MMT WRX

That's a fairly accurate summary.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Every single practice session, qualifying and race!

astraboy

Why thank you sir.
Astraboy.

Leslie

I agree with you, have been enjoying the superior worldwide live sports coverage for a long time now. I think it has been good value, and considerably better now too with proper F1 coverage at no extra cost.

Les

Nimbus

I don't want to start an argument about BBC vs Sky, but I think you missed the point that the BBC had originally had a contract to show all the races live for a few more years yet. It was the BBC who reneged on this and setup the deal with SKY, thereby preventing some fans from the FTA service that they had expected.

I'm going to miss seeing the whole race unfold for the 10 races that the BBC are not showing. Highlights just don't provide the same drama with the ebb and flow of a race unfolding, but I'm going to have to get used to that I guess.

I don't have SKY and don't plan on getting it just for F1 and I consider myself "a proper f1 fan". I've been watching it since the days of James Hunt and can count on the fingers of one have the number of races I've missed in the last 15 years. I just hope that this is not a slippery slide to going PPV or something so that we don't get any FTA coverage.

Nimbus

Well Les, It's going to be extra costs for those without SKY. But I guess like most things, those who it does not affect have no concern for those that it does.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Nimbus,

Please don't take this the wrong way but it sounds like you have been watching F1 from about the same time as me and for a sport I love as much as F1 I don't think the Sky subscription is a huge amount of money given what else some people spend on their hobbies.

Please let's also not kid ourselves that the BBC was/is FTA ... the licence tax is not a huge amount of mney eiother, but the fact you HAVE to pay it does not make the BBC coverage FTA!

Nimbus

f1_fan,

I didn't think you were that old

Well, not having SKY already I looked at the cost of getting F1. It's taken me a while since it's not very easy to tell what packages I need to add include F1, but it looks like I need the basic + sports, which according to the website come out at £52 per month. That does seem like a lot considering I'll only need it for 10 races. I may not have got the calculations right though as it's not clear what I should be selecting

With regard to BBC/FTA. I think you know what I mean. I know BBC is funded be license which we "have" to pay. I'm I'm talking about having to pay other broadcasters for something which I didn't previously have to do.

Edit: Oh, and the comment that it's not much compared to what others spend on their hobbies. It may be true, so does this mean I can't do my hobbies not since I need the money to watch F1, which I didn't need to before? However you look at it, it means that for people who don't have SKY, we now need to pay extra for something that we previously did not. I'm not sure how anyone can think that's a good thing.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

My mate has got it with Virgin media, so Nimbus if you went with them for phone/broadband and basic TV it might not cost as much extra per month? Just a thought

Nimbus

I don't have cable in my area so rules this out.

Ant

You have to have sports to get it with virgin.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Fair enough, but you could also look at it that if you didn't have to pay the liecnce tax then you would have some of the spare money for Sky. being serious I am not saying it's a good thing as such, but we are where we are I guess.

BTW you just need a basic SkyHD package and you will get Sky F1. You don't need Sky Sports. Think I pay about £25 a month and got free installation/free box etc. Not bad really!

Ant

Get f1 to recommend you and you'll get m and s vouchers

ScoobyWon't

I was thinking of asking you to do that for me.

Chip

Early 60s he is

Leslie

I did mention earlier that if you want the best you usually have to pay for it. You may eventually find yourself in the same position when you get fed up of missing so much F1 with the present system.

I sincerely hope you are not including me when you mention those who don't care about others just because I happen to have Sky HD already. I shall be very happy with the highly increased coverage of course but believe it or not, I am actually capable of feeling sorry for those who will not have that capability, even if that is a pretty old fashioned set of values.

Les

Bristol98

What he said, although I've just added all 4 Sky Sports channels and F1 to my virgin package for.........................................£5 per month! Woohoo!

Nimbus

Les, I understand the concect of paying for the best. That would be valid here if both BBC and SKY were showing all the full races live. You would then have a proper choice of going with the FTA BBC coverage or the super-duper HD SKY paid-for coverage. The situation is that BBC renaged on their contract to provide what they originally were contracted to do, with little regard to those who follow this sport.

The last comment was not aimed at you, so my apologies if it sounded that way. I actually believe you are among the increasingly fewer people who actually have and believe in traditional values.

I re-checked SKY at it's going to be at least £30 per month to get F1. I could probably reduce that if I bundled phone and broadband but that's not possible at the moment as I'm in contract with my current providers. Maybe in a year I'll look at it again. Shame as it's looking like it's going to be a close season if winter testing is anything to go by.

ScoobyWon't

I'm sure the BBC could have afforded the F1 if they weren't wasting it on the Olympics instead.

davyboy

Of course it is. 'Free' now, but in 12 or 24 months it will be a seperate channel which will attract a seperate subscription.

I'd welcome pay per view as I have better things to do than stay in on a Sunday to watch every race. But for those days when I don't have plans, or a late evening/early morning GP, perfect.

Funkii Munkii

Didn't the BBC say they would show the full race in their "highlights" for those races they don't show live ?

I know it means media avoidance for an entire afternoon, but it can be done, although at the back of your mind you will know it's not Live which does take the edge off.

Funkii Munkii

Sadly I can see them trying that one, just as they did with the football a few years ago, thankfully it fell flat on it's face and they dropped the idea after one season iirc

davyboy

Didn't they dabble with F1 before, about 5 or 6 years ago? Was that ppv?

Funkii Munkii

I don't recall it, I do remember the A1 GP stuff although I dont think that ever went PPV

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Yes they did, it was about 10/12 years ago and was PPV, all interactive with different user selectable views/stats etc.

But it ran alongside the BBC (or was it ITV at the time?) that also showed all races live.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Sky did F1 PPV for one season in 2002. It was canned when Bernie pulled the plug on his expensive multichannel F1 TV broadcasting service at the end of the 2002 season.

The thing that made me laugh a few months ago was Damon Hill saying how much he was looking forward to being a part of Sky's first ever F1 coverage..... this wouldn't be so bad except he was part of the team back in 2002

ScoobyWon't

They did say that.

And then Sky told them they couldn't.

stiscooby

I currently have sky but only the basic package. I have a HD box but no HD subscription so only get the FTA HD channels.

Now for me I would see things as having to pay for something that I didn't previously as now I would have to pay £10 extra per month to get the HD pack just for the F1 :angry:

The races that the BBC don't show live will be shown as extended highlights - and I quote:

"Ten races will be shown live on BBC One, including the British, Monaco and season-ending Brazilian Grands Prix.

Of the other 10, there will be extended highlights programmes on BBC One, of either 90-minute or two-hour duration depending on race location."

Then depending where the race is it will either be shown at 14:30 or 17:30. So by the time 17:30 comes around you will have probably already heard the result on the radio/TV etc and probably not bother watching it anyway!

Then Sky will probably want more £'s next year for a PPV service, bastids!

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Question to some of you?

What makes you think you have a God given right to not pay to watch F1?

You all seem to accept that to watch live football you have to pay so what's the issue here?

Nimbus

I never said we had a "god given right". I find your question a little disrespectful. As I've already said. The BBC had a contract to show ALL the races live for a few more years yet. I'm angry that the reneged on this deal and didn't even go for an option of sharing with Channel4 or other FTA broadcaster.

And I don't watch football so have no idea how that it broadcast.