No live US coverage of Singapore qualifying

[gerkebi]

How long have viewers in the US been able to watch F1 qualifying live? Up until last Saturday, that is. I thought NBCSN wanted to become the "go to" place for open wheel racing and they show qualifying at friggin' 1:00 in the morning after a 16 hour delay! And I've read virtually nothing about it. Thoughts?

[555-04Q2]

That's what you get for living in a third world country :p: ;)

[henners88]

I do feel for you.
We are lucky in the UK we have most of the coverage still on our TV's but I expect in a few years the only way your be able to watch F1 will be to pay stupid money every month for Sky. A small minority of fans already pay for Sky, but some of us die hard fans can't afford it and are watching it slowly decline. When the day comes that it disappears completely, my interest will go elsewhere and it'll be F1's loss.

[555-04Q2]

F1 is massive over here. We get all sessions of practice, qualifying, the race and interviews live and without commercial breaks :). We even get a mid week F1 show during GP week :)

[henners88]

F1 is massive over here. We get all sessions of practice, qualifying, the race and interviews live and without commercial breaks :). We even get a mid week F1 show during GP week :)
You can get that here if you pay through the nose for it. I can't justify £40 to £50 a month just for one channel on my TV! :)

[555-04Q2]

Same here! Ours cost the equivalent of US$ 60 a month :)

[Mark]

F1 is massive over here. We get all sessions of practice, qualifying, the race and interviews live and without commercial breaks :). We even get a mid week F1 show during GP week :)
You can get that here if you pay through the nose for it. I can't justify £40 to £50 a month just for one channel on my TV! :)

To be fair for those who don't know the setup the £50 isn't just for one channel, but you have to get a lot of things before you can get that channel e.g. Sky receiver, basic Sky package, Sky sports addon etc. I've basically got the F1 channel for free as I was already a Sky subscriber, however that's not the case for new customers.

[555-04Q2]

F1 is massive over here. We get all sessions of practice, qualifying, the race and interviews live and without commercial breaks :). We even get a mid week F1 show during GP week :)
You can get that here if you pay through the nose for it. I can't justify £40 to £50 a month just for one channel on my TV! :)

To be fair for those who don't know the setup the £50 isn't just for one channel, but you have to get a lot of things before you can get that channel e.g. Sky receiver, basic Sky package, Sky sports addon etc. I've basically got the F1 channel for free as I was already a Sky subscriber, however that's not the case for new customers.

And worth every cent as far as I'm concerned :) But I can also see how some people may not have the financial means for it to make sense for them :)

[henners88]

F1 is massive over here. We get all sessions of practice, qualifying, the race and interviews live and without commercial breaks :). We even get a mid week F1 show during GP week :)
You can get that here if you pay through the nose for it. I can't justify £40 to £50 a month just for one channel on my TV! :)

To be fair for those who don't know the setup the £50 isn't just for one channel, but you have to get a lot of things before you can get that channel e.g. Sky receiver, basic Sky package, Sky sports addon etc. I've basically got the F1 channel for free as I was already a Sky subscriber, however that's not the case for new customers.
Indeed. I have freesat and don't pay a penny a month more than my TV license is worth. If I were to receive Sky I would indeed only be getting one channel as I have all the rest for free now anyway. In fact I have over a hundred channels that I don't watch and would only be using Sky for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 channels and of course the F1. If you were already paying out for Sky, the deal was very minor. For people like me, it was massive. All of a sudden a sport I had watched for years somehow had a monthly cost that I just can't justify. If Sky offered something miles better than the BBC, I might be able to go some way to understanding why someone would watch it. However as far as I am concerned, they don't.

My father in law cancelled a £70 a month Sky subscription last month after being a customer for 17 years. He's gone with BT because he's a football fan and they offer sport for £30 a month including internet as opposed to what he was paying before. Sky's arrogant attitude on the phone was basically, 'well nobody offers what we do so why are you leaving?'..Without going into details you can also get the entire sky package for a fee under 200 quid (one off) if you know the right people ;) Its still not something that interests me however and still seems expensive for F1.

