BBC proposing to dump F1

[sulky_uk]

read about it here

the Guardian

[smilodon]

Can't say I'd cry any tears for the Tennis, but the BBC do F1 fairly well. i was always under the impression that certain key competitions were part of the BBC's public service commitment, and had to be covered as part of thier charter. Maybe that just means single events such as the Wimbledon finals and the FA Cup?

[Jamin]

Negotiation tactics, Bernie and the sponsors will want it to be shown.

[T-Bag]

It's just a publicity stunt. The TV license is unpopular they want everyone to know they'd miss some programming if they are forced to reduce it. I doubt they'll cut it. They've signed a contract for it with no guarantees the fees would go up, F1 is a long continuous race when at any point something could happen so adverts are a pain in the arse. Wimbledon on the other hand perfectly suits dropping. It's a sport that could quite happily have adverts in and it costs a fortune.

[Tutonic]

I dread to think what Wimbledon would be like if ITV got their hands on the broadcast rights, their football coverage is bad enough.

I'd like to see the viewing figures for F1 compared to say, Athletics or MotoGP.