I've taken the liberty of quoting your whole comment MM. I have to say that's not a bad way to introduce yourself either! With a well-reasoned rant, there's some quality there! Unfortunately, there can be little doubt about Murdoch's ultimate ambition to make F1 Pay per View, once he's stolen at least some proportion of its newly increased audience; at least in part, due to the BBC's absolutely top quality product - especially having finally capitulated over Legard! I have today notified Sky that I have no wish to extend my contract to them and their box of tricks will be going to the nearest tip unless they come to fetch it.
I am fortunate that I can afford it and the cost was not a concern to me but I am very much aware that this is not the case for many. - I've just cancelled my subscription in support of the fan-base of F1 which I've come to know through fora such as this. Ah well…
i admire the moral stand, but giving up on the sport you love because sky have it now is OTT. I'm trying my hardest to find a way to watch it next year, regardless of who broadcasts it.
Good afternoon. Some of you may know I was part of the original 606 on BBC Sport and despite having no plans to join one of the new 606 sites the news today of Formula One moving to Sky has forced me to make my comment. Waking up to the news I was, like all of you, shocked and horrified. As someone who refuses to pay into the evil Murdoch empire the idea of being held to ransom over my favourite sport was something I always feared greatly. Today that happened. Inevitable? Possibly. Scandalous? Yes. I feel cheated out of a sport which like most of you on here have spent much of your life caring passionately for and being completely devoted to it. The words that came out of Barbara Slater, head of BBC Sport was nothing short of a complete joke. This is far from a great deal. A great deal would have been F1 remaining exclusively on free to air television. But the reward for an award winning production team and a crown jewel in the BBC's televised schedule was to cut the sport from the BBC. Worse they do it behind the backs of everyone associated with making the sport such a success on the station - the tv and BBC f1 website teams and most importantly the fans. Yes the BBC have to make cuts but why should F1 take the hit? Why not cut from the repetitive BBC drama department? I mean how many crime/detective dramas do we need? F1 on the BBC has been amazing but today made me go back to that day in March 2008 when it was announced that ITV had given up the rights. A large part of me now wishes that they never had given up what was at the time a fantastic service in favour of what has turned out to be an admittedly average schedule of FA Cup and International football. In all the BBC has treated the very people who made it's coverage so great in an appalling manner. As for FOM, Bernie and Sky - well swear words so extreme haven't been invented for those yet.
To be fair to the BBC, they did well just managing to get half of the races, as the talk was that they might axe it altogether. It's Bernie Ecclestone and co that I'm pissed off at. I heard that Channel 4 were looking to buy the rights but obviously Bernie has gone for the money and gone with SKY. I agree about the general decline of the BBC though, losing the England football matches, the FA cup, England Rugby internationals (outside the six nations), now this, and there's talk that they considered ditching Wimbledon too
I have never subscribed to Sky and never will. It's a complete waste of money. The only time I will watch it is when a football match is screened in my local and even then I get sick of all the advert breaks. This is a sad day not just for F1 but for sport in general. What next? It's probably only a matter of time before the Olympics, World Cup, Wimbledon etc is sold out to the Sky money grabbers. I thought the F1 coverage on ITV was crap but this will be even worse and everyone is going to be paying through the nose for it.
Hi McFerrari, and welcome to the board (and choosing to comment on ours ) I was deverstated this morning, My Girlfriend thought I was a weirdo for sulking in my Pillow when I found out via the alarm clock. Worst way to wake up in the morning ever! The BBC has sold out all us F1 fans to the Murdoch machine. And F1 will pay dearly for it as all those fans were gained by the BBC will now lose interest and F1 will go into the dark ages with Cricket and darts. Sure, F1 has fans around the world but the UK is a part of its soul. I would of been ok if it was on C4 or C5 but not sky! I cant afford to fork out a sports subscription that I will never watch all the time anyway.... This is real Bogus
i'm not a religious f1 fan, but if i'm channel hopping and it's on i'll stick with it. i find this decision pretty disgraceful and i cant imagine how people who are regular watchers feel. you just know their coverage is going to be appalling. mclaren said it perfectly in his post, there's some sports murdoch should keep his grubby hands off. f1 is one of them. i was considering putting sky sports back on when the football kicks off, but after the recent murdoch shenanigans, and now sky having the full rights to the F1, even though i dont watch it every week, is a step too far. murdoch already has enough money and monopoly for me. the bbc are treating you like mugs too, putting some bullshit spin on the story like its great news. why are we surprised though? we've known for a long time their priorities lay firmly in spending money oh ****e like doctors, dancing on ice, a **** load of auction shows, eastenders and topgear (which must cost an absolute fortune to subsidize) it seems every time the license fee goes up, there less value for your money. thank god i refuse to pay it
Welcome to the forum, McFerrari. It seems that this issue is prompting a few new people to post here and I share your sentiments entirely. One expects this kind of stuff from Bernie and Murdoch but hopes the BBC is somehow more honourable; now we see they're not. I hope that there's some legal clause that may prevent it, in the Concorde agreement, for example, but I think this is probably optimistic. I expect the lawyers for Sky, FOM and the BBC will have looked at everything. As for Barbara Slater, it adds insult to injury when these corporate heads tell us, Doublespeak style, that what we know is very bad is actually a great deal - for us!!!! She must think we are very stupid; either that or she doesn't give a toss what we think. The latter is more likely, I think.
I dont like the idea either, but it was obvious they couldnt afford it! Thats the way it is, and the feature of bbc (no advertiseing) is ultimatley its own downfall!
Lol it's my brothers birthday as well... Hay bro happy birthday, by the way Sky is getting f1. You can imagine his face after he got his 3DS.
Yes only if they are the mod of that board. so I wouldnt be able to identify the ones on general chat
