NBC Sports Group gets U.S. rights to Formula One

[Yousuf Khan]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/2012/10/15/nbc-sports-group-formula-one-us-television-rights/1633845/

"The deal, which begins next season, will provide over 100 hours of
programming across NBC and cable channel NBC Sports Network.

Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC Sports and NBC Sports
Network, told The Associated Press on Sunday night it gives the network
content to grow its motorsports presence. NBC Sports Network owns the
rights to the bulk of the IndyCar Series schedule."

"The agreement between NBC Sports Group and Formula One Management
brings an end to the 17-year run cable channel Speed had as the U.S.
rights holder to F1. A spokesman for parent company Fox Sports told The
AP on Friday that Speed had been outbid by another network during
contract negotiations."

""We think there's real upside for IndyCar and this super-serves the
open wheel racing fan," Miller said. "There will be days we have a
Formula One race at 9 a.m. and an IndyCar race at 1 p.m. — we walked the
IndyCar people through that on Friday and they are excited about the
opportunity.""

[News]

I'm from Missouri on any "super-serve" claim.

[Von Fourche]

"Yousuf Khan" <bbb...@spammenot.yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:507c321f$1...@news.bnb-lp.com...

> http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/2012/10/15/nbc-sports-group-formula-one-us-television-rights/1633845/
>
> "The deal, which begins next season, will provide over 100 hours of
> programming across NBC and cable channel NBC Sports Network.
>
> Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC Sports and NBC Sports
> Network, told The Associated Press on Sunday night it gives the network
> content to grow its motorsports presence. NBC Sports Network owns the
> rights to the bulk of the IndyCar Series schedule."

How few people in the U.S. watch F1? Lets look at it this way. The
first thing Fox did when they decided to switch SpeedTV into
a more general sports channel was sign a new agreement with Major League
Baseball. The second thing - ditch F1. ESPN and none of its networks
wanted F1. Now Fox Sports doesn't want F1. Then again, NBC Sports snapped
up F1. In the end, it's probably a good thing. NBC Sports will probably
end up in more homes than SpeedTV did.

[News]

Maybe, maybe not; NBC Sports Network is carried as premium tier
programming.

[Mark Jackson]

Depends on where you are. In Rochester NY NBC Sports Network is channel
69 and is part of the standard cable package. Speed is channel 210 and
*was* part of the (higher-priced) digital package; as the standard
package migrates toward a digital platform Speed has become part of the
standard package.

--
Mark Jackson - http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~mjackson
The true measure of a man is what he would do if he knew
he would never be caught. - William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin

[AC]

Is there a dummies guide to US TV networks and what not? Cos to me, it
looks like a complete mess.

--
AC

[Mark Jackson]

On 10/15/2012 6:26 PM, AC wrote:

> Is there a dummies guide to US TV networks and what not? Cos to me,
> it looks like a complete mess.

Really, it's completely straightforward - here' for example, is a
listing of channels available through the cable system serving Rochester NY:

http://www.timewarnercable.com/northeast/support/clu/clu.ashx?CLUID=476&Image1=&Zip=14609

Couldn't be simpler. . . .

[News]

On 10/15/2012 6:26 PM, AC wrote:

Little of this will be network, most will be carried on cable and
subject to the shims of carry negotiations that periodically hold
subscribers hostage to programmers' money demands and cablecos' greed.

[AC]

Mark Jackson wrote:
> On 10/15/2012 6:26 PM, AC wrote:
>
>> Is there a dummies guide to US TV networks and what not? Cos to me,
>> it looks like a complete mess.
>
> Really, it's completely straightforward - here' for example, is a
> listing of channels available through the cable system serving Rochester
> NY:
>
> http://www.timewarnercable.com/northeast/support/clu/clu.ashx?CLUID=476&Image1=&Zip=14609
>
>
> Couldn't be simpler. . . .
>

I do hope that was humour!!!

This is the thing I as a Brit find hard to understand, "serving
Rochester NY". I know the US is huge, but in the UK were ever we are, we
have access to the exact same thing. We get our free to air stuff and/or
cable/satellite stuff every where. OK, some small areas have problems,
but mostly its universal.

In the US everything seems up in the air an pot lucky as it were.

--
AC

[John White]

NBCSports does a bad job with the IndyCar series. But I assume they'll
subscribe to the world feed for F1, like everyone else (?), and hire
some knowledgeable announcers, so it may work out OK. They do a good job
with the TdF, if that means anything.

[News]

Covering "Juice" Armstrong... LOL.

[Noj]

Mark Jackson wrote ...

>
> On 10/15/2012 6:26 PM, AC wrote:
>
> > Is there a dummies guide to US TV networks and what not? Cos to me,
> > it looks like a complete mess.
>
> Really, it's completely straightforward - here' for example, is a
> listing of channels available through the cable system serving Rochester NY:
>
> http://www.timewarnercable.com/northeast/support/clu/clu.ashx?CLUID=476&Image1=&Zip=14609
>
> Couldn't be simpler. . . .

Wow. 1,000+ channels of shite - and I thought we had it bad with 500.

[Von Fourche]

"Mark Jackson" <mjac...@alumni.caltech.edu> wrote in message
news:ae3g9n...@mid.individual.net...

> On 10/15/2012 3:52 PM, News wrote:
>> On 10/15/2012 3:45 PM, Von Fourche wrote:
>
>>> In the end, it's probably a good thing. NBC Sports will probably
>>> end up in more homes than SpeedTV did.
>
>> Maybe, maybe not; NBC Sports Network is carried as premium tier
>> programming.
>
> Depends on where you are. In Rochester NY NBC Sports Network is channel
> 69 and is part of the standard cable package. Speed is channel 210 and
> *was* part of the (higher-priced) digital package; as the standard package
> migrates toward a digital platform Speed has become part of the standard
> package.