[Tazio]

How long have viewers in the US been able to watch F1 qualifying live? Up until last Saturday, that is. I thought NBCSN wanted to become the "go to" place for open wheel racing and they show qualifying at friggin' 1:00 in the morning after a 16 hour delay! And I've read virtually nothing about it. Thoughts?
Didn't you enjoy the Premier League match that NBCSN showed in its stead? :burp: :angel:
It's easy enough to get it (and all practice sessions) live on line free of charge :stareup:

[AndyL]

Indeed. I have freesat and don't pay a penny a month more than my TV license is worth. If I were to receive Sky I would indeed only be getting one channel as I have all the rest for free now anyway.

Presumably that's based on a pretty limited definition of "all the rest". Most of the best US dramas and comedies are not on free channels these days.

[henners88]

Indeed. I have freesat and don't pay a penny a month more than my TV license is worth. If I were to receive Sky I would indeed only be getting one channel as I have all the rest for free now anyway.

Presumably that's based on a pretty limited definition of "all the rest". Most of the best US dramas and comedies are not on free channels these days.
It's certainly not what I would describe as limited. If you can't see programs first time around, they are repeated at a later point anyway. Either way it's not worth paying the money IMO. Sky don't attract me with anything exclusive that I wish to see apart from F1and I'd rather have that on the Beeb anyway.

[AndyL]

It's certainly not what I would describe as limited. If you can't see programs first time around, they are repeated at a later point anyway.

Maybe, maybe not. Just looking at this year's Emmy nominees, 30 Rock, Modern Family, Breaking Bad and Game Of Thrones are all programmes that have been running for several years on pay channels but as far as I know haven't made it to Freeview/Freesat (apart from odd sample episodes on PickTV). My point was, what you get on free channels might be all the rest that you want to watch, but that's a more limited description than "all the rest."

[henners88]

It's certainly not what I would describe as limited. If you can't see programs first time around, they are repeated at a later point anyway.

Maybe, maybe not. Just looking at this year's Emmy nominees, 30 Rock, Modern Family, Breaking Bad and Game Of Thrones are all programmes that have been running for several years on pay channels but as far as I know haven't made it to Freeview/Freesat (apart from odd sample episodes on PickTV). My point was, what you get on free channels might be all the rest that you want to watch, but that's a more limited description than "all the rest."
If a program is worth watching I will find a way to watch it. I've seen every episode of Game of Thrones and not once watched it through Sky. Its a lot cheaper buying a series on Blue Ray (or other means) than it is paying 3 times as much for just a months subscription. I probably watch about 10 hours of TV a week maximum so I don't feel I am missing out whatsoever. Sky offer nothing I can't get on FreeSat or elsewhere. If you are happy to pay it, then fair enough. I feel I get a great deal with what I have and thankfully miss out of many of the sub standard ad filled American comedies.

[Parabolica]

I'd rather the BBC choked.

They had custody of the F1 rights, but sold the F1 fans out. Instead we have women's football. Absolute faeces. Sport nobody cares about.

Yet they hold on to Wimbledon for dear life. I suspect because the BBC Directors wives like to go and get in for free.

Mixed Doubles on Primetime TV. What a joke.

They can go fornicate with themselves as far as this F1 fan is concerned.

At least the Mammary Gland that is Jake Humphrey's in now on a channel nobody watches. What a fake he was.

This fan is happy to pay for the Sky coverage. It is 100% better than the BBC.

[acescribe]

I'd rather the BBC choked.

They had custody of the F1 rights, but sold the F1 fans out. Instead we have women's football. Absolute faeces. Sport nobody cares about.

Yet they hold on to Wimbledon for dear life. I suspect because the BBC Directors wives like to go and get in for free.

Mixed Doubles on Primetime TV. What a joke.

They can go fornicate with themselves as far as this F1 fan is concerned.

