Liberty changes relationships and possibly the CEO

[Vaud]

It's about attracting new models for revenue as well.

For example, if Apple do bring out a VR device, what would they pay for the exclusivity to VR content? Those tends of deal negoitiations tend to start with a lot of 0's.

That said... what would Apple pay to be the content provider for F1 globally?

The debt pay down could look pretty small if they could build the right model.

[KarlMac]

I think liberty are banking on a number of revenue streams that Bernie was to old / stubborn to give the time of day. Expect to see Liberty go to great ends to increase viewer numbers, via webstreaming, apps, more online content etc...

There are a number of multi billion pound media companies out there that don't charge the end user for content and still find a way to make money. Imagine a scenario when the current contract ends and they sell the rights to Amazon, linked to the streaming of races they charge for merchandise through the amazon store and sell archive footage through Amazon video. Not saying this is likely to happen but it gives you some idea of the possibilities.

I like the structure of leaving one man (brawn) to focus on the technical elements of making the sport more interesting (and making noises about less technology and back markers being given the chance to compete) and letting commercial / marketing team get on with selling the product.

[Otispunkmeyer]

jsf said:

Will the EU kick up a fuss about this one? http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/fia-approves-sale-of...

Under the agreement reached the FIA are supposed to hold no financial stake in F1, they just made $72 million profit from the sale.

Doubt they will. FIA are not American or British so no harm done. Besides, they got bigger things to sort out at the moment than to worry about a piddly £72mil.

[Vaud]

KarlMac said:

There are a number of multi billion pound media companies out there that don't charge the end user for content and still find a way to make money. Imagine a scenario when the current contract ends and they sell the rights to Amazon, linked to the streaming of races they charge for merchandise through the amazon store and sell archive footage through Amazon video. Not saying this is likely to happen but it gives you some idea of the possibilities.

Looking at what Amazon and Netflix can do with good production companies, I would be optimistic.



As you say, doesn't have to be direct monetisation through PAYG. Once you shift to online delivery you can shift your ad model, etc.

[Galsia]

Bye bye Bernie, you massive knob.

[Cobnapint]

Galsia said:

Bye bye Bernie, you massive knob.

Lol.

Sniff concurs...

http://sniffpetrol.com/2017/01/24/f1-in-chaos-as-e...

[Yipper]

Norfolkit said:

Yipper said:

Bernie is probably sulking right now, but he is well shot of F1. Its best days are done.

I've been hearing that for 30 years, it was wrong then, you are wrong now.

Well, global F1 viewing figures have collapsed by a third from 600m in 2008 to 400m in 2016. There has already been a decade of continuous decline. The figures stabilised a bit in 2016, but it still looks like Liberty are trying to catch a falling knife.

[rubystone]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

F1 has an audience. Formula E doesn't.

More importantly Musk/Tesla believe they have a viable solid alternative to Fossil fuel / ICE. And, as such, would want to compete toe to toe with.
It would not surprise me if he / they tried to find a way to do this in F1.

Lord only knows how....., but in the same way should anyone have said 5 years ago a four seater electric sedan plugged in to the house 13A plug will blow a Lamborghini in to the weeds down the Quarter mile, it would be churlish to dismiss the concept. F1 needs a long term plan, not a lurch to lurch reactive force behind it.

Brawn has just been quoted as saying that the rules were so complex even he didn't understand them. Imagine if Musk lobbied for an equivalency formula? Ludicrous. Or is that not the name of one of his car specs? He has a formula to play in. It's named Formula E and clearly BMW, JLR, Audi all think that it is worth competing in that formula rather than F1. Which tells us something about the state of F one,doesn't jt

[parabolica]

Yipper said:

Norfolkit said:

Yipper said:

Bernie is probably sulking right now, but he is well shot of F1. Its best days are done.

I've been hearing that for 30 years, it was wrong then, you are wrong now.

Well, global F1 viewing figures have collapsed by a third from 600m in 2008 to 400m in 2016. There has already been a decade of continuous decline. The figures stabilised a bit in 2016, but it still looks like Liberty are trying to catch a falling knife.

