2014 Blancpain Sprint Series

[Nick Woodbury]

Originally Posted by Accident

Great... Here comes the geoblocking. I see it also mentions they will show 1 hour highlights packages of the BES races, hopefully that doesn't mean the full BES races will be geoblocked too... although I suspect it does.

Looks like I'm done with this series again.

Ok, so let me get this straight, a renowned European GT racing series that has never been televised in North America has now struck a deal with a major U.S. broadcasting firm showing both the Sprint Races and Endurance Races, in addition to the Spa 24 Hours with live same day coverage AND repeats, and you are not satisfied? You should be grateful that any U.S. station even knew of the existence of this series and is bringing it to you in this fashion and not waste your time nitpicking the negatives. This is a monumental deal and I am chomping at the bit to watch on live TV. So what if the races are geo-blocked on Youtube, the block is lifted a few weeks after the race anyway.

Baffling.

[Accident]

Originally Posted by Nick Woodbury

Ok, so let me get this straight, a renowned European GT racing series that has never been televised in North America has now struck a deal with a major U.S. broadcasting firm showing both the Sprint Races and Endurance Races, in addition to the Spa 24 Hours with live same day coverage AND repeats, and you are not satisfied? You should be grateful that any U.S. station even knew of the existence of this series and is bringing it to you in this fashion and not waste your time nitpicking the negatives. This is a monumental deal and I am chomping at the bit to watch on live TV. So what if the races are geo-blocked on Youtube, the block is lifted a few weeks after the race anyway.

Baffling.

The channel that it comes on isn't available through my cable provider. This "monumental deal" isn't bringing anything to me in any fashion, it just means that I won't be able to watch the races.

The SRO stuff was on SPEED2 as well which made them geoblock the series for the last few years, and for at least the first few races of the season they did NOT unblock them after a few weeks. Admittedly, I could only bring myself to care for the first few races of each season and after that I'd just give up and move on and stop checking to see if they had been unblocked. If we are to the third race in the championship and I'm still not able to watch the first race, at that point I'm done.

Perhaps you should read closer before "chomping at the bit" as it doesn't say that the races will be live, it says that the BSS races will be broadcast "as live" on the same day (which is actually better than live in my opinion because they can be adjusted to better show times here in the US). It doesn't say anything about the BES races being live, but rather says they will be 1 hour long highlights packages.

My bigger issue is with the BES races being geoblocked. If they geoblock the BES races because of the 1 hour highlights packages then that means none of us here in the US will be able to watch the full BES races, as even the people with the channel available will only get 1 hour highlights packages. They have already geoblocked the Monza BES race so I'd be willing to bet the rest of the season will be geoblocked too.

Now I know everything can't work for me and that just because it doesn't work for me it doesn't mean its terrible, so I didn't say that they were idiots or accuse them of screwing their fanbase or call it a "horrible deal" or anything. Just because something works for you and you are excited because you misread something and think you can watch it live doesn't mean that I need to be excited when it means I won't be able to watch them at all.

[urdragon]

Have all of you tried using a proxy? Don't know if the connection will be be fast enough, but I used to see top gear live a few times in that way (By using an English IP to navigate throught the program site), and Its geoblocked outside UK.

This is not the correct idea because it will be slow, but at least you will be able to see it.

[Accident]

Originally Posted by urdragon

Have all of you tried using a proxy? Don't know if the connection will be be fast enough, but I used to see top gear live a few times in that way (By using an English IP to navigate throught the program site), and Its geoblocked outside UK.

This is not the correct idea because it will be slow, but at least you will be able to see it.

I have, but I have had difficulty finding ones that play video and that stick around. Some of the ones I have used in the past have stopped working.

They aren't much good for watching live streams though from my experience, but I've never tried a fancy paid one which I guess would be faster.

[rich07]

In more happier happenings Porsche will be represented for the first time in a late entry to Brands by a Farnbacher Racing GT3R with Nick Tandy being one of the drivers. Good news

[tux]

In less happier news the Porsche crashed in the first session! Should be repaired though for the second session

[Huib]

Originally Posted by tux

In less happier news the Porsche crashed in the first session! Should be repaired though for the second session

''Crash im ersten freien Training in Brands Hatch! Farnbacher Racing fährt zurück nach Deutschland und wird nicht im Qualifying und auch nicht am Rennen teilnehmen.
Weitere Informationen folgen!''

From their Facebook. Basically says they are going back to Germany and won't participate in the qualifying and races.. Does anyone know what happend?

[tux]

Ooo, twitter said it should be repaired, maybe the damage was worse than it looked?

Hope there will be some way of seeing the qualifying later this afternoon.

[airbusA346]

Originally Posted by Huib

''Crash im ersten freien Training in Brands Hatch! Farnbacher Racing fährt zurück nach Deutschland und wird nicht im Qualifying und auch nicht am Rennen teilnehmen.
Weitere Informationen folgen!''