At least the Mammary Gland that is Jake Humphrey's in now on a channel nobody watches. What a fake he was.

This fan is happy to pay for the Sky coverage. It is 100% better than the BBC.

I'm in the same situ as Mark in that I rather found that Sky's F1 coverage landed in my lap rather than I went out and specifically purchased it.

Is their coverage good. Yes! Many on here knock it without having seen it. Even presenter Simon Lazenby is a lot better this year, just as I thought he would be.

But, would I have gone out and paid (extra) for it...? Probably not.

I think those of you waving the BBC flag are commendable in your loyalty but missing the point in many ways. There will come a time that ALL sport will be on Pay TV of some kind (be it something tied in with a broadband deal like BT - which is where Moto GP in the UK has found itself from next season don't forget) I guess, yes, then maybe F1 will lose some fans. But if you want something you go and get it, right?

The way the BBC is funded is simply a model that will fade as this century goes on and their cost cuts were badly needed and still are. Still we hear stories of overpaid 'stars' and fat cats commuting from London to Salford on taxpayer money because it is cold in Manchester or whatever. I, for one, resent them for that and don't even get me started on their hideously biased left wing news coverage...

Back on topic a little more, if the BBC really wanted to cut costs - do they need to fly a complete crew to the other side of the word to put together a 70 minute highlights programme?.. Just have Suzi P in front of a blue wall in a studio in Salford with a copy of this weeks Autosport and basket of plastic fruit on a table, perhaps a pic of a Red Bull in the background - EJ in an armchair to shout his opinions and then use Sky's commentary team (just as they do in Australia and now several other countries) Too simple I guess ;)

[AndyL]

Back on topic a little more, if the BBC really wanted to cut costs - do they need to fly a complete crew to the other side of the word to put together a 70 minute highlights programme?.. Just have Suzi P in front of a blue wall in a studio in Salford with a copy of this weeks Autosport and basket of plastic fruit on a table, perhaps a pic of a Red Bull in the background - EJ in an armchair to shout his opinions and then use Sky's commentary team (just as they do in Australia and now several other countries) Too simple I guess ;)

To be honest I think you could cut Suzi P and the basket of fruit as well. Just send a commentary team to each race, no need for a camera crew, just use the pictures provided by FOM. That's the model Eurosport have always used for MotoGP and it's great. It's the racing that's important.

The fact that they haven't done that, and are still sending a full crew to every race, suggests that aspect of it actually costs peanuts compared to the cost of the rights.

[henners88]

I'm well aware of the BBCs involvement with allowing Bernie to sell rights to Sky. What annoys me is we could now have full coverage on channel 4 for all fans to enjoy rather than a tiny minority being able to watch in Sky. I have seen the coverage and it is very good. I have access to it through Sky Go if I wish, but would I pay extra for it? No, it's simply not worth my money. The sad thing is, for what the BBC do show, they do a much better job. The loss of coverage for 30% of the season is the only negative I can see. I hope Sky completely ruin F1 in the UK and i'll take great pleasure seeing the recovery when they seek a popularity boom. They are losing viewers hand over fist and I can smugly sit back and say I told you so.

If Bernie had not been so greedy demanding silly money for the rights, he wouldn't be watching a sinking ship now lol.

[Parabolica]

I would happily go without all other non-essential items to watch live F1.

It depends how big a fan you are.

Or who wears the trousers in the home.

[steveaki13]

I would happily go without all other non-essential items to watch live F1.

It depends how big a fan you are.

Or who wears the trousers in the home.

I don't think that's quite true. I mean if you don't have money to spare and only have freeview TV, and you cant find money from nowhere to pay for F1 on Sky, but it doesn't mean your not a big F1 fan.

Henners has posted enough and for long enough to show he is a long term F1 fan, but if circumstances mean he cant justify spending that on Sky why does that mean he is not a big F1 fan.

[Koz]

I would happily go without all other non-essential items to watch live F1.

It depends how big a fan you are.