The decline is mostly thanks to Ecclestone's reluctance to embrace technological changes and a few other things; hopefully Liberty can do something about that.

[Yipper]

parabolica said:

Yipper said:

Norfolkit said:

Yipper said:

Bernie is probably sulking right now, but he is well shot of F1. Its best days are done.

I've been hearing that for 30 years, it was wrong then, you are wrong now.

Well, global F1 viewing figures have collapsed by a third from 600m in 2008 to 400m in 2016. There has already been a decade of continuous decline. The figures stabilised a bit in 2016, but it still looks like Liberty are trying to catch a falling knife.

The decline is mostly thanks to Ecclestone's reluctance to embrace technological changes and a few other things; hopefully Liberty can do something about that.

Posting a few more tweets ain't gonna save F1. The sport has lost its spark. Older viewers miss the danger, while younger viewers would rather play Counter Strike of a Sunday afternoon.

[Vaud]

Yipper said:

Posting a few more tweets ain't gonna save F1. The sport has lost its spark. Older viewers miss the danger, while younger viewers would rather play Counter Strike of a Sunday afternoon.

I'm an "older viewer" - well in my 40s and been following since about 7 years old... and I love the current sport. I think it has been appallingly packaged, but we have had some great seasons 2010-2016, just to take this decade. Lots of quality drivers, few pay drivers. Only a couple have I switched off from.



The future is even brighter, I can't think of a better lead on the sporting side than Ross B.

[StevieBee]

rubystone said:

It's named Formula E and clearly BMW, JLR, Audi all think that it is worth competing in that formula rather than F1. Which tells us something about the state of F one,doesn't jt

As much as it pains me to say this, any notion of F1 abandoning hybrid tech and the imminent demise of Formula E are both very wide of the mark. At some point in the future 10 - 20 years or maybe sooner there will be some sort of convergence between the two, driven by the manufacturers. The idea of returning to a petrol V8, V10 or V12 formula is fast becoming as daft a notion as a return to Pounds, Shillings and Pence.

The future F1 or F1e or whatever it is called then, will be in a highly lucrative position as pretty much every major manufacturer will be involved and I rather suspect that this is Liberty's long game rather than make a quick buck and bugger off.

It may well be that emerging from this is a new, purer formula that does embrace more basic suck, bang blow only motion.

[Vaud]

StevieBee said:

It may well be that emerging from this is a new, purer formula that does embrace more basic suck, bang blow only motion.

How about a model where we have:

1 litre, single or twin turbo/supercharging (any size turbo or supercharging)
150litre fuel limit
No refuelling
6 quali engines for the season. Any tune or map that you wish, but if you blow one up then you are on to the next; use all of them and you are using race engines.
6 race engines. Simple back to the end of the grid if you use them all up.
No tokens. Develop hoe you want as a manufacturer, but you have to supply customer race teams with their 12 engines for €6M a year (500k an engine)
Aero - little as possible. Limit with some ground effect; goal to reduce downforce by 50%.

Focus on innovation with engine, transmission, aero within strict parameters. Even "trick" fuel. etc

[Derek Smith]

Vaud said:

Yipper said:

Posting a few more tweets ain't gonna save F1. The sport has lost its spark. Older viewers miss the danger, while younger viewers would rather play Counter Strike of a Sunday afternoon.

I'm an "older viewer" - well in my 40s and been following since about 7 years old... and I love the current sport. I think it has been appallingly packaged, but we have had some great seasons 2010-2016, just to take this decade. Lots of quality drivers, few pay drivers. Only a couple have I switched off from.



The future is even brighter, I can't think of a better lead on the sporting side than Ross B.

Get some in! I'm well into my 60s and have been for over 10 years, and I too think the last few years have been amongst the best since my first race in 1966. As you say, packaging needs some work.

There was no succession planning under Ecclestone. I saw no sign of planning for the long term future of the sport. It seemed as if the only intent was to sell it on.

Liberty must see a bright future for F1 or else they would not have bought it. The only question is how long they intend to remain in control. If they sell it on in a year or so then the sport will take a massive hit. If they are going to stick with it then the future looks, as you say, brighter.

