F1 TV Coverage Survey

[944fan]

Monty Zoomer said:

944fan said:

I missed most of Canada last year because it swtiched to BBC2 and Sky+ didn't record.

It was fabulous, it really was magnificent.

It was the best race I've ever seen.

You can watch it on the BBC website for about a week afterwards, but it's too late now.

Words cannot describe how good it was....

[timbob]

944fan said:

Lee Mackenzie is better than Natalie (and better looking).

Never.....!

In all seriousness, I'm enjoying the sky coverage this year. Crofty and MB work well in the commentary (much better than Edwards on the BBC from what I've seen). Ted is great, Natalie P is wonderful in every way, and I'm even warming to Georgie these days. I agree Simon is a little wooden on the anchor position, but he's getting better - I seem to remember the outcry of "OMG, a CBBC presenter doing F1, he's rubbish" when Jake first started in 2009.

One thing I have enjoyed is the historical programming Sky are doing. This week we've had the 1950, 1958 and 1964 British GPs, an hour long period TV interview with Moss and a 1956 season review. The series of F1 Legend interviews is growing and getting stronger, and whilst yes, they do repeat everything a million times, I don't sit down to watch an evening of the channel live. I'll record the shows I want and watch them when it suits me.

[RicksAlfas]

timbob said:

In all seriousness, I'm enjoying the sky coverage this year. Crofty and MB work well in the commentary (much better than Edwards on the BBC from what I've seen). Ted is great, Natalie P is wonderful in every way, and I'm even warming to Georgie these days. I agree Simon is a little wooden on the anchor position, but he's getting better - I seem to remember the outcry of "OMG, a CBBC presenter doing F1, he's rubbish" when Jake first started in 2009.

One thing I have enjoyed is the historical programming Sky are doing. This week we've had the 1950, 1958 and 1964 British GPs, an hour long period TV interview with Moss and a 1956 season review. The series of F1 Legend interviews is growing and getting stronger, and whilst yes, they do repeat everything a million times, I don't sit down to watch an evening of the channel live. I'll record the shows I want and watch them when it suits me.

Agree entirely.
The Stirling Moss and Raymond Baxter was a brilliant programme.

[mrmr96]

I like the pre-post race BBC stuff with Jake, but the BBC race commentary is rubbish. The guy (not David C, the other one) is flippin useless. So I flick between the stations, listening to Martin Brundle on Sky during the race and Jake & co on the BBC outside the race.

[LY99]

Signed up with Sky sports at the start of the season and havene't looked back since. I think Sky have done an excellent job (and it is only their first season). And I Timbob, Natalie P is perfect in every way

[RicksAlfas]

LY99 said:

Signed up with Sky sports at the start of the season and havene't looked back since. I think Sky have done an excellent job (and it is only their first season). And I Timbob, Natalie P is perfect in every way

Did you see her doing one handed doughnuts in that Caterham 7?

[Baron Greenback]

Can't comment anymore tis full of people dissing sky I hope!

[Sofoklis]

Its Sky F1 for me all the way. No way going back to the BBC. The main reason is that I cannot stand Eddie Jordan. For someone who has owned a team, its remarkable that they lasted for as long as they did let alone win a handful of races with the amount of nonsense that comes out of his mouth. The commentary is also not as good as Sky. The guy gets too excited over nothing. I know that SkyF1 costs money but for me its definitely worth every penny. The same cannot be said for the BBC.

[TheHeretic]

Baron Greenback said:

Can't comment anymore tis full of people dissing sky I hope!

Why hope? I don't get some of the channel loyalty seen on PH. Seems petty in the extreme.

[Great Dane]

never join sky my interest in f1 is going south anyway after 30 years - totally irrellevant... sportscars now

[RichB]

TheHeretic said:

Baron Greenback said:

Can't comment anymore tis full of people dissing sky I hope!

Why hope? I don't get some of the channel loyalty seen on PH. Seems petty in the extreme.

Quite odd given that in every other section of P'Heads they get accused of being pinko' lefty, socialist sympathisers

[Madrabbit]

I like Sky's coverage, and all the extra programmes following a race. I haven't watched BBC coverage since tbh.
I never really understood the appeal of EJ. I'd always +30 him if I was watching a recording!

[andy355]

i have sky but watch the beeb live if they have it. Prefer the DC commentary which surprises me as i rate brundle highly

i do watch the f1 channel on sky at other times though when i am not having to watch mindless drivel with swmbo

[RichB]

Really good review of the F1 season 1989 on Sky F1 channel right now. Senna, Prost, Mansell, Berger, Warwick, Herbert etc. great stuff

[inthedark]

Sky figures must be down, they're offering the sports channels including F1 free next weekend (on virgin as well)

[Zachlain]

inthedark said:

Sky figures must be down, they're offering the sports channels including F1 free next weekend (on virgin as well)

This might just be a ploy to get people hooked and then follow through with a subscription. Sky have been doing such things since the early 90's.

[davepoth]

Sofoklis said:

Its Sky F1 for me all the way. No way going back to the BBC. The main reason is that I cannot stand Eddie Jordan. For someone who has owned a team, its remarkable that they lasted for as long as they did let alone win a handful of races with the amount of nonsense that comes out of his mouth. The commentary is also not as good as Sky. The guy gets too excited over nothing. I know that SkyF1 costs money but for me its definitely worth every penny. The same cannot be said for the BBC.

Think about this for a second. Eddie Jordan went racing as a privateer in F1 for a decade and left the sport with a profit. He's not daft.

[Zachlain]

For people that have the sky coverage: Surely your brain is convincing you that the coverage is great because you have paid alot of money for the 12/18 month sky HD or sky sports package? Nobody is going to pay all that money and then say the coverage is crap are they? or am I wrong?

PS: Watched every race live since 1997 (except for some during the boring post 2000 Schumacher years) and I have to say BBC's coverage is fine this year. If anything their build-up for live races is too long. It should be half-hour build-up like MotoGP. I wanna see the racing and the reaction after the race, not the hype before it.

[RichB]

Zachlain said:

For people that have the sky coverage: Surely your brain is convincing you that the coverage is great because you have paid alot of money for the 12/18 month sky HD or sky sports package? Nobody is going to pay all that money and then say the coverage is crap are they? or am I wrong?

Totally wrong in my case. We've had the full Sky package for 10 years or more. Upgraded to HD several years ago. F1 hasn't cost me a bean more. Their coverage is very good, believe me.

[IainT]

RichB said:

Zachlain said:

For people that have the sky coverage: Surely your brain is convincing you that the coverage is great because you have paid alot of money for the 12/18 month sky HD or sky sports package? Nobody is going to pay all that money and then say the coverage is crap are they? or am I wrong?

Totally wrong in my case. We've had the full Sky package for 10 years or more. Upgraded to HD several years ago. F1 hasn't cost me a bean more. Their coverage is very good, believe me.

Basic package for years (used to get movies but didn't watch it enough) and HD since release so F1 is free to me.

While there are areas they can improve they've started off at at least as high a level as the BBC did when they took over from ITV with the bonus of all the extra time to show other races in full, F1 historical, etc.