Or who wears the trousers in the home.

I don't think that's quite true. I mean if you don't have money to spare and only have freeview TV, and you cant find money from nowhere to pay for F1 on Sky, but it doesn't mean your not a big F1 fan.

Henners has posted enough and for long enough to show he is a long term F1 fan, but if circumstances mean he cant justify spending that on Sky why does that mean he is not a big F1 fan.


X2.

Is $/£50 a month too much?

If you are an adult with a job, I don't understand people who claim to love the sport yet can't justify to pay for it.
This is somewhere in the region of what people spent of booze and smokes or something fancy.
Seriously, £12 a week is too much?

I think most people are just greedy, I am sorry, and they just aren't willing to pay for something that used to be free.
I pay for Sky in NZ, more than you do in the UK.

Do you know what coverage I get?
It starts 2 mins before the race, there is no pre-show. I have yet to see a press conference. As soon as the race end, half the time the commentary / interviews go silent until the podium. Then more science and a shot of the empty trace. And that's it.

A few years ago, I couldn't get maybe 2/3 of the qualifying sessions live. And they used to change the channel F1 was on to something else, so most bars/pubs couldn't show it.

I would be happy to pay extra to get the kind of coverage you get in the UK.

You people have it good. If you enjoy something, what is wrong with paying for it?

[Koz]

That's what you get for living in a third world country :p: ;)

Wrong. That's what he gets from living in the first world!!

Most of the third world, who pay 5-10$ for able per month, always get their F1. :p

[555-04Q2]

That's what you get for living in a third world country :p: ;)

Wrong. That's what he gets from living in the first world!!

Most of the third world, who pay 5-10$ for able per month, always get their F1. :p

The Third World is not as bad as you think, in fact it's bliss :D

[steveaki13]

I would happily go without all other non-essential items to watch live F1.

It depends how big a fan you are.

Or who wears the trousers in the home.

I don't think that's quite true. I mean if you don't have money to spare and only have freeview TV, and you cant find money from nowhere to pay for F1 on Sky, but it doesn't mean your not a big F1 fan.

Henners has posted enough and for long enough to show he is a long term F1 fan, but if circumstances mean he cant justify spending that on Sky why does that mean he is not a big F1 fan.


X2.

Is $/£50 a month too much?

If you are an adult with a job, I don't understand people who claim to love the sport yet can't justify to pay for it.
This is somewhere in the region of what people spent of booze and smokes or something fancy.
Seriously, £12 a week is too much?

I think most people are just greedy, I am sorry, and they just aren't willing to pay for something that used to be free.
I pay for Sky in NZ, more than you do in the UK.

Do you know what coverage I get?
It starts 2 mins before the race, there is no pre-show. I have yet to see a press conference. As soon as the race end, half the time the commentary / interviews go silent until the podium. Then more science and a shot of the empty trace. And that's it.

A few years ago, I couldn't get maybe 2/3 of the qualifying sessions live. And they used to change the channel F1 was on to something else, so most bars/pubs couldn't show it.

I would be happy to pay extra to get the kind of coverage you get in the UK.

You people have it good. If you enjoy something, what is wrong with paying for it?

For me nothing. I pay for Sky Sports and Sky F1, however I cannot answer for Henners or anyone else.

If their circumstances mean they cannot afford it, then they just plain lose out on F1. Doesn't mean they are any less a fan or that they cant feel bitter about the fact they have been priced out of watching a sport they love.

You could be rich enough to travel and watch every race live, doesn't mean just cause you can afford to do it, that your a bigger fan than someone who watches all F1 on BBC freeview.

[henners88]

I don't think that's quite true. I mean if you don't have money to spare and only have freeview TV, and you cant find money from nowhere to pay for F1 on Sky, but it doesn't mean your not a big F1 fan.

Henners has posted enough and for long enough to show he is a long term F1 fan, but if circumstances mean he cant justify spending that on Sky why does that mean he is not a big F1 fan.
Cheers Steve :)
I wouldn't bother responding to that individual personally. I can't see his posts unless they are quoted and I intend to keep it that way.


