F1 Coverage In USA

[Katie]

Does anyone know if F1 will be televised live in the USA for the 2001 season? If so, by whom?

Thanks,
Katie

[Heeltoe6]

All I've heard is unsubstantiated talk that ESPN is trying to steal F1 back from Speedvision. Adding wieght to these assertions is the fact that SV doesn't know if they will do F1 next year or not, although they'd like to. It'd be a damn shame if they lost the rights; great announcing team, unparalleled committment to coverage. ESPN probably wouldn't show qualifying live, probably would ditch the pre race show and of course would cut away from the podium/press conferences a lot.

[EERO]

I can add nothing to what my Bay State Colleague has offered, only to add that should Speedvision lose it, we will all suffer. ESPN didn't know what a good thing they had. However, given ESPN's vastly greater distribution, I suspect Bernie will let'em have it.

[Liz]

We get the ITV feed - truncated to begin with the start and usually continuing through the post-race if time permits. Speedvision is blacked out here. So either way it won't matter to us.

[Billy_Hunt]

Look what we might be getting
F1 digital provides 6 feeds - Supersignal, Track leader, Track second, Cockpit, Pits & Highlights, Data. The broadcasters tacking this
service (in Europe all the C+ services and PremiereWorld) usually also provide a "mosaic" of the different feeds and show every session of
the Grand prix meeting uninterrupted by adverts. The service costs subscribers about £5 per event in most of Europe, although it is
free to sports subscribers in Germany.

If we don't get it here I'm going to live in Germany it's FREE

[Victor Broccoli]

Speedvision does do a great job, but I do believe that the consensus that ESPN will fudge it up is somewhat ill-founded

A) ESPN CAN run F1 live: all they run in mornings (which is when the races come live) is SportsCenter, hunting shows, and infomercials.

B) Better exposure. If F1 goes to ESPN, there is a good chance that ABC would end up running the US Grand Prix...which would be a good thing considering that ABC shows committment to races that take place in Indy (races outside of Indy is a different point).

C) More exposure. F1 would end up benefitting from ESPN exposure, as ESPN is the 4th largest cable network.

Granted, coverage on Speedvision would have better coverage...but ESPN wouldn't be the end of the world.

[fastracer]

Isn't F1 also still on Fox Sports or did I miss something?
And if F1 goes to ESPN there will be a good and bad side to it. The good part will be that Indy will be shown on ABC which will give F1 more coverage around the nation. The bad part is that ESPN sucks at showing races. Remember when they used to have it? Remeber when they would show 5 minute commercials every 10 minutes so you barely saw any racing (i.e. at Jerez in '97 when Schummy did his infamous block on Jacques ESPN was on a commercial break and then went on another one as soon as they got back!). Also, just look at their Cart coverage, where they don't show the end of races to cut to golf a match. They probably won't do that with F1, but do you really want a network like that broadcasting F1?

[Katie]

F1 is still on Fox Sports. The problem is they only show about 4 or 5 races live a year, and the rest are televised on a tape delay (4-6 hours). Also, Fox Sports does not show qualifying.

[Victor Broccoli]

I think ESPN will end up doing a better job this year. Think about it: for the upcoming season, ESPN (and parent ABC) have lost their rights to NASCAR (to FOX and NBC). ESPN always had their "A-team" for NASCAR, and somewhat lesser coverage for other motorsports (CART, IRL, IndyLights, F1, WOO, ect.). With their coverage of NASCAR, ESPN can undoubtedly put on the best motorsport coverage and announcing sans ITV and Murray Walker.

Unless ITV decides to air their races in full in America (fat chance), ESPN is the best alternative, especially for F1. Due to the fact that ESPN is owned by that evil corporate conglomerate Disney, promotional opportunities are available (perhaps "It's A Small World" could feature drivers of nationality singing the tune while bowing to the almighty Saint Bernard). All kidding aside, it would be essential for ESPN and Disney to get involved in F1. Just as long as Disney doesn't sponsor a team (god forbid a Minardi w/ a Mickey Mouse scheme...even I would turn a cheek to Minardi for that)

Cheers.

[Cam]

Uummmm.....

Speedvision is 34% owned by Ruperts News Corp (ie Fox). They basically use the same contract to broadcast the races in the US. If Speedvision does not get the broadcast rights neither will Fox! (or vice versa).

Here are Ruperts holdings.

http://www.newscorp.com/management/cablelist.html

Sorry to burst the bubble of hope with Fox Sports, But it will either be the way it was the past 2 years or with that bloody mouse!

Cam.

[KC]

I saw Speedvision's Formula 1 Year in Review this weekend. At the end of the show Mike Joy said that nothing had been settled on the F1 front as far as TV contracts went, but he said that Fox/Speedvision was pulling out all the stops to secure rights.

However, Fox and NBC have already pulled out all the stops to secure NASCAR TV rights and I cannot believe they will be willing to pay a massive sum of money to get F1 coverage as well. I expect ABC Sports/ESPN to get coverage for next year as they have freed up enough budget from their loss of NASCAR rights to do so. Also, consider this, ABC Sports has been in league with Tony George and Indy for the last two decades and have the rights to the Indy 500 for the next 7 years, I would imagine that this could sway Bernie as well.

[Heeltoe6]

What "A" team are you referring to Victor? They'll only be getting the Bernievision feed, so throw out all the production/direction/technical talent), most of whom are going to Fox/NBC anyways). As for the broadcasters in the booth, they'd have to steal them away from Speedvision/FSN as all of ESPN OW announcers have their plates full(Jenkins with irl, Page with CART, Reid with a whole bunch of series). Unless ESPN paid for some of these upgraded digital feeds Bernie offers(which they won't) they're won't be any difference in the broadcast itself. They'll just be more commercials, less of a guarantee for live coverage(mainly for qualifying, but wouldn't put it past espn to tape delay a race or two--probably the non-eurpean ones that wouldn't fit in that sun morning time slot), less replays, and less support/historic shows. And f1 on ABC. Ha, that'd ne something. "We now break away from the Monaco GP to bring you some golf trophy ceremony you'll see on Sportscenter anyways, and then we'll send you to Robin Roberts in the Wide World of Ssorts studios to read abunch of day old sports scores you've already read in the newspaper"

[Katie]

Just an update for those of you not bothering Speedvision each day like myself: They are now saying that they won't know whether or not they will get the rights to coverage until the week of the first race. Some network will probably carry it, but Bernie is going to keep us in suspense until the very end (until he gets the highest bidder).

[Cam]

Heeltoe.... I hear ya!!!