I might not like the new style F1. I might have preferred the old style, but they should not be planning for the likes of me. It's about two generations below me that they need to catch.

Fro what Liberty have said, they seem to be thinking of the long term, but then that's what they would say I suppose. But I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt until the opposite of what I hope is clear.

They've spent a lot of money to buy the commercial rights to the sport. They must think it has a bright future. Let's hope they are right.

From a purely selfish point of view, even if F1 reverted to the popularity levels of old, when you could turn up on the day at Silverstone and buy a ticket, and funding was iffy, I'd still like it if the racing was fun.

[markcoznottz]

Vaud said:

Yipper said:

Posting a few more tweets ain't gonna save F1. The sport has lost its spark. Older viewers miss the danger, while younger viewers would rather play Counter Strike of a Sunday afternoon.

I'm an "older viewer" - well in my 40s and been following since about 7 years old... and I love the current sport. I think it has been appallingly packaged, but we have had some great seasons 2010-2016, just to take this decade. Lots of quality drivers, few pay drivers. Only a couple have I switched off from.



The future is even brighter, I can't think of a better lead on the sporting side than Ross B.

On close inspection it's always been fking st. Hence why touring cars in the early 90's was so popular, and WRC. It was carefully nurtured by the BBC, if the teams want to thank anyone, it was them that moulded the product. If anything, F1's allure was its slight weirdness, it was deliberately kept exclusive, there was for example very little press released about the sport because ecclestone kept it tight. Anticipation was the name of the game long gaps between races and seasons , also a bit of luck , in finding senna who was very charismatic and a pr dream. I think overexposure and the interweb has devalued the glamour of the sport, and once you take that away, it's a fairly drab product.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Andrew Benson tweeting about reports of BE setting up a breakaway series....

Chinny?

Edited to add it's come from Peter Windsor https://twitter.com/andrewbensonf1

Edited by LaurasOtherHalf on Thursday 26th January 11:52

[Vaud]

markcoznottz said:

On close inspection it's always been fking st. Hence why touring cars in the early 90's was so popular, and WRC. It was carefully nurtured by the BBC, if the teams want to thank anyone, it was them that moulded the product. If anything, F1's allure was its slight weirdness, it was deliberately kept exclusive, there was for example very little press released about the sport because ecclestone kept it tight. Anticipation was the name of the game long gaps between races and seasons , also a bit of luck , in finding senna who was very charismatic and a pr dream. I think overexposure and the interweb has devalued the glamour of the sport, and once you take that away, it's a fairly drab product.

Erm, F1 was very popular in the early 1990s, especially in the UK as you had Mansell (at least for 90, 91, 92). The rise of Touring Cars was as well as F1, not instead.

There was loads of races (16?) and press then - specialist press, live tv for most races, teletext (pg 360 IIRC)...

Go back earlier, and I'd be more inclined to agree.

[suffolk009]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Andrew Benson tweeting about reports of BE setting up a breakaway series....

Chinny?

Edited to add it's come from Peter Windsor https://twitter.com/andrewbensonf1

Edited by LaurasOtherHalf on Thursday 26th January 11:52

Yeah, cos that's going to happen. Benson makes me laugh.

[Derek Smith]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Andrew Benson tweeting about reports of BE setting up a breakaway series....

Chinny?

Edited to add it's come from Peter Windsor https://twitter.com/andrewbensonf1

Edited by LaurasOtherHalf on Thursday 26th January 11:52

Who was that old bloke, can't remember his name, used to be important in F1, who, when the manufacturers suggested they might form a breakaway series rubbished the idea, laughing at the possibility of anyone being able to find funding to compete in an overcrowded market against established products? Little bloke. Used to live near a railway line.

[rubystone]

Derek Smith said:

Who was that old bloke, can't remember his name, used to be important in F1, who, when the manufacturers suggested they might form a breakaway series rubbished the idea, laughing at the possibility of anyone being able to find funding to compete in an overcrowded market against established products? Little bloke. Used to live near a railway line.

It's bks. Typical Benson bks. Too many obstacles to make it happen