Is $/£50 a month too much?

If you are an adult with a job, I don't understand people who claim to love the sport yet can't justify to pay for it.
This is somewhere in the region of what people spent of booze and smokes or something fancy.
Seriously, £12 a week is too much?

I think most people are just greedy, I am sorry, and they just aren't willing to pay for something that used to be free.
I pay for Sky in NZ, more than you do in the UK.

Do you know what coverage I get?
It starts 2 mins before the race, there is no pre-show. I have yet to see a press conference. As soon as the race end, half the time the commentary / interviews go silent until the podium. Then more science and a shot of the empty trace. And that's it.

A few years ago, I couldn't get maybe 2/3 of the qualifying sessions live. And they used to change the channel F1 was on to something else, so most bars/pubs couldn't show it.

I would be happy to pay extra to get the kind of coverage you get in the UK.

You people have it good. If you enjoy something, what is wrong with paying for it?
We do have it good in the UK compared to everywhere else, but you have to pay for it. For me, yes £50 a month for F1 is far too much. Making judgements on my financial situation without actually having a clue is ill informed. My circumstances have changed greatly over the past few years. I've had a massive pay cut and had to move home to a cheaper area due to finances being strained. I have a young family and unfortunately F1 for me is a pass time I try to fit in around a busy family life. I don't watch races live even when I can because it doesn't fit into my weekend usually and there is no way my wife would be willing to make cuts that affect the whole family just so I can have a fancy box for one channel sitting under our TV. The BBC is all I have got. I can watch on Sky Go if I want it completely or I could buy a hacked box if I really wanted to, but there is no point. Sky Go is crap as is drops out and my father is thinking of cancelling his subscription next January anyway. My father in law has already got rid of his.

Frankly anybody who measures the scale of ones commitment to being an F1 fan through how much money they can afford to throw at the sport is either thick or stirring. There are millions of dedicated F1 fans who are not watching F1 on Sky in the UK and that is purely because of price. If I could pick up that one channel for a tenner a month it might just tempt me, but Sky have again put the price up and the cheapest I could get it is around £50 p/m. The recession might not have reached NZ, but its a reality over here. I know a fair few people who have cancelled Sky subscription due to rising prices so it swings the other way too. I've posted here for long enough to show I am dedicated to following the sport I love, not that I have to prove anything to anybody here. If I wasn't deeply interested in F1 I wouldn't be geeky enough to waste hours discussing it here with you lot. I am annoyed its being put out of my reach and will remain bitter about that. If it comes to the point where I have to stop watching then so be it. Doesn't mean I have to like it and it sort of makes places like this redundant for me.

[555-04Q2]

I don't think that's quite true. I mean if you don't have money to spare and only have freeview TV, and you cant find money from nowhere to pay for F1 on Sky, but it doesn't mean your not a big F1 fan.

Henners has posted enough and for long enough to show he is a long term F1 fan, but if circumstances mean he cant justify spending that on Sky why does that mean he is not a big F1 fan.
Cheers Steve :)
I wouldn't bother responding to that individual personally. I can't see his posts unless they are quoted and I intend to keep it that way.


Is $/£50 a month too much?

If you are an adult with a job, I don't understand people who claim to love the sport yet can't justify to pay for it.
This is somewhere in the region of what people spent of booze and smokes or something fancy.
Seriously, £12 a week is too much?

I think most people are just greedy, I am sorry, and they just aren't willing to pay for something that used to be free.
I pay for Sky in NZ, more than you do in the UK.

Do you know what coverage I get?
It starts 2 mins before the race, there is no pre-show. I have yet to see a press conference. As soon as the race end, half the time the commentary / interviews go silent until the podium. Then more science and a shot of the empty trace. And that's it.

A few years ago, I couldn't get maybe 2/3 of the qualifying sessions live. And they used to change the channel F1 was on to something else, so most bars/pubs couldn't show it.

