Skip advert
Advertisement

BBC Formula 1 coverage in danger

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has warned that the BBC could lose its free-to-air coverage completely.

BBC’s Formula 1 coverage in danger

Bernie Ecclestone has stated that the BBC’s coverage could be cut altogether after it was shown that the viewing figures from Sky’s dedicated F1 channel, about 1 million in the UK, are sufficient to satisfy teams and sponsors.

Ecclestone said to The Guardian: ‘We will never move all countries to pay per view only though it wouldn't make any difference here in the UK.’ This was following the news that broadcasting rights to show F1 in Italy have been sold to Sky Italia.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Currently, the BBC only has rights to show half of the races live, with the other half being condensed into hour-long highlights. The Sky F1 channel shows every race in full, and live with extensive analysis. This joint deal runs out in 2018.

Ecclestone went on to justify the statement, saying that in the UK, ‘Sky reaches over 10m. We don't get 10m on the BBC, normally about 6m or 7m.’

The current deal between Sky, the BBC and Ecclestone was forged when the previous Concorde agreement, which stated that F1 must be free-to-air, ran out in 2011.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The EU is considering banning carbonfibre, but BMW has other ideas
BMW natural fibre composite
News

The EU is considering banning carbonfibre, but BMW has other ideas

BMW has developed a new type of eco-friendly composite, just as European Parliament has proposed limiting the use of carbonfibre in road cars
23 Jun 2025
Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch
Honda Civic Type R deal
News

Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch

The Civic Type R is not long for this world and there are deals to be had on Honda’s pricey but near-perfect hot hatch
26 Jun 2025
Zenvo's new Aurora hypercar has more than double the power of a Ferrari 296
Zenvo Aurora
News

Zenvo's new Aurora hypercar has more than double the power of a Ferrari 296

Zenvo is building a V12-engined Koenigsegg-fighter with 1850bhp, set to enter production in 2026
24 Jun 2025