Speed won't broadcast F1 after 2012

[Binary Star]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The cable sports channel Speed will no longer air Formula One races after this season, ending a 17- year partnership.

Fox Sports Media Group, which owns Speed, confirmed Friday that the partnership will end after this season. The network indicated it was outbid for the U.S. broadcast rights.

"It's disappointing to learn that F1 has elected to move forward with a different media partner," Fox Sports Media Group said in a statement to The Associated Press.

F1 was in talks with NBC Sports Group for U.S. broadcast rights, according to two people familiar with the negotiations who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ap-so...1-after-season

[tbvvw]

There's another thread in the CL as well...bit IMHO, I'm not happy about this until there's more detail.

Say what you like about SPEED, they had the same 3 experienced guys and provided practice, qualifying and races "live' every F1 weekend. If NBC botches this up...

[vdubjb]

Mixed emotions about this. NBC wants to save money so I can only imagine what they'll do to cut costs.

[Double-V]

Mixed emotions about this. NBC wants to save money so I can only imagine what they'll do to cut costs.

Yep. NBC might even go so far as to have commentators that aren't even at the races, sitting in a studio, watching the same feed and with the same access to info at the same time as the rest of us.

[tbvvw]

Yep. NBC might even go so far as to have commentators that aren't even at the races, sitting in a studio, watching the same feed and with the same access to info at the same time as the rest of us.

Laugh all you want but are there another 3 US-based broadcasters that would do a better job?
And what if NBC decides not to broadcast practice or qualifying?

I have no idea what NBC has on TV Friday and Sat AM but I know it gets better ratings than F1 (everything does)...would they replace their current Fri/Sat programming for F1??

[Cabby-Blitz]

I dont like the change. While I was not a big fan of Bob Varsha he was doing a fine job. I enjoyed Matchette and Hobbs a lot and Will Buxton has been doing a fantastic job.

If anything I hope they continue in the same fashion of practice, qualifying and race day coverage. I would also enjoy seeing more streaming of events. I enjoy streaming practice because of the beautiful engine notes and lack of commentators.

[golf3racing]

Since I have never time, I usually watch it online. Just like WRC

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[kfzmeister]

I've always liked the SPEED crew and will be sad to see them go (unless they get picked up by someone).
A friend of mine has been to their live broadcasts in Carolina a few times and i might even get to meet them in Austin next month, since they are broadcasting from there for the GP.
I've been watching the BBC/ SKY broadcast online for the last couple of years, which i find much more satisfying anyway.
Good luck to them...

[Mk1Racer]

I haven't watched a SPEED F1 broadcast in at least 3 years. Give me BBC/SKY any day.

[GPHawaii808]

I see this a my final sign to dump cable TV. Hulu plus & Netflix combined (for the wife's TV shows) along with Torrents seems so much cheaper than so little motorsports/NHL programing available in Hawaii.

[CHETVW007]

I haven't watched a SPEED F1 broadcast in at least 3 years. Give me BBC/SKY any day.

Do you watch it live on the net through bbc/sky? If so..how
does one do that?

I love David Hobbs...I'll miss him. The words he comes up on the fly are priceless.

[kfzmeister]

Do you watch it live on the net through bbc/sky? If so..how
does one do that?

http://www.sportsbun.com/formula1/fo...stream-online/

I usually catch mine here, or download it the day after from sites like piratebay.org

[SuPeRDeCo]

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/2...trial-channel/

Looks like all the races will be shown live

[rideboarder]

Hopefully they won't have a commercial break every 5 minutes like Speed does...I hate missing 3-4 laps every time.

[Mk1Racer]

Do you watch it live on the net through bbc/sky? If so..how
does one do that?

I love David Hobbs...I'll miss him. The words he comes up on the fly are priceless.

Torrents

And I like David Hobbs, but I can't stand the SPEED coverage.

[vdubjb]

The lead up shows are interesting, but the in-race coverage is too monotone for me. At least the Speed trio have distinct voices and a lively delivery. I like the less commercials of the Euro feeds though.

[mx5er]

Autosport.com is confirming that NBC got the broadcast right. But they can get b!tchy sometimes b/c they block the site and make you pay for subscription

[mx5er]

OK, official announcement: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/n...100604545.html

OK, so it looks like what they had before with Fox/Speed. Practice and qualifying plus certain races broadcast on NBC itself. The Canadian round plus the last three rounds will be broadcast on NBC.

[The Ninja]

While I fear that coverage will suffer I am going to hold out hope. I would love to see more coverage like the press conference, more pre and post race and all three practices. I would be happy if they gave us some of that stuff online.

[wiredvw]

OK, official announcement: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/n...100604545.html

OK, so it looks like what they had before with Fox/Speed. Practice and qualifying plus certain races broadcast on NBC itself. The Canadian round plus the last three rounds will be broadcast on NBC.