I would be happy to pay extra to get the kind of coverage you get in the UK.

You people have it good. If you enjoy something, what is wrong with paying for it?
We do have it good in the UK compared to everywhere else, but you have to pay for it. For me, yes £50 a month for F1 is far too much. Making judgements on my financial situation without actually having a clue is ill informed. My circumstances have changed greatly over the past few years. I've had a massive pay cut and had to move home to a cheaper area due to finances being strained. I have a young family and unfortunately F1 for me is a pass time I try to fit in around a busy family life. I don't watch races live even when I can because it doesn't fit into my weekend usually and there is no way my wife would be willing to make cuts that affect the whole family just so I can have a fancy box for one channel sitting under our TV. The BBC is all I have got. I can watch on Sky Go if I want it completely or I could buy a hacked box if I really wanted to, but there is no point. Sky Go is crap as is drops out and my father is thinking of cancelling his subscription next January anyway. My father in law has already got rid of his.

Frankly anybody who measures the scale of ones commitment to being an F1 fan through how much money they can afford to throw at the sport is either thick or stirring. There are millions of dedicated F1 fans who are not watching F1 on Sky in the UK and that is purely because of price. If I could pick up that one channel for a tenner a month it might just tempt me, but Sky have again put the price up and the cheapest I could get it is around £50 p/m. The recession might not have reached NZ, but its a reality over here. I know a fair few people who have cancelled Sky subscription due to rising prices so it swings the other way too. I've posted here for long enough to show I am dedicated to following the sport I love, not that I have to prove anything to anybody here. If I wasn't deeply interested in F1 I wouldn't be geeky enough to waste hours discussing it here with you lot. I am annoyed its being put out of my reach and will remain bitter about that. If it comes to the point where I have to stop watching then so be it. Doesn't mean I have to like it and it sort of makes places like this redundant for me.

Ah, you've just admitted that you're an F1 geek...just like me :D

[Parabolica]

A true enthusiast would not consider playing a video game instead of watching a Grand Prix, so I do find the claims to be a true fan a smidgen overplayed.
I can remember when Formula One was not guaranteed to be on any television.

Those who think it is a necessity for it to be on free to air broadcasts to maintain their interest will struggle to convince me of the validity of their complaint.

[Mark]

I believe that back in the day the BBC used to do exactly that for the flyaway races, in the 1990's you'd only get Murray and Hunt/Jardine for the likes of Japan, there was no pre-race coverage, you'd join about 5 minutes before the race started and Murray Walker would be the first and last voice you heard.

I believe that it wasn't uncommon for them sometimes not to go to races at all and do the commentary watching a TV in London.

[Mark]

Is £50 a month for live coverage of the races too much? For the vast majority of people in the UK, yes! It very much is too much. Remember it's a luxury and true fan or not you have to be careful with your spending, and £600 per year is a lot of money for most people.

[henners88]

Is £50 a month for live coverage of the races too much? For the vast majority of people in the UK, yes! It very much is too much. Remember it's a luxury and true fan or not you have to be careful with your spending, and £600 per year is a lot of money for most people.
Exactly. £600 is an extra mortgage payment, it could also be used for a family holiday (a luxury too), or go towards having the heating on a little more often during the winter. If I had £600 spare at the end of each year I would be chuffed to bits! You could attend two GP's too with that kind of money. The level of my commitment to F1 has never been in doubt. My annual wage certainly doesn't act as a barometer to indicate how much of a dedicated fan I am either.

Where is the 'Like' button on here?

[zako85]

I got U-Verse's cable system here in Texas. While there was no live qualis on NBC sports, one of Spanish language channels did show the qualis live, but I forgot the channel name.. just search program listings for "Formula Uno" next time. Anyways, I recorded the show and got to see it early Saturday morning.

