Well that looks like I add F1 to the list of no longer bothers, which is along with everything else that has gone to sky.

At least we've still got the BTCC!

Best racing series I think, and it's in the UK.

I'll not be subscribing to Sky either.

At least we've still got the BTCC!

Best racing series I think, and it's in the UK.

I'll not be subscribing to Sky either.

Yes, but that's on ITV4 only. I have just found I can get Freeview, but can't get that channel. I have to pay Mr Branson for the privilege.

Here is part of what Martin Whitmarsh has said.

"What we need to understand is whether the large audience we currently enjoy in Formula 1 will be maintained. I think we also need to understand exactly how this is being done."

Whitmarsh said moves to take F1 off free-to-air could be viewed as a breach of the Concorde Agreement, with him claiming that there were clauses in the deal that ties the teams, Ecclestone and the FIA together that guarantees the sport's broadcast platform.

"We've got a range of safeguards within Concorde, and the right thing to do is to explore how the Formula 1 coverage is going to be dealt with in the future, and take a view from there," he said. "I don't know how many homes in the UK have Sky, but it is a pretty high proportion."

Autosport - Formula 1 teams seek clarification on new BBC/Sky television deal

I refuse to subscribe to Sky (I have Freesat and freeview at home) and have watched F1 for the last 30 odd years on the BBC and ITV (and Eurosport for a while too) and next season looks like highlights shows for me which will be a real shame as the F1 is about the only thing I make sure I don't miss

My other half has Virgin media and I have no idea if you can get Sky Sports on that but even if you can, I'd still be providing Murdoch with income which I really don't want to do...

I refuse to subscribe to Sky (I have Freesat and freeview at home) and have watched F1 for the last 30 odd years on the BBC and ITV (and Eurosport for a while too) and next season looks like highlights shows for me which will be a real shame as the F1 is about the only thing I make sure I don't miss

My other half has Virgin media and I have no idea if you can get Sky Sports on that but even if you can, I'd still be providing Murdoch with income which I really don't want to do...

You can get Skysports through Virgin, but you still have to pay extra even if you have the top XL package. Remember you can get Sky Sports on Freview, but you need "Top-up TV" box to receive it.

Like I said earlier it is all about money & greed. They don't give 2 tosses about the fans. 2 billionaire tyrants want to control it, and it is looking like they will. Audiences have been in decline for years. and this will send the viewing figures through the floor here. And when viewing figures start to massively nosedive, the corporate sponsors start to think about their options.

Well, F1 one has definitely just lost another follower here..... F1 is the only sport i watch, so i am not about to upgrade my Virgin Media package to just watch one sport (on average) once a fortnight.

This also surely cannot be good for Silverstone either, can it?........

Based on my own personal feelings, I will probably stop following F1 all together! Which will also mean i will probably never bother to go to another grand prix! As well as going to Silverstone next year, I was also planning on going for a nice long weekend next year in Valencia and fitting the race in on the sunday too, now, i shalln't bother either! As i certainly won't enjoy just catching the highlights. I'm sure there will be alot of people like me that will think balls to it! and Silverstone could stand to lose out.

Weekends will never be the same, i'm 35 now, and the GP has been on in my house every weekend since i was a nipper. F#@k all the people crying about Amy Winehouse, they don't know what a real tragedy is! I'm going to go and wast 10 seconds of my life now and sign that petition, for all the good it'll do?

What's stopping the teams telling Bernie to stick it and make their own race series? Good chance to do it now

SKY F****** Sports why? day light robbery having to pay to watch F1. Bernie Eccelestone you GREEDY B******.

Ecclestone couldn't care if it was shown on QVC as long as he got his small hands on the filthy lucre.

Blame everyone who subscribes to Sky.

+1 Trash TV

Can you have sky only and not have to pay for TV licence? not sure what's that paying for nowadays.. :(

Edit: Apparently you cant.

