Liberty media good or bad?

[Andy B]

With Planet F1's poll showing that Liberty is not good for F1 and will not be good for Moto GP I wondered what you guys thought?

https://www.planetf1.com/features/planetf1-readers-their-say-liberty-new-deal-motogp

[Jericoke]

In 1993 Gary Bettman became the commissioner of the NHL. There wasn't a single Canadian hockey fan who wanted this New York City lawyer who worked for the NBA to take over our beloved sport.  And to this day, opinions have not changed.  In the 30 years he's been running the NHL he's handed out 28 Stanley Cups and been booed at each and every one (even though only one went to a Canadian team)  Imagine that:  he's so hated that as a team is being awarded they're greatest triumph, the fans would rather boo the bearer of the trophy than cheer their team.  That is how 'bad' for the NHL he's been these last 30 years.

In 1993 the NHL had 22 teams, and players like Wayne Gretzky, one of the most statistically dominant athletes in history, were making a million dollars a year.  The Pittsburgh Penguins, who had recently won two championships yet were teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.  Teams in Winnipeg, Hartford, Quebec City and Minnesota were losing money hand over fist even though NHL players made a smaller percentage of league revenue than any other major American sport.  All four teams had to move on to other cities to survive.  The San Jose Sharks joined the NHL in 1991, just before Bettman took over.  It cost them $50 million to join, and their $50 million bought them a team all but guaranteed to lose for the next 10 years (which they did).

30 years later, the Hated Gary Bettman's NHL:
Has 32 teams, any one of which can beat any other team on a given night.  The last place team might lose to the first place team 4 out of 5 times, but each game will be entertaining.

The MEDIAN salary of an NHL player is $3.5 million.  That means someone whose career scoring will add up to a single season of Wayne Gretzky will likely earn more money playing hockey than the Great One ever did.  (Of course Gretzky has the endorsements)

The latest expansion teams, the Las Vegas Golden Knights (Vegas?  Sensing a theme?) and Seattle Kraken paid $500 million to join in 2018 and $650 million to join in 2021.  What did they get for their money?  Las Vegas has never had a losing season, and they won their first Stanley Cup in their fifth season.  The Kraken had a losing season their first year, but had a very strong second season.

The NHL has gained so many fans in 30 years that the economics aren't even comparable.  And that's all due to the most hated man in the NHL.  Bettman, for his part, he doesn't like being booed, no one does.  But he also know he's done the job he was meant to do, and he's done a damned good job of it.

So if the fans hate Liberty, it doesn't mean they're ruining the sport.

I know we can all agree/disagree on the changes that have happened on Liberty's watch.  Flashy street races in party cities, staged TV shows, gimmicky marketing, dancing monkey race car drivers.  But the sport, and its teams are healthy.  Alpine might be racing a car that's as good forwards or backwards (and honestly, as bad as they are, the gap to the top is still among the smallest it's ever been), but the team isn't going to collapse.  If I was trying to promote my sport, and Liberty came along, I'd listen very closely to what they were offering, regardless of what the fans might think.

[Andy B]

You make some valid points Jeri but like Bettman I doubt it'll change the opinions of the fans who each and every one of them will have a different idea of what they want F1 to look at and this has only raised its head after Liberty acquired MotoGP.
I believe there is a big difference in what a European wants to see in F1 to what an American wants to see, the razzmatazz of Las Vegas is one example that many including me do not want to see on the grid.
Only time will tell.

[rmassart]

What's ruining the sport at the moment is the utter dominance of Max in an RB at every single race. That they are clear favourites to win any given season for the foreseeable future is OK. But that this goes down to the individual races and even qualifying is worrying.

I don't care either way for the razzmatazz Liberty is bringing in. If it's good for the sport financially, so be it. As long as the racing is good. But when the racing is dull, every race, and the sport is purely relying on glitz, glamour and apparently Drive to Survive to keep fans interested it is no longer a sport. Rather it is 22 staged events for the rich and famous to see and be seen. F1 always had Monaco, that was enough.

[John S]

What's ruining it for me is Liberty's need to keep tinkering with F1 format/show and their inane, nay disdain, for another team or two on the grid.

Let's get a bit of jeopardy back for arse end teams, lets have very low prize money for the last place, teams like Stake/Sauber & Haas will have to up there game from simply taking part to properly going for it.     
Also let's create more seats for younger drivers coming thru.

Not sure Liberty will change much in MotoGP for a few years, the present management structure will stay in place since they have elected to retain a 14% share holding in the business.
Think idea is to share more venues & events, possibility of 4 wheels plus 2 wheels weekends.   

[cosworth151]

Can we have another choice on the the poll: "Liberty - Spawn of the devil."

F1 is going through the same trajectory that NASCAR did. They dumped some of their best venues for a bunch of Charlotte clones near big cities, went to what are basically spec racer cars, etc. They became the new fad sport, drew in many new fans while driving away their core support. Then the "fad fans" moved on to the next fad and now they're racing in front of mostly empty seats most races.