Formula 1 on TV (not RTE)

adharc

Last year there was a great fanfare from RTE that they had the rights to broadcast Formula 1 for the next 2 years. Surprise, surprise they dropped this without any explanation and (surprise surprise) it appears on the new Setanta sports channel (subscription needed). Ireland is now the only European country without the national TV channel broadcasting F1. Is there a sellout to Setanta by RTE? Who authorised it and who makes money in RTE as a result of this sellout.

thecivvie

I subscribed to Setanta, and as yet they have not billed me TV3 show highlights in the evening but not as good as the live feed.

Laredo

I must have missed the part where F1 was part of RTE's public service broadcasting requirement.

It is just sport, and not a very good sport anymore either. Why should it not be on a subscription channel? Lots of other, more popular sports are.

Oh, and BTW many of the channels across Europe that show F1 are NOT the national broadcaster of the respective countries, eg. itv, RTL.

adharc

RTL and other non national TV stations are free to air. Anyway I can watch F1 on UTV for free.

Ray777

Laredo wrote:

I must have missed the part where F1 was part of RTE's public service broadcasting requirement.

It is just sport, and not a very good sport anymore either. Why should it not be on a subscription channel? Lots of other, more popular sports are.

Oh, and BTW many of the channels across Europe that show F1 are NOT the national broadcaster of the respective countries, eg. itv, RTL.

If you don't regard Formula One as a very good sport, you obviously haven't been tuning in this year. If RTÉ had lost the rights last year or the year before, I doubt anybody would have cared much. Typically of RTÉ, they've lost it just as the sport was getting good again.

The channels across Europe that show F1 may not be the national public service broadcaster of their respective countries, but they do broadcast nationally.

It's probably not completely fair to blame RTÉ and Setanta though. RTÉ were 'gazumped' by Setanta, who had every right to bid for F1. Whoever controls the rights for F1 TV coverage (Bernie?) should be blamed. Surely, now that F1 is shedding viewers left, right and centre, they should make it a priority to show Grands Prix on terrestrial television in every country.

Ay Cee

Setanta are about as Irish as I am Scottish. They only took on an Irish advertising company so as to have an Irish advertising company. They got rid of them pretty soon.

Calina

Any other NTL subscribers discover that in contrast to Setanta's claims to be showing the end of the Grand Prix on the channel where you usually have CNBC, it was nowhere to be seen? Or was it just us NTL MMDS basic digital? I was not impressed.

zap

rte f1 coverage was crap anyway, peter collins the only person who thinks he knows everything about everysport. Typical rte, peter collins does grand prix at 2am, golf at 1pm and hurling in the evening and and wait now he's an expert in motor bikes. Also on NTL basic at least setanta do not show the race itself, only qual and prac.

Young Siward

I've been loving Setanta's coverage this year, Declan Quigley is far better than Peter Collins ever was IMO. IF you're lucky enough to get it, you get practice and qually as well as the race live, assuming there's no SPL match on.

napalm@night

Setanta outbid rte for the rights thats why they have it..rte said at the time they werent bothered due to diminishing viewing figures..haha..

Alfasudcrazy

I took out a year's subscription (the minimum length contract) with Setanta this year but I am not happy with the coverage - very little background or interviews with the personalities - obviously its being done on the cheap.

I will `cancel setanta & scrap my sky channels next year and get Chorus - so I can see the excellent UTV coverage of F1

zap

itv are fantastic for example last weekend for monaco gp they hav jenson in the communtry box for the whole race with james allen and martin brundle.

muckwarrior

Yeah Jense actually wasn't too bad at the auld commentry. I can see him being the next Martin Brundle in a few years.

Ay Cee

Brundle is THE highlight on ITV in my humble opinion

zap

Ay Cee wrote:

Brundle is THE highlight on ITV in my humble opinion

erm peter collins compared to martin brundle a former driver, in one of the most spectacular crashs I have seen, the man is lucky to be alive compared - no comparision.

steviec

I was dreading having to listen to Button throughout the whole of the last race but he was actually pretty good. I wouldn't mind seeing BAR banned more often

Ay Cee

steviec wrote:

I wouldn't mind seeing BAR banned more often

It was great the way he copped Rubino speeding in the pitlane. He copped him braking and presumed he didn't have the limiter on!

The Lopper

I can't stand Declan Quigley simply because of his voice. That may sound odd i know. He sounds like he's just outta primary school. Sure, Peter Collins may have wet himself evrytime Michael Schumacher turned his steering wheel, but a least you didn't ahve a headache after listening to him.

Now all i have is that hour on TV3.