Same with me. Some company (I think owned by Comcast) bought the local
cable company and then switched channels they offered. I was shocked that
on basic cable they offered Versus(now NBC Sports) AND SpeedTV. At first I
did not believe it, SpeedTV on basic tier? Funny, now SpeedTV is changing
format.

The cable/satellite business is an overpriced dirty business.

[News]

An electronic shell game.

[Dusenberg]

On 10/15/2012 11:56 AM, Yousuf Khan wrote:

NBC Has a pretty laughable sports package. Sunday Night Football is
their biggest property, Followed by the triple crown and breeders cup,
followed by the Olympics. US Open golf and Notre Dame football home
games, distant second.

NBC has been the last place sports network of the major four American
networks and I doubt landing F1 broadcasts will help at all. They have
no regular weekly sports property outside of Sunday night football or
Notre Dame football that can help grow any F1 tv audience in America

[Dan the Man]

> Formula One race at 9 a.m. and an IndyCar race at 1 p.m. � we walked the

>
> IndyCar people through that on Friday and they are excited about the
>
> opportunity.""

About the only concern I have is, who will call the races? As much as I'd love to see Varsha/Hobbs back in the saddle (they also worked together on ESPN), I'm afraid NBC will look to put their own stamp on US F1 coverage with a totally different crew.

Dan

[News]

On 10/16/2012 9:32 PM, Dan the Man wrote:
> On Monday, October 15, 2012 11:56:16 AM UTC-4, Yousuf Khan wrote:
>> http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/2012/10/15/nbc-sports-group-formula-one-us-television-rights/1633845/
>>
>>
>>
>> "The deal, which begins next season, will provide over 100 hours of
>>
>> programming across NBC and cable channel NBC Sports Network.
>>
>>
>>
>> Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC Sports and NBC Sports
>>
>> Network, told The Associated Press on Sunday night it gives the network
>>
>> content to grow its motorsports presence. NBC Sports Network owns the
>>
>> rights to the bulk of the IndyCar Series schedule."
>>
>>
>>
>> "The agreement between NBC Sports Group and Formula One Management
>>
>> brings an end to the 17-year run cable channel Speed had as the U.S.
>>
>> rights holder to F1. A spokesman for parent company Fox Sports told The
>>
>> AP on Friday that Speed had been outbid by another network during
>>
>> contract negotiations."
>>
>>
>>
>> ""We think there's real upside for IndyCar and this super-serves the
>>
>> open wheel racing fan," Miller said. "There will be days we have a
>>

>> Formula One race at 9 a.m. and an IndyCar race at 1 p.m. � we walked the

>>
>> IndyCar people through that on Friday and they are excited about the
>>
>> opportunity.""
>
> About the only concern I have is, who will call the races? As much as I'd love to see Varsha/Hobbs back in the saddle (they also worked together on ESPN), I'm afraid NBC will look to put their own stamp on US F1 coverage with a totally different crew.
>
> Dan
>

Well, Chris Economaki just passed away, so...

[Dusenberg]

On 10/16/2012 3:25 PM, Von Fourche wrote:

Comcast OWNS a little over half of NBC. When oOmcast purchased the
majoirty stake, they reached an agreement with minority party GE that
Comcast would handle the sports side of NBC.

[Mark Jackson]

Keeping track *does* require a certain flair for organization:

http://www.gocomics.com/arloandjanis/2012/10/17

[Mark Jackson]

On 10/15/2012 11:56 AM, Yousuf Khan wrote:
> http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/2012/10/15/nbc-sports-group-formula-one-us-television-rights/1633845/

"NBC will air four races — the Canadian Grand Prix in June, and the
final three races of the season in November — while the remaining 16
races will air on NBC Sports Network. All practice and qualifying
sessions will also be on the cable station."

The last three races on the 2013 schedule are Abu Dhabi, USA (Austin),
and Brazil. The fact that the fourth race is Canada rather than
"America" (New Jersey) does tend to reinforce the impression that the
latter event is really questionable.

[WrongWayWade]

It's basic cable on DirecTV, just like SpeedTV is.

[WrongWayWade]

I hope they keep some of the SpeedTV announcers. I like David Hobbs,
especially. Just like soccer, F1 should always be broadcast with an English
accent.

[News]

Which shows that DirecTV has to give away programming to stay in business.

[Shanghai]

SpeedTV and NBC Sports Network are also included in the basic package
for Cox Cable.

[Mark Jackson]

On 10/17/2012 9:54 AM, Mark Jackson wrote:
> On 10/15/2012 11:56 AM, Yousuf Khan wrote:
>> http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/2012/10/15/nbc-sports-group-formula-one-us-television-rights/1633845/
>>
>
> "NBC will air four races — the Canadian Grand Prix in June, and the
> final three races of the season in November — while the remaining 16
> races will air on NBC Sports Network. All practice and qualifying
> sessions will also be on the cable station."
>
> The last three races on the 2013 schedule are Abu Dhabi, USA (Austin),
> and Brazil. The fact that the fourth race is Canada rather than
> "America" (New Jersey) does tend to reinforce the impression that the
> latter event is really questionable.

Aaaaand:

"New Jersey Grand Prix to be postponed until 2014"
(http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103529)

[Ar]

On 19/10/12 15:36, Mark Jackson wrote:
> "New Jersey Grand Prix to be postponed until 2014"
> (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103529)

It's not as if they have to build a new track from scratch, so what
can't they do in less than one year?

[News]

Takes time to decide on who to pay off.

[down_hill]

I think a lot of people are saying WTF is an F1 race?

[Noj]

News wrote ...

Will they be competing for the "Horse Head" trophy ?

[News]

Price discovery is tough when the market is misunderstood.

[News]

What's it to ya's?