]

 

Looks like ESPN will continue to carry F1 coverage in the U.S. Some races may be streamed on ESPN+.

 

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2022/06/24/Formula-1-espn-media-rights-us.aspx

 

The only drawback I see is a few of the races being put exclusively on ESPN+. I have ESPN+ through Verizon, so it wouldn't affect me too much as long as the app is working right that day, which is far from a sure thing. But limiting the audience that way seems to go against the idea of trying to grow the sport here. Maybe that won't be in the final deal that gets signed. About 84M households get ESPN. About 22M people have ESPN+.

 

I'll definitely be happy if it stays as is now though. NBC is horribad.

 

 

Can't say I'm surprised. After all, that's what happens elsewhere, too. Liberty et al talking big about bringing F1 closer to the fans and all that bs... while doing the opposite. Moving F1 into payTV everywhere, banning fans from preseason tests etc. 

[loki]

I'm surprised at how much they bid given the ratings and the sponsorship opportunities. They're either anticipating a lot of growth, an eventual format change, or both? 

 

Yeah me too.  They must be looking at specific advertising/marketing in the higher end to pay for it and/or moving some of the other content/sessions to ESPN+.  They mention only the terrestrial/cable network airing of races.  I’d bet some other sessions will be streams only as they are now (included with normal ESPN on ESPN 3 streaming only).  It’s pretty much like having Sky. On the stream you get the event preview, pre and post race plus the couple of Ted’s Notebooks. Those “extras” are the sorts of things that could drive ESPN+ subscriptions.

 

There has been growth in the digital side of the business:

 

https://twitter.com/...7546113/photo/1

 

That’s growth from Liberty’s sales not necessarily from the broadcast outlets themselves (though I’d reckon they see value if they're paying more).  In this case though there is an increase in US viewers and with now three races greater visibility.

[loki]

Can't say I'm surprised. After all, that's what happens elsewhere, too. Liberty et al talking big about bringing F1 closer to the fans and all that bs... while doing the opposite. Moving F1 into payTV everywhere, banning fans from preseason tests etc. 

Network TV over here like ABC is free to air, no license required all you need is an antenna and TV.  ESPN is considered part of a basic package which up until a couple years ago 90% of US households have/had.  That number has dropped as many households (like ours and we’re Boomers) have “cut the cord” to streaming.  About 20% of TV watching households in the US use streaming as a primary means of getting TV content.  ESPN + is part of many streaming (and cable) packages so much in fact it’s included in two packages we have.

 

In short that deal addresses how people watch TV in the US market.  It’s how we’ve been watching TV over here for decades.

Edited by loki, 25 June 2022 - 18:25.

[LolaB0860]

I think it was reported earlier that commercials might be an option on ESPN but only with the use of split screens. No breakaway commercials.

 

I thought the rule for (at least some of) US TV stations was that you couldn't show all of commercial breaks through split screens, but at least few of them had to be full blown commercials. ABC/ESPN surely followed this in the past too

[loki]

I thought the rule for (at least some of) US TV stations was that you couldn't show all of commercial breaks through split screens, but at least few of them had to be full blown commercials. ABC/ESPN surely followed this in the past too

It’s up to the advertiser.  In the past some haven’t been too receptive to the idea.  There are some restrictions but that’s mainly marketing towards kids.

Edited by loki, 25 June 2022 - 18:48.

[jonpollak]

There's always the F1 Official streaming thing (I'm not sure what it is really called), F! TV I think. My wife and I have it added to our our Amazon "Firestick" and it is pretty cool ... lots of old and recent races, and some interesting features to play with. Occasionally we get the spinning circle of death, but at it's worst it is still better than the commercials on TSN.

I’ve gone full F1TV.
Not looking back either.
Jp

[Dmitriy_Guller]

Side-by-side ads still don't work with the broadcast that is not adapted to ad breaks.  Sure, you don't miss the video of something happening if it happens during the ad break, but you're going to miss the live commentary, and you won't be brought up to speed when you go back to full screen.  Indycar does do a lot of side-by-side ads, but when the broadcast comes back from the ads, you do get an executive summary of what happened (and then you go right back to side-by-side after that).

[anyeis]

I'm surprised at how much they bid given the ratings and the sponsorship opportunities. They're either anticipating a lot of growth, an eventual format change, or both? 

 

Under 100 million is nothing in the USA tv sports market.. ratings are good given the time slots.

Edited by anyeis, 27 June 2022 - 22:36.

[MikeTekRacing]

Under 100 million is nothing in the USA tv sports market.. ratings are good given the time slots.

for a multi year contract ratings as well as trend in ratings is important. 
might not look big overall, but if F1 has managed (and I think it has) a dramatic increase in US fans - there's a big opportunity there

[SKL]

I enjoy F1 TV when it works, but a lot of the time when trying to mirror from my phone it doesn't work properly,  with sound and no picture, or sound delayed from the image, etc.  I'm too much of a tech idiot to figure out what is wrong...

 

With the new nex Gen tintop I've actually gotten into NASCAR more this year, especially the road courses and unfortunately they just went from Fox to NBC for coverage.  I don't mind Jr. as a person/driver, but he and Burton do NOT have voices for TV.   Much prefer Mike Joy and the Fox crew though I long for Varsha and Hobbo  for F1...  can't I dream??