BBC? Murray? @#$%& YEAH!

The BBC has secured the television rights to Formula One from the 2009 season, it has emerged.

The five-year deal marks the return of the sport to BBC screens 12 years after ITV began broadcasting Grands Prix.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said: "I am delighted to conclude this new deal with the BBC.

"It is an exciting time in Formula One and the BBC has some innovative new ideas to consolidate and expand our UK fan base."
Source: Formula 1 to return to BBC TV.

Radio 5Live have just reported that Murray will return too, though I'd just woken, so can't confirm. Perhaps they were just reminiscing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2008 07:42AM by gav.

What i dont get is that ITV are in the middle of a 5yr deal. Something big must have happened to have that ripped up?

Good news though.

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I actually hope they dont use Murray. Even the most die-hard Murray fan must admit he was getting pretty ropey towards the end.

Lets hope they can lure Brundle over, and maybe get someone decent in like Ben Edwards. Perhaps they might even drag Charlie Cox accross from the MotoGP coverage, could be interesting.

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Yh i hope Martin Brundle goes to them. Atleast we will get to see f1 with ad breaks

Thats great news, assuming that BBC show the qualifying, IIRC they didn't used to.

Will be nice not to have to cut to advert breaks

Advantages are there will be no ad breaks.
Disadvantages are that the BBC already shows most Rugby and Football live so the chances of the F1 just getting repeated at some stupid hour are quite likely. As there's no sponsorship the BBC won't be able to afford as good features such as the F1-Insights. I think ITV have done a bloody good job, many people complain about the commentary and ad-breaks but the in-depth coverage is really good in my opinion and the BBC will certainly take some time to get up to speed with everything if their discussions on Inside Sport are anything to go by.

I don't think this will be the last we hear to ITV either, they were in the middle of a world-wide coverage deal and I don't think Bernie will be able to just blow them away like that.

YAY! Today is gonna be a good day :D

Highly doubt they'd bring Murray back tbh, but as long as James Allen is out! Problem is I dunno if they'd manage to poatch Brundle either, I hope they do though! I find it more likley that they'll get Ben Edwards and John Watson and Allen & Brundle will move to Sky.

Gotta feeling that BBC will make use of their BBCi Channels, maybe start having things like Onboards for certain drivers (Wishful thinking but meah!)


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam

Disadvantages are that the BBC already shows most Rugby and Football live so the chances of the F1 just getting repeated at some stupid hour are quite likely.

Not with Lewis-Mania happening. This is the first time since 1996 that we've had a Brit at the front, and therefore the first time since 1996 that the BBC has cared.

And since the Digital switch-over is happening right now, with 1 county already having turned off terrestrial television, putting the races on other BBC channels (of which there is about 7 billion of them) is a realistic thing in the coming years.

but the in-depth coverage is really good in my opinion

I know its an opinion but, are you kidding? In-depth coverage? In 10 years of coverage, ITVs good features can be counted on a single hand.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
theRacingLine.net
SportsCarArchives.com

Hmm
Im not sure if this is good or bad.
I like Brundle alot, and I guess Murray has had his time.

Iam also worried about the qualy and showing races live etc. But I guess with Lewis, they will have to !!

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"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL

brunoboi Wrote:
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> As there's no sponsorship the BBC won't be able to
> afford as good features such as the F1-Insights.

I doubt ITV pay anything to the likes of Red Bull or Williams for those features. The sponsorship the team gets will cover it, and the BBC won't have any issues with that. If they do it.

I've a feeling they'll get Damon involved somewhere.

No mention of Murray anywhere, so I must have just caught a wish-list when I turned the radio on. It's very premature to announce things like that anyway. Hopefully a guest interviewer now and then.

How about Clarkson, Hammond and May for commentary? I mean, how hard can it be? :P

//edit: interesting idea regarding BBCi Ian. Had never thought of that... shame us on media PCs can't get interactive because Microsoft put minimal effort into the European TV system. Hopefully it'll have been added by then.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2008 09:32AM by gav.

I dont think that will be a problem. Not only do they have multiple channels, they also have red-button stuff so you can choose diferent games etc. They will show all races live im sure.

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DaveEllis Wrote:
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> And since the Digital switch-over is happening
> right now, with 1 county already having turned off
> terrestrial television, putting the races on other
> BBC channels (of which there is about 7 billion of
> them) is a realistic thing in the coming years.

Not including the BBCi Channels there 4 of them and two of them are 7pm onwards only, however, ITV used to have rights to Football and Rugby when BBC had no sports to speak of and with their 1 channel (Even though they have 4, fact is they only use 1 99% of the time, sometimes ITV3 for quali but very rarely) they managed to show F1 live alot of the time. BBC have 2 channels on constantly. Along with their BBCi Channels.

Actually come to think of it BBC maybe able to poatch Brundle, I mean back in 97 Murray was poatched from the BBC to ITV Just hope they don't poatch Allen too!


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam

Wow... pretty big news, I really hope they can lure Brundle accross, not sure what F1 would be like without him... I started watching f1 full time at the 97 Aussie GP.

Murray wouldnt be able to commentate, he will be 86 in 2009, I think just a bit too old, dont get me wrong, I love him as a commentator, but everyone has their limits.

Thank god for that no ads and better coverage bbc interactive stuff is so much better than itv and they have an hd channel.

Blimey! Didn't see that one coming. Great news IMO, hope they bring back The Chain and get Ben Edwards in to commentate with Brundle and then I'll be a happy man.

mikef1 Wrote:
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> Blimey! Didn't see that one coming. Great news
> IMO, hope they bring back The Chain and get Ben
> Edwards in to commentate with Brundle and then
> I'll be a happy man.

Loads of calls into 5Live even at 7am this morning calling for The Chain. If they do, I just hope they don't do a GrandStand/MOTD and modernise it. Rerecord as an exact replica to clean it up for the digital age by all means (not that it's really needed) but don't rewrite it.

gav Wrote:
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> Loads of calls into 5Live even at 7am this morning
> calling for The Chain. If they do, I just hope
> they don't do a GrandStand/MOTD and modernise it.
> Rerecord as an exact replica to clean it up for
> the digital age by all means (not that it's really
> needed) but don't rewrite it.

They will modernise it if they use it TV Exec's are always dense in that point of view, probably have some stupid dance remix of it.


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2008 09:48AM by Ianwoollam.

just been listening to the head of bbc sport interviewd on 5live, he said the races would all be uninterupted(ie no running off to wimbledon/lords for 10 mins). also implied that it would be a flag ship production on BBC 1 on sundays(from that i'd take it that we'll be getting all races live).

said they had tv, radio, online and iplayer rights.

with regards the chain. he did say that whilst he wasnt a massive fan of the nostalgia for old theme tunes from the 50's 60's 70's that he was aware of the clamour for it on the bbc sport blog and that they would try to be a bit democratic about it listen to what people had to say. (so if you want to see that chain i suggest a post on the bbc sport blog to that effect)

he wouldn't be drawn on presenters though.

i'm wondering if they would move for brundle?, after all, he got the ITV job off the back of a couple of very good one off races he commentated on for the BBC in 95.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2008 09:54AM by marwood82.

Just heard on BBC News 24 that ITV apparantly were the ones to exit the current deal :\


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2008 09:56AM by Ianwoollam.

Oooo, if Murray returns I am finally able to hear him live :D

On the other hand, comebacks are often a bad decision...