Bye Bye CVC

[Scott]

...don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Well, there we have it.  Liberty Media is now the new owners of F1, and the moves they make over the next year or two will cement them as either the saviours of the sport or the new enemy.  As long as they keep Bernie on a retainer, I think it will more likely be the latter. 

Being a media company, I am counting on them doing great things digitally and online.  I'm sure it will take years to sort out the crazy TV contracts they have worldwide, but if they reconfigure broadcast rights, they could also appeal to the other media companies who are hampered by Bernie's 19th century approach to online broadcasts.

http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/17492500/new-owners-outline-vision-f1

[Dare]

If their only half as corrupt as Bernie and his crew I'll be happy.
I pray Bernie isn't going to have any say in the new and better[I hope]
F1

[Steve A.]

I think we will be hampered with Bernie for the next three years, will he drive it down then be the 'saviour' of the sport. With it wouldn't surprise me.

[cosworth151]

I'm reminded of the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for." If there is anybody in the world worse than Bernie, it's Rupert Murdoch. We've traded one group of zillionares who know absolutely nothing about racing (CVC) for another group of zillionares who know absolutely nothing about racing (Fox, I mean, Liberty).

I wonder how long it will be before F1 gets "Fan Boost" like Formula E.   

[Jericoke]

I'm reminded of the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for." If there is anybody in the world worse than Bernie, it's Rupert Murdoch. We've traded one group of zillionares who know absolutely nothing about racing (CVC) for another group of zillionares who know absolutely nothing about racing (Fox, I mean, Liberty).

I wonder how long it will be before F1 gets "Fan Boost" like Formula E.   

The single greatest crime in televised sports came in the 90s when Fox began broadcasting National Hockey League games.  The conventional 'wisdom' was that Americans couldn't understand hockey because they couldn't see the puck.  Since talks to replace the puck with a Frisbee mercifully went nowhere, Fox created 'Fox Trax':  a computerized hockey puck that would GLOW on TV, making it easy to see.  When the puck was shot, it would leave a 'comet tail' on the TV screen.  If the puck was shot FAST it would leave a RED comet tail.

So... while I remain optimistic until proven otherwise, I know they can't do worse than this

[Scott]

  ...I remember that.  In Canadian living rooms across the nation, fans were collectively saying "What the F#*$???"

[Dare]

you mean hockey pucks don't leave red comet tails?Don't
tell me there's no Easter Bunny

[cosworth151]

Fox Trax was a poor substitute for Peter Puck.

[John S]

...I remember that.  In Canadian living rooms across the nation, fans were collectively saying "What the F#*$???"

Quite right too!  Everyone knows no one watches the puck they all tune in for the ramming, shoulder charging, general brawling and punch-ups.


 On the post CVC question I'm on the "be careful what you wish for" side of the discussion. I'm not sure the teams at the top table will allow their monetary advantage to be diluted easily - if at all - and I think that is a big problem for any new owner trying to flex their muscles too much.

     

[Jericoke]

 On the post CVC question I'm on the "be careful what you wish for" side of the discussion. I'm not sure the teams at the top table will allow their monetary advantage to be diluted easily - if at all - and I think that is a big problem for any new owner trying to flex their muscles too much.
 

Bernie's approach has always been 'divide and conquer', whereas American sports leagues tend towards a 'together we're stronger' approach pioneered by baseball in the 1910s, and perfected by football in the 1990s.

So the new guys will either double down on Bernie's approach, which means very little friction, but makes me wonder why they would buy FOM to just do the same.  If they do change tacks, they will meet resistance, but hopefully they can convince the teams of the bigger picture.

The question is:  are the big teams more interested in winning or making money.  I think that Ferrari and Mercedes make more money overall by winning F1, and may not be interested in raising the overall finances of the sport.