Murdoch Might Take F1 Pay-Per-View

[cosworth151]

Rumors are now saying that Rupert Murdoch might be trying to buy F1. The reason could be to take F1 to pay-per-view.

Murdoch, the model for Bond villain Elliot Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies, has been spreading the take-over rumors though his Sky News and his Times of London.

The Roman Emperor Tiberius supposedly made Caligula his successor so that people would think better of him by comparison. Could Bernie have the same idea with Rotten Rupert?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/04/will_f1_go_pay-per-view.html

[John S]

Bernie says talk of Murdoch buying F1 is all rubbish. For once I think Bernie might be telling the truth, he prefers free to air channels to get the biggest coverage for his own race & trackside sponsors. He can charge them an arm & leg then. 

The Concorde Agreement states that F1 must be shown free-to-air, as long as there are broadcasters in the region who can do this. This is clearly possible in the UK, where F1 is broadcast by the BBC - in a £40m deal which runs until 2013 - and many other channels around the world. This would mean Sky could not, for now, air the sport exclusively.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/8462301/Bernie-Ecclestone-denies-reports-that-News-Corporation-are-ready-to-table-a-bid-for-Formula-One.html

[Ian]

My worst nightmare is Sky getting F1, BBC by far has the best coverage, even better now it's in HD. I detest Sky so much that I would'nt subscribe and would have to be content with just the chatroom on racedays.

[Scott]

Bernie says talk of Murdoch buying F1 is all rubbish. For once I think Bernie might be telling the truth, he prefers free to air channels to get the biggest coverage for his own race & trackside sponsors. He can charge them an arm & leg then. 

The Concorde Agreement states that F1 must be shown free-to-air, as long as there are broadcasters in the region who can do this. This is clearly possible in the UK, where F1 is broadcast by the BBC - in a £40m deal which runs until 2013 - and many other channels around the world. This would mean Sky could not, for now, air the sport exclusively.

I agree - I can't see them being able to charge for F1 and cut their viewing audience into a small fraction without the sponsors having fits (not just Bernie's, but the team sponsors as well).  Murdock's a moron...why doesn't he just go away and retire.  Oh wait, we've been saying the same about Bernie for years.  Maybe the two of them could go play poker for the F1 rights - they could televise it and make even more.   

[Andy B]

My worst nightmare is Sky getting F1, BBC by far has the best coverage, even better now it's in HD. I detest Sky so much that I would'nt subscribe and would have to be content with just the chatroom on racedays.

Without Sky I would have no F1 coverage here in NZ and I get BBC commentary so some good comes from it.

[lkjohnson1950]

There is some doubt the EU would allow Newscorp to own F1 and broadcast it through a subsidiary like Sky. On the other hand English Premier League football pay per view nets each team a minimum of $40,000,000. That would just about cover the budget of the low to midfielders. I don't think I would pay to see it, I would hate to put any money in Murdock's pocket. 

Lonny

[Jugirl]

Oh God i hope Sky doesn't get it and make it pay to view. It should be free for us to watch here in the UK. I get fed up with Sky getting all the good sports! It's bad enough when you have to have sky to watch certain sports anyway but to make it pay to view would be a very nasty cherry on top of a sour tasting cake!

I would be with you Ian, Chatroom on race days.

Ju

[David]

Keep F1 away form this scumbag, he makes Bernie look like a saint that doesn't have much care for money.

I won't pay to watch sport on TV, one of my other sports interests, far detached from F1, is darts. The only way to watch the premier league on TV is on Sky sports but I chose to watch on Justin TV on the internet so I don't have to pay the extra subscription. I do have Sky TV but if it was up to me it would be gone, the kids hold the cards on this issue.

[Jericoke]

I know we've already had this discussion.

I already pay to see F1, although paying extra to see it in HD isn't in the budget right now.

I wonder if the plan isn't to take F1 pay exclusive, but rather offer a tiered selection.  A free 'basic' coverage, and then paying to get access to live cameras.  That's how NASCAR is covered in North America (does Fox still show NASCAR?)

I know Bernie tried that, and it failed miserably, but I also think the idea was just ahead of its time.

I figure that some of our American friends would probably pay a small fee to watch F1, since they currently have no option but to bootleg the race.

[lkjohnson1950]

I think the idea is you would pay for live coverage with a free edited broadcast later in the day. NASCAR in the US is free, split between Fox and ESPN, with Speed getting the Trucks and practice/qually, both of which are to me rather boring. Speed is in danger of being the NASCAR channel with something on almost every night.

Lonny

[Canada Darrell™]

My definition of Pay-Per-View is "Watch Something Else" 

[Alianora La Canta]

Pay-per-view is not a realistic option for me, therefore I would have to find a different way of watching if that happened. Thankfully the probability of Sky getting F1 is exceedingly small (at least in the UK).

[John S]

The F1 earnings model is quite different to most other sport as F1 teams get a very large percentage of their budgets from their own sponsors. Other major sports rely on TV revenue more than even gate receipts or sponsors.

Sure all the F1 teams would vote for more money from the TV rights, but if this means the income from their own sponsors may be lower because of a big drop in viewers with a switch to pay TV they may not be so keen.

Bernie knows his present model for F1 works but he is now speeding towards retirement, either because of frailty due his considerable age or, more likely, the owners want to safeguard against Bernie's ineviatable decline.
The next ringmasters view may well be very different, not least because they may well want to make their mark. Following such a legend will be a tough job and they'll likely be damned by some whatever, so they may feel change is the best route.

Bernie himself has not helped matters with no obvious succession plan, at least not one we are aware of. Are we really seeing the start of a fight for control of F1 in a post Bernie era? 

             

[Scott]

My definition of Pay-Per-View is "Watch Something Else" 

Absolutely...   

[Dare]

I think Bernie's grooming old pal Flav for it.If Bernie were to
retire now or in the next few years Flav is young enough to
keep F1 screwed up as usual