The state of F1 in the UK

[Koz]

Is F1 free to air anywhere in Europe?

[henners88]

With so many options to get satellite channels for free now, I think the days of paying Sky £60 a month are over. I've had a Skybox F5 for nearly 2 years now and pretty much everybody I know either has one or a chipped Amazon Fire Stick. I've still only watched 4 Grand Prix this year though. I find F1 less appealing these days and get more use out of the BT Sport channels or the movies.

[Whyzars]

The sound of F1 engines is irrelevant.

I respectfully disagree.

Every race my wife has watched since the V8's were dumped has resulted in her saying "They sound like sh*t, I can't watch this" and she gets up and leaves - and she does know what F1 cars used to sound like.

Would I pay to watch an F1 race today - ummm no, not yet. The cars rarely get close to each other and when they do it doesn't lead to anything to get excited about. There is no more seat of the pants driving and they never look they are truly pushing - maybe because they aren't.

Fuel management kicks in from the first lap and every car/driver on the circuit is at 80% for the entire race - 80% is F1's idea of 110%. The cars are being starved of fuel and the fans are being starved of competition.

Bernie generates the most money from TV rights, and TV will never convey really the thrills of the sound of F1 engines. F1 is viewership is falling because Bernie realized that having fewer viewers who pay dearly for the sports channels is more profitable than airing F1 on free-to-view channels to significantly more viewers.

Bernie sells what is his to sell for whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Good on him.

If pay-TV providers are coughing up the money then it is not Bernies fault that their business model is based on charging for the F1 races - and nobody wants to pay for F1. If sufficient numbers of people were wanting to watch F1 then "free to air" would be paying the top dollar and I'm confident Bernie would sell to them. The U.S. has plenty of people watching NASCAR on whatever format so its not a motorsport thing.

The explanation of what's going on has nothing to do with the tech of F1 racing, and everything with the economics of modern day sports broadcasting.

By "racing technicals" I was referring to such wonderful innovations as the DRS which have shoved any semblance of actual racing up our collective bums. Add to that the endless advertising for Mercedes, even in the commercial breaks, and I often find watching puppies licking windows much easier to endure than a 2016 F1 race.

I am not down on Mercedes. They are unequalled in what they have achieved and are the World Champions of the "V6 Economy Run - 100kg class". I am patiently waiting for F1 to be F1 again.

Fix the cars/sound/racing and you take a step toward fixing F1. The greatest ally we may have against the muppets who are crushing F1 like a Big Green nerf ball is Bernie - because he may actually have the most to lose.

[Rollo]

If sufficient numbers of people were wanting to watch F1 then "free to air" would be paying the top dollar and I'm confident Bernie would sell to them.

Care to explain Australia then?

Foxtel gouged out Network Ten, stripped it of its assets and now Ten is even more of a pauper than it used to be.

[2fast2think]

Your right it is the economics of the modern day all together millions isn't enough they wan't billions lol