F1 on US TV

Nuvolari · 11 Jan 2001, 09:01 (Ref:57971)

Does anyone know who (aside from Speedvision) will carry the full F1 schedule for 2001 on US television?

My thanks.

KC · 11 Jan 2001, 14:54 (Ref:58003)

According to Speedvision, who say they are pulling out all the stops to secure TV rights, Bernie will not make a decision until one week before the season, presumably to milk the bidding until the very end. I cannot believe that Fox, owner of Speedvision, is going to spend whatever it takes because they already did that along with NBC for NASCAR. I expect ABC Sports/ESPN to secure rights because of their lack of NASCAR coverage and the fact that they exist in more homes in the US than Speedvision does. Perosnally I enjoyed Fox's coverage better than Speedvisions because Sam Posey is as deadpan and monotome as any announcer that has ever existed. The crew on Fox (i cannot remember their names) seemed more in the know and more entertaining. I also fear that ABS Sports/ESPN will only show the race in an effort to hurry up and show Sportscenter again and again. No prerace show and no postrace nterview is the norm for them.

Nuvolari · 11 Jan 2001, 15:20 (Ref:58006)

I, too, enjoyed Fox coverage -- with Mike Joy and Derek Bell. I hope a non-premium channel does offer FULL coverage, though I share you skepticism.

Any other input will be much appreciated.

Racer X · 11 Jan 2001, 23:43 (Ref:58103)

Sam is okay but it is Derek Daly, David Hobbes and the others that make it so boring. They alway talk about rpm's or hp or acceleration and speed. It gets repetative.

Heeltoe6 · 12 Jan 2001, 02:05 (Ref:58114)

Mike Joy did an ok job, but face it he lends no historical or passionate perspective to the broadcast. Derek Bell was pretty good, I really like when he was partnered with John Watson when Joy was working a CBS Nascar race.

But I LOVE Speedvision's crew. Varsha's laid bvack style fits in well with F1, and I love Hobbs's and Posey's war stories and analysis. Racer X, Derek Daly does not do commentary for SV F1 coverage, and I believe he only worked 1 race as a pit reporter(the USGP)
In any case even though Newscorp does own a stake in SV, SV is the one bidding on the contract, not Fox Sports. The two operate quite separately, the fox connection is only an investment thing, but has little to do with any relationship the two netowrks have. But SV makes its decisions independently of what Fox Sports does, so the Nascar deal is a moot point

Fiorentina 1 · 12 Jan 2001, 03:20 (Ref:58117)

It's going to be ESPN and ESPN2, with ABC doing Monaco & Indy.