F1 goes to Sky sports

[Mr V]

Tweeted by Mr B...




MBrundleF1Martin Brundle


Watch out for two excellent pieces of news regarding Sky Sports F1 this week, with more to follow too.

34 minutes ago FavoriteRetweetReply

[skells22]

Just saw that tweet. we know the channel launch date now via newspapers (March 9) so want could this bit of news is about?

[henners88]

Originally Posted by kdr

I actually meant pieces on Sky Sports News, in the last few days they had a reporter at the Ferrari Wrooom event and spoke with Gary Paffett at Autosport Intl i think, i know the Ferrari gig is heavily subsidised but it does make me wonder whether they'll send to Jerez and Barcelona to do interviews and updates. Could be quite illustrative if they do.

Ah ok I see. The BBC don't have a dedicated "Sports News" channel so I would expect Sky's version to have more scope to cover up and coming sporting events and do segments etc. Considering Sky have only just aquired the F1 coverage, I think its obvious they will now dedicate some of their news in its direction. The BBC plugged the 2009 season before it started and had adverts promoting the fact F1 was "back on the BBC". Sky had no interest in F1 (apart from brief stories) in its news from what I remember before they had the rights, so I think you'll see more of it now. In case you are wondering about my experience in that last sentence, Sky Sports News is on freeview.

[Paradise City]

Some interesting remarks from Steve Rider re. the genesis of the BBC/Sky deal, BBC's treatment or lack of treatment of motorsport and that Ch4 had a comprehensive terrestrial deal on the table before it was rejected. Worth listening to the youtube.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97032

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Some interesting remarks from Steve Rider re. the genesis of the BBC/Sky deal, BBC's treatment or lack of treatment of motorsport and that Ch4 had a comprehensive terrestrial deal on the table before it was rejected. Worth listening to the youtube.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97032

This is a fascinating, candid interview with Steve Rider and an absolute must to watch. What he's said here casts some serious questions on how the BBC handled their negotiation of F1 rights when they originally took over from ITV as well as the C4 deal that would have kept F1 on terrestrial TV.

[strider]

Originally Posted by davyboy

This is a fascinating, candid interview with Steve Rider and an absolute must to watch. What he's said here casts some serious questions on how the BBC handled their negotiation of F1 rights when they originally took over from ITV as well as the C4 deal that would have kept F1 on terrestrial TV.

By coincidence I have just watched it. I was also especially interested in what he had to say about how the BBC reacted when they lost F1 to ITV. Contrast that with what ITV did when they lost it back to the BBC.

The thing you have to realise about Rider is that he's very professional and very, very clever. Certainly not above creating a little mischief here and there, e.g the suggestion that Adrian Chiles will take over the TOCA commentary from Ben Edwards. He's managed to create a nice little position for himself, keeping the TOCA connection but also aligning himself with Sky with a plum job interviewing past F1 stars. If he's right and Sky does eventually take over F1 completely, he's craftily established to be ready to be a bigger part of that.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by strider

By coincidence I have just watched it. I was also especially interested in what he had to say about how the BBC reacted when they lost F1 to ITV. Contrast that with what ITV did when they lost it back to the BBC.

The thing you have to realise about Rider is that he's very professional and very, very clever. Certainly not above creating a little mischief here and there, e.g the suggestion that Adrian Chiles will take over the TOCA commentary from Ben Edwards. He's managed to create a nice little position for himself, keeping the TOCA connection but also aligning himself with Sky with a plum job interviewing past F1 stars. If he's right and Sky does eventually take over F1 completely, he's craftily established to be ready to be a bigger part of that.

I've always had a huge amount of respect for Steve Rider. Arguably, he's the very best at what he does. He's as smooth as silk, as sharp as a knife but yet still manages to make everyone feel at ease. He makes 'Jake the Peg' look like a third leg

[JeremySmith]

I am not really familiar with any of these guys as I have lived in the USA for so long now..

I listened to the auotsport interview with Steve Rider and though he sounded very articulate and seems to really know his stuff. On the other hand this chap Jake Humphrey sounds a bit over the top to me and very full of himself..

What is the problem with DC by the way, he is constantly making sexual type remarks? They had to bleep some of the stuff he was saying..

[wolfhound]

I read recently that the BBC tried to get Eddie Irvine to join them. That would have given a definite 'edge' to their offering.
To me looking at the TV line ups the BBC will probably give something more controversial than sky who will give it the full treatment but be a little more conservative. (I have no plans to £700 to pay for a season of F1 on TV)

[ghinzani]

Slightly OT but whats Eurosport Player like?