Fun fact - HOWEVER.. IF programs broadcasting was not viewed at the same time or near the same time, you wont need a TV license, the tricky one with this is that it may infringe copyright laws as the viewer has no authority to view it, unless a friend has a TV license and give you permissions to view it?

This is very bad news i am very very big F1 fan and i`ll gutted about this i will NOT PAY sky to see F1 it`s not on

Yes, but that's on ITV4 only. I have just found I can get Freeview, but can't get that channel. I have to pay Mr Branson for the privilege.

Try this Jim (assuming decent enough internet): http://www.tvcatchup.com/

Short summary, IF you pay a license fee, which I assume you do, then you can use it to stream all freeview channels to you computer, so you could watch via that.

Oh dear.

I stopped watching the WRC when it went from "Dave" to a pay-station. Let's not hope F1 is going the same way or I'm only going to be left with the BTCC. (which conveniently I like the most)

+1

How long before Sky change the F1 calendar to suit their schedule the same as they do with the football! Won't be the same without Norfolk's Martin Brundle.

Here is part of what Martin Whitmarsh has said."What we need to understand is whether the large audience we currently enjoy in Formula 1 will be maintained. I think we also need to understand exactly how this is being done."Whitmarsh said moves to take F1 off free-to-air could be viewed as a breach of the Concorde Agreement, with him claiming that there were clauses in the deal that ties the teams, Ecclestone and the FIA together that guarantees the sport's broadcast platform."We've got a range of safeguards within Concorde, and the right thing to do is to explore how the Formula 1 coverage is going to be dealt with in the future, and take a view from there," he said. "I don't know how many homes in the UK have Sky, but it is a pretty high proportion."Autosport - Formula 1 teams seek clarification on new BBC/Sky television deal

Couple of races back Bernie was cornered by Jake and asked about TV coverage, and Bernie said it would always be on free-to air in every country as per the Concorde agreement. Pay TV options would exist and usually give more content in most of europe he says.

I'm surprised no one has a clip of this!

I cant see Sky making petrol heads like us paying for the whole channel and all that football crap. Sky will either have to offer races on box office, or offer some kind of F1 only packages. Otherwise very few will follow the sport.

BBC Sport had a hard choice to make as they have had a budget cut and to have paid full price for the full fat F1 would have meant they would lose Wimbledon. With Wimbledon they are the host broadcaster and get a huge number of hours broadcasting from it, probably not that dissimilar to the number of hours that they get from F1. Plus there is a lot more respect given from being host broadcaster to the world's finest tennis tournament than there are being a Broadcaster that takes race coverage from Bernies lot (like every other TV company) and then simply adding their own presentation and adding commentary. One of the reasons that HD took so long to come to F1 was it was being done by Bernies lot.

I am sorry the Beeb have lost the full live coverage, but given their circumstances they have done a lot better than I had feared.

Could they not cut some of the athletics rubbish?

Could they not cut some of the athletics rubbish?

Guess what I was doing in Birmingham today Hope they don't cut it just yet

They could dump Top Gear and that Clarkson ****

It' like watching repeats nowadays.

cut all the day time TV ****e off.

No one should be watching it anyway, only slackers are in at times to watch daytime TV, and if you watch enough of it I'm fairly sure it will turn you into one. Its just mind numbing crap no one cares about.

Guess what I was doing in Birmingham today Hope they don't cut it just yet

Oops.

I guess we all have sport we dont like. Personally Motorsport is all I'm interested in. You can keep the rest of it.

Oops.

I guess we all have sport we dont like. Personally Motorsport is all I'm interested in. You can keep the rest of it.

I was being paid to be there (day job), so it's in my interest for the Beeb not to drop athletics just yet

Why is F1 any different to football? If the tennis went, we'd be happy & they would be moaning. Beeb had to make cuts, F1 is pricey so it went. No point crying, iv got an excuse to get sky now.

Matt

iv got an excuse to get sky now.

Matt

Can I have another half to fill this mans half full pint