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F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: Dare on March 27, 2018, 12:56:35 AM

Title: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Dare on March 27, 2018, 12:56:35 AM
 I have ESPN but I watched my usual streams. Maybe Liberty
might rehire Hobbs and crew when their online streaming starts
later this year.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2018/03/espns-first-weekend-showing-formula-1-was-a-fiasco/?comments=1
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Calman on March 27, 2018, 01:25:38 AM
I can't say that I am surprised. 

When I first moved here to Western Canada, watching any North American coverage of Formula 1 was absolutely painful.  Whether it be poor knowledge of the sport, poor broadcast organisation or extremely tacky presentations, squeezed into a bucket load of commercials, returning to the action at the worst possible moment.

Don't get me started on TSN, that's another painful story/experience!!!!

All the best,
Cal :)
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Scott on March 27, 2018, 06:35:06 AM
As a trans-Atlantic-er (the other direction), I have found F1 broadcasts fantastic.  BBC/ITV coverage was always top notch, and Ch4 when they were doing it live were very good.  My standby SRF2 broadcasts almost commercial free (if there is a race stoppage they throw a few ads in, but otherwise all are saved for before and after the race) and pretty good, but in German so I have to concentrate on the language.

From the report, it seems ESPN did a horrible job.  The dropping in of ads at any whim drives me nuts - lately Youtube has started that trend, mainly because it is just a robot that causes the clip you are watching to suddenly jump to an ad at some set time or something.
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Jericoke on March 27, 2018, 03:14:28 PM
I can't say that I am surprised. 

When I first moved here to Western Canada, watching any North American coverage of Formula 1 was absolutely painful.  Whether it be poor knowledge of the sport, poor broadcast organisation or extremely tacky presentations, squeezed into a bucket load of commercials, returning to the action at the worst possible moment.

Don't get me started on TSN, that's another painful story/experience!!!!

All the best,
Cal :)

I'm pretty sure I've covered TSN enough that everyone here is sick of me talking about it.  Aside from the commercials, we've come a LONG way since Vic Rauter, so I don't complain too much.

One of the nice things about being in the chat, if you're on commercial (TSN shows side by side commercial/live race), you can ask what's going on if you see something interesting.
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Steve A. on March 27, 2018, 06:50:29 PM
Hate the look of the halos, might stop a large object but not a bolt or spring falling from a car, even a danger that the halo can divert it into the body. As far as driver ID I think one of the cars cameras is bright yellow.
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on March 27, 2018, 08:01:34 PM
Yeah, each team has one yellow camera and one black one. The FIA thinks that along with their numbers should allow fans to easily identify the drivers.   :fool:
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: cosworth151 on March 27, 2018, 08:20:09 PM
ESPN was beyond horrible. Liberty has taken us from the best coverage to the worst in a single bound.

http://autoweek.com/article/formula-one/fans-lambaste-espns-debut-f1-broadcast
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Calman on March 27, 2018, 10:20:20 PM
I'm pretty sure I've covered TSN enough that everyone here is sick of me talking about it.

Hi Jericoke!

The issue I had with TSN (well, the main one of many) ...

A good few years back, I was patiently waiting on live coverage of a F1 race (can't remember where in the world it was in all honesty?) ... and back then, I had no other options but the choice of TSN or SPEED.   This particular weekend, I don't even think SPEED were covering the live race?

Anyway, all my eggs were in one basket and TSN was the only dependable choice to enjoy the live race.   So, I tune in 15 minutes before the start (as build up coverage was very limited and nothing close to 1½ hours we enjoy these days).   As I turn the 'tube' on, I am presented with Live Basketball.. okay, no big deal, so I anxiously keep an eye the clock.   Yes, you guessed the first outcome already, 10 minutes past the hour, 30 minutes past the hour .... (antique items being thrown at walls) ... 1 hour past, almost 2 hours past, before, STRAP IN TIGHT .... "Graphic Announcement" and "Condescending Voice" ..... "We are sorry for the delay and will now join the formula 1 bla bla bla" ..... only to be presented with the 3 top drivers in the Press Conference.   Then, as I cry my eyes out and hysterically try to remember my own name and why I am here on planet earth ... another announcement ... "We will now re-run the entire F1 Race from bla bla bla" ...

WELL, THAT FIXED EVERYTHING!!!! (dripping with sarcasm).

