Formula One moves to Sky

[mightyWBA]

Yet another sport I won't be able to watch live!

Murdoch strikes again :-(

[Hopkirk]

At least we won't be giving Ecclestone a massive dose of licence fee.

[jake-the-peg]

The BBC will be broadcasting half of the races

http://news.bbc.co.uk...rmula_one/9550930.stm

[Kakurol]

nothing to stop you going to the tracks and watching the races live

[snags]

You'll still get an extended highlights show of each race that isn't shown in full and live on the BBC...

[milton]

I will and in HD

[jake-the-peg]

All the murdoch press will of course be full of "F1 moves to Sky" healines without mentioning the BBC's coverage.

Anything they can do to help line Rupert's pockets!

[moonraker558]

It's the beginning of the end for F1 on the BBC, I think Ecclestone is wrong.

[mightyWBA]

If I could afford to travel the World watching it live I could afford sky Kakurol

[milton]

Not the same as actually being there though.

[Wales1984]

I think most of the people who have commented here obviously dont watch F1 - Sky will have adverts, wont have the same coverage as BBC, wont have the same commentators etc. I cant afford sky sports so absolutely gutted that I am going to miss so many races. F1 is the sort of sport where you need to watch every race as every race is completely different.

I dont know about anyone else but my tv license went up again this year yet they are taking a big programme like the F1 away.

Its all about saving money for the BBC and making money for Sky but what about the savings for the customer!

[Hopkirk]

It'll probably be on in your local pub.

[flip_flop]

Were you joking Kakurol?

[snags]

And you'll be able to watch the Sky races 'for free' if you know where to look on the 'net...

[jake-the-peg]

Don't know about saving money for the BBC - I suspect Sky just has deeper pockets.

I certainly think the BBC should have better things to spend license payers money on than over-paying for F1

I don't recall the charter saying "inform, educate and entertain and show a bunch of souped up cars drive around in circles"

But each to their own - as long as it's not at the expense of significant other programs. If it is then you'll have to pay to watch it.

Blame Bernie and Rupert, not the BBC for not giving in to threats

[Kakurol]

F1 is just another sport, why should it be free-to-air? and it didn't become the big business that it is today by putting passive viewer loyalty at the top of the priority list

[mightyWBA]

This wasn't really aimed at you Jake,or any of the other anti sports folks on answerbank..That's why it's posted in sports.
I don't watch any soaps,reality shows etc that fill the BBC schedules ad nauseum but you don't catch me making pithy remarks about them to people discussing them.

I'm interested to see peoples opinions who watch the Grand Prix's..a fair few million as it happens.
It's a question of trying to squeeze more money out of folks,many like myself who can't afford it.

[mightyWBA]

The BBC isn't free

[Wales1984]

mightyWBA i can entirely see where you are coming from. Both my partner and I are avid F1 fans and why should all the athletics, football, tennis, gymnastics, indoor bowls etc. get shown and the F1 not when it has millions and millions are viewers?

It just seems a very odd decision to make to only show half of the races.

And no bbc isnt free - I pay over £100 and that is just me, I dont pay anything for E4 or Channel 4 etc.

[chelle7272]

I have Sky so will be able to watch. Sky sports coverage is very good, although I do prefer F1 to be covered by BBC as there are no adverts, and I enjoy Martin Brundle's commentary.
BBC do pay too much for the F1 coverage though, which I would resent if i were a licencepayer that did not watch F1, and they will still show half the season, which is better than none!
If I did not have Sky Sports though I would be pretty upset!

[sandyRoe]

The BBC retain the radio rights.