[Tazio]

I got U-Verse's cable system/I forgot the channel name.. .
Univision Deportes, and unlike NBCSN the races are practically commercial free as well señor :bandit:

[Parabolica]

I would much rather spend the money on Sky for the F1 coverage than buy a video game, which needs a console too. The last time I looked, neither of those were cheap. I'd rather watch F1 live than have a fancy iphone, which last time I looked were not the cheapest phone on the market.

Some people no doubt have expensive weddings, for example, or a car that is costly to run.

Should somebody choose to blow their money on other things, that is their choice alone.

We should be saved the self-styled martyrdom, though.

It does rather grate. IMO.

[Mia 01]

Since 2005 or 2006, cant remeber, the only way for us here in Sweden to follow F1 is wia Viasat. It cost us around 700 dollar/year to do so. But paying gets us almost everything.

[steveaki13]

Where is the 'Like' button on here?

There is no Like button anymore. :vader:

We are destined to never like anyones posts ever again. :skull:

[Koz]

I don't watch races live even when I can because it doesn't fit into my weekend usually and there is no way my wife would be willing to make cuts that affect the whole family just so I can have a fancy box for one channel sitting under our TV. The BBC is all I have got. I can watch on Sky Go if I want it completely or I could buy a hacked box if I really wanted to, but there is no point. Sky Go is crap as is drops out and my father is thinking of cancelling his subscription next January anyway. My father in law has already got rid of his.
And there we have it.
If you usually aren't able to watch the races anyway, then I think it is unfair for YOU to complain about the prices and YOUR ability to justify paying for it or not.
No one is asking you to pay for a service you aren't able use anyway.



The recession might not have reached NZ, but its a reality over here. I know a fair few people who have cancelled Sky subscription due to rising prices so it swings the other way too.


Is £50 a month for live coverage of the races too much? For the vast majority of people in the UK, yes! It very much is too much. Remember it's a luxury and true fan or not you have to be careful with your spending, and £600 per year is a lot of money for most people.

If people would rather spend the double money getting pissed at the pub, more power to them. Smokes?

[henners88]

I don't watch races live even when I can because it doesn't fit into my weekend usually and there is no way my wife would be willing to make cuts that affect the whole family just so I can have a fancy box for one channel sitting under our TV. The BBC is all I have got. I can watch on Sky Go if I want it completely or I could buy a hacked box if I really wanted to, but there is no point. Sky Go is crap as is drops out and my father is thinking of cancelling his subscription next January anyway. My father in law has already got rid of his.
And there we have it.
If you usually aren't able to watch the races anyway, then I think it is unfair for YOU to complain about the prices and YOUR ability to justify paying for it or not.
No one is asking you to pay for a service you aren't able use anyway.



The recession might not have reached NZ, but its a reality over here. I know a fair few people who have cancelled Sky subscription due to rising prices so it swings the other way too.


Is £50 a month for live coverage of the races too much? For the vast majority of people in the UK, yes! It very much is too much. Remember it's a luxury and true fan or not you have to be careful with your spending, and £600 per year is a lot of money for most people.

If people would rather spend the double money getting pissed at the pub, more power to them. Smokes?
I enjoy the sport enough to want to watch all of it regardless of whether it is live or not. Most people of my age group don't always have time to spend a day in front of the TV during prime Sunday hours but it would be nice to at least have the option to record something I have watched closely for the past 25 years. If it all goes to highlights it is better than nothing. I just think Sky could go someway to offering it to fans without demanding you pay for a whole load of other services you don't need.

Who said anything about spending double the money in the pub or smoking? I certainly don't smoke and haven't been on a night out getting drunk for a hell of a long time! I'm very careful with my monthly budget as it is. Anyway, I don't have to justify any of that here. Just expressing my feeling for how all this has gone. I am surprised at your views I have to say. I don't think we need to say anymore.

[Parabolica]

In essence, it would appear that it is ok for those who can pay for that which we want, as long as those who don't get the same for free.

It's the self-entitlement of the Facebook generation.

They want everything, without being willing to put in the graft.