Thread: 2012 tv coverage uk

Many TV channels waits until the last day before the weekend to buy the tv-rights. Here in Italy, it happened twice this year with IndyCar and DTM, so two high level series.

Didn't ESPN sign a multi year deal with WRC?

I was under the impression it was a one year deal done at the last minute. Or thats how it seemed to me last year. i maybe wrong.

It needs to be on free to air TV - the WRC is anonymous in the UK. Last weekend proved that....However, what free to air station will buy the rights to a minority/niche sport???
Really, NorthOneSport need to take a short term hit, and give the rights away.....but that's living in cloud cuckoo land....

I do hope the WRC returns to FTA televison. I have Motors TV, but the coverage is quite poor in my opinion. And I can't justify paying for ESPN each month just for one sport.

yeah free to air, but not on at 11 o,clock like it normally is. i hope channel 5 come in for it. they seemed to be in the running last time.

I really hope the WRC coverage is away from the discracefull ESPN coverage, putting it back onto ITV4 would be better, or any freeview/freesat channel.

The people who upload the ESPN coverage onto YouTube need a medal, because putting the coverage onto a subscription channel is no use to the sponsors of the WRC.

Originally Posted by AndyRAC

It needs to be on free to air TV - the WRC is anonymous in the UK. Last weekend proved that....However, what free to air station will buy the rights to a minority/niche sport???
Really, NorthOneSport need to take a short term hit, and give the rights away.....but that's living in cloud cuckoo land....

Well, analysing Wales Rally GB, we must say the route was ugly! Monster liason, no road signs to indicate where was the Service Park (which was in an anonymous village!). Come on, WRC must go to bigger towns and cities to be known.

It's like a circuit that doesnt advert that the next weekend there's a motorsport event! It's obvious that the people doesn't know that is running an event!

Sorry for OT, but I felt to be more precise.

Originally Posted by Langdale Forest

I really hope the WRC coverage is away from the discracefull ESPN coverage, putting it back onto ITV4 would be better, or any freeview/freesat channel.

The people who upload the ESPN coverage onto YouTube need a medal, because putting the coverage onto a subscription channel is no use to the sponsors of the WRC.

+1 I watched all of the bits of rally spain that I missed on my phone this morning when I was bored. Brilliant

Originally Posted by Motorsportfun

Well, analysing Wales Rally GB, we must say the route was ugly! Monster liason, no road signs to indicate where was the Service Park (which was in an anonymous village!). Come on, WRC must go to bigger towns and cities to be known.

It's like a circuit that doesnt advert that the next weekend there's a motorsport event! It's obvious that the people doesn't know that is running an event!

Sorry for OT, but I felt to be more precise.

Funnily enough, the uploader of the videos happens to be someone called motorsportfun

I hope Dave gets the rights again at least.

I wonder if Niel Cole will be back?

With any luck it will return to FTA, back to the days of Channel 4 with Jon Desborough (sp?) and Penny Mallory (no more Niel Cole please!) But the UK needs to do something in order to publicise WRC in this country, most of the non-rally fans I spoke to in Wales didn't even know it was happening on their doorstep, it shouldn't be like this.

I hope the WRC increases its profile in 2012. There are more manufacturers getting involved, we have a record breaking driver and we still have championship battles that go down to the wire; it all makes a great story and the action is certainly spectacular. And from the point of view of UK fans and media there is a lot of UK interest in the series with teams / drivers having a tenuous link to the country. You think they would try to make something of that at least. MINI is doing their best with a PR campaign but they can't keep spinning the 'return of the MINI' line forever.

I think we just have to accept that the WRC is going to be a sport that will be available more on digital media than it is traditional print or TV media.

Originally Posted by Samantha Honeyman

With any luck it will return to FTA, back to the days of Channel 4 with Jon Desborough (sp?) and Penny Mallory (no more Niel Cole please!) But the UK needs to do something in order to publicise WRC in this country, most of the non-rally fans I spoke to in Wales didn't even know it was happening on their doorstep, it shouldn't be like this.

I like niel cole

WRC guys having fun - YouTube

Neil Cole is off doing his own thing, comedy and other stuff..

WRC is available Free on Digital TV in Australia... which is good but NOT always is it shown a decent time! More like after 10pm or after Midnight depending if any live sports...

ESPN coverage I too watch... they're both exactly the same.. done by NorthOne so I don't know what your complaining about it's probably the TIME when the broadcasts are shown on TV! I can understand that!

What ESPN show is what I've been watching for the last... hrmmmm... 6-7 years from NorthOne or how ever long they have been producing the show so see no complaints from my end. Daily highlights, end of round review + All Access Areas and occasionally Magazine show.

Maybe one day if the rumoured ERC/IRC merger goes ahead then Eurosport could become involved again in WRC too and we might get some decent live coverage.

Ok, Eurosport is only available on subscription tv, but at least it is part of the basic sports package and not a premium channel like ESPN.

NorthOneSport has done huge damage to WRC, even F1 or IRC is on freeview in most countries. How on earth sponsor would be interested in putting money into WRC team if only minority rally fans can notice that? Not mentioned about other motorsport fans. Bring back Eurosport

Originally Posted by wrc1600

NorthOneSport has done huge damage to WRC, even F1 or IRC is on freeview in most countries. How on earth sponsor would be interested in putting money into WRC team if only minority rally fans can notice that? Not mentioned about other motorsport fans. Bring back Eurosport

Excellent point - sponsors are hardly rushing to the sport, are they? Nokia & maybe Qatar apart. How many events have commercial backers? (I don't mean Regional assemblies, Tourist boards, etc) I mean like Neste Oils, Vodafone, etc
Prodrive-Mini still looking for a sponsor, even after extremely promising results....Stobart/ Abu Dhabi pulling out.....

Rally GB itself wasn't advertised but there is certainly a growing number of WRC based adverts appearing. Over this season Michelin have had an advert in The Times after each event, as have MINI in each of the events that they've competed in. After RallyGB I think that there were adverts from Ford, Citroen, Michelin and MINI, 3 of which were in the first 20 pages.

It's such a shame that most of us have to resort to Youtube/Torrents to get coverage of the WRC. There were a number of events this season that I ended up missing purely because the hassle of having to watch it in sections on a Monday or later in the week.

Traveling to Buillth Wells on friday to have a look at the service park, it was almost imposible to find it - no advertising, no road signs, nothing. In my country a local second level championship has got more coverage and presence. Wrc is in a bad state. Talking about bad state - anybody now what will hapen with WRC comercial rights holder, as Mr.Antonov (who is a co-owner) is curently under investiagtion and two of his banks in Latvia and Lithuania both have been closed down?

Originally Posted by mm1

Traveling to Buillth Wells on friday to have a look at the service park, it was almost imposible to find it - no advertising, no road signs, nothing. In my country a local second level championship has got more coverage and presence. Wrc is in a bad state. Talking about bad state - anybody now what will hapen with WRC comercial rights holder, as Mr.Antonov (who is a co-owner) is curently under investiagtion and two of his banks in Latvia and Lithuania both have been closed down?

Rallying doesn't have a good image in the UK. I think it's generally considered as stupid (standing out in cold forests, in the pissing rain to see some cars drive by) and bad for the environment (a popular bandwagon over here)