Hold on a second there. Only 4 races will be on NBC free to air broadcast. After that the races are on NBC Sports Network which is a subscription based channel. It doesn't look like you can subscribe to it without going through a cable subscription service which sucks. However, they do have their iOS and Android app that you can watch content through which is only verified by your subscription service.

Who do will they have as commentators?

[Double-V]

Can you guys get TSN (Canadian ESPN) on satellite? They have all races live, and use the BBC/SKY feed.

[TurboTrucka]

That looks to be channel 603 to DirecTV subscribers.

[wiredvw]

That looks to be channel 603 to DirecTV subscribers.

I'll have to check this out during the next race, but I wouldn't be surprised if SPEED has that blocked during the F1 races given that they paid good money to be the sole broadcasters of F1 in the US.

[tbvvw]

Hold on a second there. Only 4 races will be on NBC free to air broadcast. After that the races are on NBC Sports Network which is a subscription based channel.

Not only a subscription based channel, but one that with DISH, you need the premium Top250 package (290 channels). I only upgraded to the Top200 package for SPEED...now I gotta upgrade again for this? Ugh....

[Binary Star]

I'll have to check this out during the next race, but I wouldn't be surprised if SPEED has that blocked during the F1 races given that they paid good money to be the sole broadcasters of F1 in the US.

Speed can't block out a channel owned by a different company. But that is a moot point since Speed broadcasts F1 in 2012 (NBC doesn't) and won't be able to do it in 2013 when NBC can. 603 is always on, at least for my DTV.

[kfzmeister]

Sounds smart to me. How to get the sport of F1 more into the mainstream in th US? Put it on pay-per-view!! They won't watch it if it's free, but if it costs, everyone's gotta have it. Lol

[wiredvw]

Speed can't block out a channel owned by a different company. But that is a moot point since Speed broadcasts F1 in 2012 (NBC doesn't) and won't be able to do it in 2013 when NBC can. 603 is always on, at least for my DTV.

Sure they can. it happens all the time with the NFL. If the local game isn't sold out or close to it, the game isn't broadcasted live locally. The rest of the region and country can see it just fine. Unless of course you buy the premium NFL channel from DirecTV. If I were Speed I would move to block TSN broadcast of F1 in the US given that they paid for the sole rights.

[TurboTrucka]

Sure they can. it happens all the time with the NFL. If the local game isn't sold out or close to it, the game isn't broadcasted live locally. The rest of the region and country can see it just fine. Unless of course you buy the premium NFL channel from DirecTV. If I were Speed I would move to block TSN broadcast of F1 in the US given that they paid for the sole rights.

What are you talking about? We're talking about 2013 when SPEED/Fox no longer has the rights and NBC does. That's when channel 603 or whatever your provider broadcasts it on.

[24vEngineer]

I have been watching NBC Sports on directTV for a couple of months...it's ok. The funny thing is that the Lucas Off-Road Series and the TORC series truck races are Speed re-broadcasts. Lee Diffey commentates both and I know that Lee works exclusively for Speed.

If NBC wants to do this right, they will bring in 3 broadcasters from the UK plus a smoking hot chick for driver interviews and snipets...someone a little bit hotter than Natalie Pinkham.

[TurboTrucka]

I'll take Buxton over some idiot eye candy.

[wiredvw]

What are you talking about? We're talking about 2013 when SPEED/Fox no longer has the rights and NBC does. That's when channel 603 or whatever your provider broadcasts it on.

I'm talking about the fact that a US broadcaster can block the presentation of a single event, the same event, on another channel if they have paid for the sole rights of that single event broadcast. I was referring to the fact that this season, 2012, TSN in Canada broadcasts the BBC feed and Speed broadcasts their own F1 feed in the US and having paid for those rights can block another channel from broadcasting that event. Apologies it sounded like I meant blocking the entire channel.

[Urlik]

Isn't NBC Sports Network the old Versus channel? The two cable companies I've used the last few years have had this channel in their basic plus tier.

[GPHawaii808]

Isn't NBC Sports Network the old Versus channel? The two cable companies I've used the last few years have had this channel in their basic plus tier.

Yes. They are trying to catch up to ABC/ESPN for a bigger bite out of the sports/cable pie.

All of this reminds of the show Sports Night.

[mx5er]

During tonight's F1 Debrief on Speed, Bob Varsha said they won't be at CoTA during the race weekend to call the race

He mentioned something about the NBC deal and budget issues. But the three will be at CoTA during beginning of the race week to tape segments and such.

So for the US GP, the three will be calling the race from Speed studio and Will Buxton will be there as usual.

[kfzmeister]

During tonight's F1 Debrief on Speed, Bob Varsha said they won't be at CoTA during the race weekend to call the race

He mentioned something about the NBC deal and budget issues. But the three will be at CoTA during beginning of the race week to tape segments and such.

So for the US GP, the three will be calling the race from Speed studio and Will Buxton will be there as usual.

What a slap in the face. How do you do that to those guys after all these years?? I had heard from a friend of mine who knows Matchett, that they would not be there that weekend. Farked up, if you ask me.