Anyway, once I calmed down (6 months later or whenever I didn't feel like I was plugged into the mains) ... I wrote to TSN and explained my displeasure in how they handled the event.   Their basic reply was something along the lines of "It is our policy not to leave a Live Event".

So, TSN's logic = We won't leave Live Basketball .... to join Live F1 (two live events back to back, where I event clearly takes preference over the latter).

All the best,
Cal :)
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Scott on March 28, 2018, 01:20:10 PM
I recall years ago (20 or so) when I was still in Canada watching an F1 race that had gone to red flag due to a major accident.  When the allotted time for the race (barely 2hrs) passed, they cut the feed and threw up a tennis feed from somewhere (no doubt a grand slam, but still), which went for almost an hour in pre-match highlights and discussions - I had hung out hoping they would at least give updates or switch back over for the last few laps.  It was clear then that F1 was rated way down the priorities of TSN.   |-( |-(
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Calman on April 11, 2018, 05:50:14 AM
Here is an update on the ESPN F1 drama ...

https://www.pitpass.com/61448/ESPN-to-go-ad-free-for-remainder-of-F1-season

All the best,
Cal :)
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Jericoke on April 11, 2018, 03:40:38 PM
Here is an update on the ESPN F1 drama ...

https://www.pitpass.com/61448/ESPN-to-go-ad-free-for-remainder-of-F1-season

All the best,
Cal :)

How did Disney even screw this up?  They own TSN in Canada, so they've already got experience just showing Sky's live feed (including side by side commercials).  They could even just simulcast the TSN broadcast with American commercials, as TSN has been showing American content with Canadian commercials for decades.  (Or just leave the Canadian commercials in, they're mostly made for America car commercials anyway)
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Calman on April 11, 2018, 08:09:08 PM
TSN is now a swear word in this household ... and by the reports from ESPN's recent saga, I would expect their F1 audience to also treat ESPN as a swear word, or a newly developed Acronym!!

All the best,
Cal :)
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: cosworth151 on April 12, 2018, 03:17:08 PM
ESPN did a far better job with Sakir than they did with Melbourne, but still far below what NBC had done. At least they're trying. A cheer for the Mother's Polish people for staying on as "presenting sponsor" without all of the adverts.

Back in it's early (pre-Disney) days, ESPN had outstanding motorsports coverage. They carried many NASCAR races when live race coverage was still a rarity. Their "Saturday Night Thunder" short track coverage was a classic. They had very good NHRA drag racing coverage up until a couple of years ago, when the series disappeared on to one of the Fox Sports channels.
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Calman on May 01, 2018, 05:48:39 PM
ESPN BLEW IT! ... Part TWO!!!

https://www.pitpass.com/61660/ESPN-fails-US-fans-again

Oh dear!  :(

All the best,
Cal :)
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: cosworth151 on May 01, 2018, 06:45:59 PM
Here, quali coverage was on ESPN 2. It started about 7:55 am, about 5 minutes before the cars went on track.

Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Calman on May 01, 2018, 07:39:50 PM
""People are so angry. They feel ESPN is in cahoots with F1, Chase Carey et al and that this whole fiasco was a set up so we'd be forced to buy the online streaming service."

Ooooh, Sinister or something else ... deviants at work?

All the best,
Cal :)
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Dare on May 02, 2018, 01:05:45 AM
The trouble I've had watching F1 the last decade I'm
happy with the ESPN coverage
Title: Re: Did ESPN blow it?
Post by: Alianora La Canta on May 08, 2018, 10:09:36 PM
Hate the look of the halos, might stop a large object but not a bolt or spring falling from a car, even a danger that the halo can divert it into the body. As far as driver ID I think one of the cars cameras is bright yellow.

Yes - the one for whichever driver has the higher race number. For example, Ocon has one at the moment because is 31 is bigger than Perez's 11, but if he went to Mercedes next year and either of its current drivers (Hamilton 44 and Bottas 77) stays, he'd lose the yellow camera bar to whoever at Mercedes stayed on.

In practise, some of the number-driver associations have not stuck well enough for me to be able to use that method in the heat of battle, and neither of my parents can do it at all (Dad can remember Riccardo, Vettel, Hamilton and the Force India duo because he remembers from the season preview and me telling him; Mum cannot do any of the race numbers at all because she likes to rely on the screen and the new font is poor).
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