From their Facebook. Basically says they are going back to Germany and won't participate in the qualifying and races.. Does anyone know what happend?

Who was driving?

EDIT: Philipp Frommenwiler was driving and went off at Stirling.

[urdragon]

Originally Posted by Huib

''Crash im ersten freien Training in Brands Hatch! Farnbacher Racing fährt zurück nach Deutschland und wird nicht im Qualifying und auch nicht am Rennen teilnehmen.
Weitere Informationen folgen!''

"Crash in first free Practice in Brands Hatch! Farnbacher Racing travels Back towards Deutschland and will not participate in Qualifying and neither in the race will take part"

More info to come!

Improving Deutsch but not enough to see the Adac GT Masters Live!

[rich07]

Originally Posted by tux

In less happier news the Porsche crashed in the first session! Should be repaired though for the second session

Not so happy about that. Oh well at least it wasn't a Ferrari

[tux]

This link doesnt appear to be blocked in the UK at the moment. http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com/live

Although the stream isn't live yet so not getting my hopes up.

[Nick Woodbury]

Originally Posted by Accident

The channel that it comes on isn't available through my cable provider. This "monumental deal" isn't bringing anything to me in any fashion, it just means that I won't be able to watch the races.

The SRO stuff was on SPEED2 as well which made them geoblock the series for the last few years, and for at least the first few races of the season they did NOT unblock them after a few weeks. Admittedly, I could only bring myself to care for the first few races of each season and after that I'd just give up and move on and stop checking to see if they had been unblocked. If we are to the third race in the championship and I'm still not able to watch the first race, at that point I'm done.

Perhaps you should read closer before "chomping at the bit" as it doesn't say that the races will be live, it says that the BSS races will be broadcast "as live" on the same day (which is actually better than live in my opinion because they can be adjusted to better show times here in the US). It doesn't say anything about the BES races being live, but rather says they will be 1 hour long highlights packages.

My bigger issue is with the BES races being geoblocked. If they geoblock the BES races because of the 1 hour highlights packages then that means none of us here in the US will be able to watch the full BES races, as even the people with the channel available will only get 1 hour highlights packages. They have already geoblocked the Monza BES race so I'd be willing to bet the rest of the season will be geoblocked too.

Now I know everything can't work for me and that just because it doesn't work for me it doesn't mean its terrible, so I didn't say that they were idiots or accuse them of screwing their fanbase or call it a "horrible deal" or anything. Just because something works for you and you are excited because you misread something and think you can watch it live doesn't mean that I need to be excited when it means I won't be able to watch them at all.

Hmm, didn't know that having an optimistic opinion towards this new TV deal was so frowned upon...but considering that you don't get to watch it everyone should fall upon their swords in sadness and despair. The end is nigh!

[tux]

The link works for qualifying! http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com/live

[BudLightJaguar]

Quality is good, but it buffers quite often.

[BertMk2]

The Porsche went into the barriers exiting Stirlings (just before post 21 for those that know the circuit). Apparently it suffered chassis damage that was beyond repair at the circuit. Shame to lose the Porsche from BSS but there were plenty out in the GT cup - looks like that's where all the Carrera cup cars are!

[Alfaholic]

Originally Posted by tux

Ooo, twitter said it should be repaired, maybe the damage was worse than it looked?

In case it's not been shown elsewhere, this is what it looked like!

[Accident]

Originally Posted by Nick Woodbury

Hmm, didn't know that having an optimistic opinion towards this new TV deal was so frowned upon...but considering that you don't get to watch it everyone should fall upon their swords in sadness and despair. The end is nigh!

...Try reading my last paragraph again.

[adam46]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

The Porsche went into the barriers exiting Stirlings (just before post 21 for those that know the circuit). Apparently it suffered chassis damage that was beyond repair at the circuit. Shame to lose the Porsche from BSS but there were plenty out in the GT cup - looks like that's where all the Carrera cup cars are!

Darn, shame to lose yet another car after we lost two before the event.

But as you say, that GT Cup grid is epic.

EDIT: For anyone interested, I will be interviewing Roman Rusinov tomorrow. It'll be up on my motorsport related Facebook page on Monday. Search 'Adam Weller - Motorsport Journalist & Reporter' to find me.

[nasdriv87]

is there any way to watch the race???

geo-blocked here!!!!

[TF110]

Same here in the U.S.

[AndreasDavour]

Anyone here understand how the time is supposed to work out. On the official page it says the quali race starts 10:30, 9:30 GMT. What tz is that 10:30? Brands Hatch is in GMT, isn't it?

[Rodger Davies]

No, we're in British Summer Time, GMT+1. Race is on now.

[Rodger Davies]

And blocked in the UK again. At least with a message telling me to watch on ESPN now. Well, there goes my following; time to go out and enjoy the sun 'til the ELMS streaming...

[AndreasDavour]

It's on? huh? Why is the live link on the official page not showing anything?

When does that mean the championship race starts in CEST, and where is it streamed online?