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F1 sold

1K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Ruperts Trooper 
#1 ·
Australia' ABC is reporting that the Formula 1 business has been sold to Liberty media. Ecclestone to remain as CEO>
I wonder what changes are in store.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-08/formula-one-sells-for-$5.7b-to-liberty-media/7824932
 
#7 ·
In addition to owning the Braves, Liberty Media also has large stakes in Time Warner Cable and SiriusXM. Maybe that will help with television and radio coverage in the U.S..

I admit, I'm not a huge fan of F1; but I'd probably take more of an interest in it if the races weren't broadcast at 3:00 AM. :)
 
#5 ·
Not a lot will change until Ecclestone goes - the main thing I'd expect in the next 3 years is a rebuilding of TV audience numbers which have suffered badly over the decades under Ecclestone.

Given the way that engines have changed but power outputs haven't due to formula restrictions I thing they'll be using EVs with I3 range-extenders by 2025.
 
#6 · (Edited)
The whole qualifying debacle at the start of this year proved how out of touch Bernie is. After paying big money for my grandstand ticket at the AGP, to have pretty much no cars on the track for the last half of qualifying was a joke.

The only way they will rebuild the TV audiences is to give it back to free-to-air. The current deal will remove all free-to-air completely in the UK and Australia in a couple of years. V8 Supercars suffered exactly the same drop in audience when it moved to pay-tv.

I quite like the Sky broadcast team, and if I could buy just the F1 channel, I would consider paying for it, but they bundle it in the top level premium pack with a whole stack of stuff I would never watch. So I will continue to stream grainy internet versions.

Edit: I just read the new owners are a cable TV company - so my hope for free-to-air is pretty much dead...
 
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