USA F-1 TV off Speed TV?

[booger]

Does this mean we'll lose the best broadcast team, Varsha, Hobbs and Matchett? Please tell me it ain't so!!!

[Starter]

Does this mean we'll lose the best broadcast team, Varsha, Hobbs and Matchett? Please tell me it ain't so!!!

Depends on their contracts. It's possible they could go, as a team, to NBCSC.

[Jag_Warrior]

I just heard this horrible news! I am literally sick to my stomach right now! I'm not even watching the race. I'll just DVR it. I have no spirit to watch F1 right now. Varsha, Hobbs and Matchett were like constants in my sports viewing life - and auto racing is the only sport that I watch and follow these days. Unlike most of the other Fox related channels, Speed has been a great source of television entertainment for me. Speed has done an amazing job covering F1 all these years. It was a godsend when Speedvision got the contract away from ESPN. I was so happy! But from what I hear, F1 is going to NBC - possibly the only network even worse than ESPN for motorsports. I can dream that they'll have enough sense to beg Varsha, Hobbs and Matchett to come over and tempt them with large sacks of cash. But in reality, they'll probably turn the broadcast commentating over to the town clowns who do the IRL/IndyCar coverage on NBC Sports: Wally Dallenbach, Jon Beekhuis and whatever skid row bum they find walking past their offices, now that Jenkins has retired. #$@$!!_*&$#*!$#!$(~$(#($%%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!

Lewis is going to Mercedes. Tony George is trying to buy the IndyCar series... so he can finish killing it off. And now this! So would anyone like to come by my house and shoot my dog?

Hell, nothing good lasts forever. I should know that by now!

Gone, but never forgotten!

[N. Jones]

I am not sad by afraid of this move. Then new broadcasters is going to try and broaden F1's base by bringing in new faces to commentate and run the pre-race show. I guarantee the majority of F1 fans in America are going to hate them!

I hear it is going to be NBC.. Argh!!! Leave Varsha-Hobbs-Matchett-Buxton together!!!!!!!!

[call_me_andrew]

It is a shame they're leaving SPEED, but NBC Sports does a great job covering IndyCar so I'm not worried at all.

[truefan72]

moving it to NBC will have disastrous consequences
I bet you the following will occur

1. majority of races not shown live
2. races packaged and given the "olympics" treatment
3. no showing of FP1, FP2, FP3 and probably no showing of Qualy also
4. no varsha, Hobbs, Matchet
5. some races not shown altogether

[Jag_Warrior]

It is a shame they're leaving SPEED, but NBC Sports does a great job covering IndyCar so I'm not worried at all.

I'm not sure if you're being serious or if that's cruel sarcasm. Given the continuing ratings plunge since the IndyCar Series moved to NBC Sports, I must assume that you're kicking the one-eyed, three-legged dog. Bad Andrew. Bad!

Unless I can find some other means of watching the races (legal or not), and that's highly doubtful, I guess I'll just have to make the best of what looks like a totally crappy situation. All of us unfortunate American F1 fans are in the same boat. So I guess we'll suffer together.

[call_me_andrew]

The ratings aren't bad because the coverage is bad. The ratings are bad because it's a channel no one watches.

[jarrambide]

moving it to NBC will have disastrous consequences
I bet you the following will occur

1. majority of races not shown live
2. races packaged and given the "olympics" treatment
3. no showing of FP1, FP2, FP3 and probably no showing of Qualy also
4. no varsha, Hobbs, Matchet
5. some races not shown altogether

More than 3/4 of the races and qualys happen during the early hours of the morning or after midnight.
You pay the same to Bernie if you show no qualys or all qualys or if you show some or all races.

NBC will most probably show all qualys live on NBC Sports Network, 2/3 of the races live on NBC Sports Network and then replay those same races on the same channel around 12 PM Central Time and 1/3 of the races on tape on NBC affiliates.

NBC is buying the rights of F1 because NBC Sports Network is in reality Versus that used to be the Outdoor Life Network, a sports network than had the Tour de France, NHL, United Football League, Canadian Football League, and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and nothing more, nothing but a filler channel, they need viewers and fast, buying rights to F1 is just another step to try and have good ratings without the Olympic Games.

I love Varsha, Hobbs and Matchet, but I'm sure we will get coverage of all races and qualys.

[jarrambide]

The ratings aren't bad because the coverage is bad. The ratings are bad because it's a channel no one watches.

Ratings are bad because no one cares about Indy Cars, way before NBC Sports their ratings were a joke and getting worst every year, and I was an American Open Wheel fan, I just don't care, which is why I don't wach, not because of NBC Sports Network.

The good thing is that you get the same feed for F1, regardless of your name, we will get the same feed SPEED was getting, the only problem will be the commentators.