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by davyboy

I've always had a huge amount of respect for Steve Rider. Arguably, he's the very best at what he does. He's as smooth as silk, as sharp as a knife but yet still manages to make everyone feel at ease. He makes 'Jake the Peg' look like a third leg

Spot on

Jake is a personable enough guy but I really feel he has got a little bit carried away with it all in some interviews he does during the race shows and his questioning technique is a bit OTT.

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

I am not really familiar with any of these guys as I have lived in the USA for so long now..

I listened to the auotsport interview with Steve Rider and though he sounded very articulate and seems to really know his stuff. On the other hand this chap Jake Humphrey sounds a bit over the top to me and very full of himself....

Again, spot on, imo

He is very self confident, in itself not a bad thing for someone in the media and working within F1, but you only have to look at the reponses he gets from some of his interviewees to realise that they aren't at all impressed.

[strider]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

On the other hand this chap Jake Humphrey sounds a bit over the top to me and very full of himself..

When he first came in he was new and refreshing and got some good press, but there are three problems now. Being new and refreshing only lasts so long and after that lack of knowledge begins to show. Secondly, he's beginning to believe his own publicity and thirdly to toe the party line just a little too much. Compare the accomplished way in which Ben Edwards dealt with his interview.

[JeremySmith]

Your right strider Ben Edward's was very professional and quite humble really at the same time..

These interviews are good because I get the chance to listen to each of these chaps for ten or fifteen minutes which is not long but one still gets a sense...

[Mr V]

For someone, who came from presenting kids tv and given that he only has 3 years experience, i think that Jake does a top job.

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by Mr V

For someone, who came from presenting kids tv and given that he only has 3 years experience, i think that Jake does a top job.

Well maybe that is what it is, as he has a very playful approach which is okay he seems like a nice chap..

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Well maybe that is what it is, as he has a very playful approach ..

I'm not sure that his approach is right or wrong to be honest, but i've never been a fan of Steve Rider for some reason, always found him to be a bit "smarmy", maybe thats why i like Jakes approach? The one disappointing thing, for me, as i'm now likely to watch the season on Sky is that Jake isn't fronting the show.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

The thing is, Jake allows his personality to show which lets be fair, isn't really the norm for live sports. The presenter is usually just the rather formal straightman that sets up the pundits for their next monologue

Edit:
Having see what Mr V has typed above. Steve Rider played the classic presenter during his time on ITV's F1 coverage.

[JeremySmith]

Although Murray was all about personality, and I like many others loved it!

[Mr V]

To be fair, Murray was a commentator, Jake and SR are anchor men, but i see your point.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Yes but Murray was a commentator who occasionally appeared on screen. And even when he did so, he "commentated" what he had to say rather than present. Very few could or can get away with that.

[JeremySmith]

[Paradise City]

I have alot of time for Steve Rider. Alot of time. For months he argued very forcefully for our sport against the grain of the BBC bigshots. It wouldn't have won him many friends among the management. This is a guy who could've kept quiet and easily settled into a career hosting the big time golf tournaments but went that extra mile to argue for the sport he's clearly passionate about. He's an old-school broadcaster, very correct and his enthusiasm is seen through his high professional standards. Jake is more modern, more quick with the wisecracks. I'm not sure it's a question of which broadcaster is 'better', it's more of which age you prefer.

The BBC do a good job operationally and when in the field but I'm used to the bigshots of the BBC behaving like moody children and mucking it up from there. The question outstanding for me is why that Ch4 contract wasn't taken up.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

The BBC do a good job operationally and when in the field but I'm used to the bigshots of the BBC behaving like moody children and mucking it up from there. The question outstanding for me is why that Ch4 contract wasn't taken up.

Well there are two serious questions to be asked of the BBC :

o Why did they pay top dollar for the rights in the first place ? At the time, it came as quite a shock to everyone that they had significantly outbid ITV. As it transpired, they were unable to afford what they had committed to over the contract term.

o As you say, if the BBC's objective during this 'renegotiation' was to keep F1 on terrestrial TV, why was the C4 deal dismissed. Was the BBC's real objective to keep some F1 races in order not to loose face ?

What irks me so much about all of this is that the overpaid and over-resourced BBC management are using public funds to do all the above and [from what I can see so far] are answerable to nobody.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by davyboy

o Why did they pay top dollar for the rights in the first place ? At the time, it came as quite a shock to everyone that they had significantly outbid ITV. As it transpired, they were unable to afford what they had committed to over the contract term.

.

To be fair to the Beeb, when they negotiated for the contract, they didn't know that the government was going to cut back its budget by £66 million or whatever the figure is.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Mr V

To be fair to the Beeb, when they negotiated for the contract, they didn't know that the government was going to cut back its budget by £66 million or whatever the figure is.

To be fair to the Beeb, they should be prudent with their expenditure as any commercially run organization would have to be... !