The Twitter outlook

The first thing I need to note for this week’s edition of the Twitter outlook is that the counters were done yesterday morning around about 09:00. There’s no real reason for this, apart from the fact that I completely forgot to do it on Monday! Now that I’ve got that disclaimer out of the way, here is this weeks’ figures:

Drivers – The Top 10
01 – 1,031,093 – Jenson Button (McLaren)
02 – 909,135 – Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
03 – 857,861 – Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
04 – 450,926 – Bruno Senna (Williams)
05 – 392,526 – Mark Webber (Red Bull)
06 – 233,272 – Sergio Perez (Sauber)
07 – 230,043 – Pastor Maldonaldo (Williams)
08 – 178,778 – Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
09 – 161,803 – Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham)
10 – 155,144 – Pedro de la Rosa (HRT)

Drivers – Biggest Increases
01 – 34,176 – Fernando Alonso
02 – 10,934 – Mark Webber
03 – 10,537 – Lewis Hamilton
04 – 8,141 – Jenson Button
05 – 4,386 – Bruno Senna

Drivers – Smallest Increases
01 – 544 – Charles Pic
02 – 588 – Jean-Eric Vergne
03 – 758 – Timo Glock
04 – 844 – Nico Hulkenberg
05 – 992 – Daniel Ricciardo

Thanks to another 10,000 follower gain, Lewis Hamilton has broken the 900,000 follower barrier, only the second current Formula 1 driver to do so, the other being Jenson Button. Elsewhere, Sergio Perez has moved further ahead of Pastor Maldonaldo, while Charles Pic moves back to top of the smallest increase chart.

Teams – The Top 10
01 – 303,762 – Ferrari
02 – 210,306 – McLaren
03 – 137,456 – Mercedes
04 – 133,789 – Red Bull
05 – 119,169 – Lotus
06 – 80,374 – Caterham
07 – 73,165 – Marussia
08 – 69,789 – Williams
09 – 69,419 – Force India
10 – 64,052 – Sauber

Teams – Biggest Increases
02 – 2,530 – Red Bull
01 – 2,389 – Ferrari
03 – 2,130 – McLaren

Teams – Smallest Increases
01 – 154 – Force India
02 – 602 – Toro Rosso
03 – 635 – HRT

The most interesting statistic this week comes down here, as Red Bull for the first time since I started tracking the outlook had the biggest increase of all the teams, with Ferrari in second place. This is the second week in a row that they have shown big gains, as last week they recorded a bigger gain than McLaren. As a team, though, they are still some way from overtaking McLaren in the main chart.

At the bottom of the chart, I have a feeling I made a mistake or a typo with Force India’s number last week, almost certainly their gain last week of 1,691 was a bit higher than what it should have been. However, if you look at the total gain for the past two weeks, the gain is still the second lowest, with only Toro Rosso recording lower.

Driver and Team statistics as of Tuesday 17th July 2012.

Sky Sports F1 – Top 10 ratings (week ending 8th July, 2012)

From BARB:

1 – 455k – Live British Grand Prix (Sunday, 11:00)
2 – 336k – Live British Grand Prix: Qualifying (Saturday, 12:00)
3 – 160k – Live British Grand Prix: Practice 3 (Saturday, 09:45)
4 – 122k – GP Classics: 1964 European Grand Prix (Saturday, 11:19)
5 – 97k – Live British Grand Prix: Practice 1 (Friday, 09:45)
6 – 78k – The F1 Show (Friday, 20:00)
7 – 72k – British Grand Prix Highlights (Sunday, 19:00)
8 – 72k – Live British Grand Prix: Practice 2 (Friday, 13:45)
9 – 62k – GP Classics: 11th GP D’Europe (Sunday, 10:42)
10 – 54k – Live British Grand Prix: GP2 Sprint Race (Sunday, 09:35)

The main race programme for Sky was notably low, due to their extended build-up, hence the extra half hour dragging down the overall rating. Outside of their live F1 programming, The F1 Show did very well, I think that is their highest rating for The F1 Show during a race weekend. Also noticeable is how well the classic F1 did in between practice three and Qualifying, so definitely some good scheduling there.

Finally, it is pleasing to see the live GP2 Sprint Race making Sky Sports F1’s top 10 for the first time, and only 18,000 viewers behind practice two. The channel reach was 2.506 million this week, which is more significant than usual because it is their highest so far this year when that particular race has been live also on BBC.

On BBC, in the official ratings, 2.03 million watched Qualifying on BBC Two and BBC HD, while 3.29 million watched the race from 12:55 on BBC Two and HD.

The truths and the untruths

The Daily Telegraph have this morning published an article written by Christian Sylt and Caroline Reid with the headline, and I quote “BBC saves £150m in Formula 1 deal with Sky”. How accurate is that? The answer is, not very much.

As I did with the Daily Mail article concerning Simon Lazenby here, and as I did with The Guardian article here, I will dissect the article. As always, there are some parts of the article which are true, and there are some which appears to prove that the writers have not done their research.

The first bug-bear for me is when the article claims that Sky Sports are paying £25 million for Formula 1 and BBC are paying £7 million. Both figures look low, especially when you consider that the figure totals £32 million. Let us go back to 2008. According to Ofcom, between 1997 and 2001, ITV paid £14 million per year for Formula 1. That increased to £19 million between 2002 and 2005, before increasing again (this time by £10 million) to £29 million between 2006 and 2010. Of course, they pulled out during 2008, with BBC taking over for 2009. Now, if you are suggesting that BBC did not pay substantially more than £29 million between 2009 and 2011, then I would be extremely shocked. £40 million was the amount I believed BBC to be paying, which is supported by a Google search with multiple level sources reporting the same amount.

So to suggest that BBC and Sky combined are paying £8 million less per year, is a bit optimistic. If anything, the £40 million amount would have risen somewhat, we all know how Bernie Ecclestone likes to increase the contract value at any given opportunity, hence why ITV’s Formula 1 contract went up by £10 million per year despite zero competition. I would have a stab and say Sky Sports are paying £40 million, with BBC paying £10 million. That saving, instead of it being £150 million, comes in at £210 million, a far bigger sum than that in the Daily Telegraph article. If BBC are paying £15 million, for sake of argument, then the saving is £175 million over seven years.

On the other side of the spectrum, the article claims that their was a “£480 annual cost of subscribing to Sky’s sports package”. That is an interesting way of putting things, which works out at £40 per month. The article makes out that £40 is the cheapest way to see Formula 1 on Sky. It is not. Keith Collantine of F1 Fanatic worked out that the cheapest annual cost is £363, while another member on that particular website worked out that if you just wanted to watch the ten Sky exclusive live races it via Sky Go on the computer, it would cost you £175. I would not class the £480 figure as an exaggeration, because it is true, but there are much cheaper ways of watching F1 on Sky than that sum.

“Across the eight Grands Prix which have taken place so far this year, the BBC’s total audience of viewers watching at least 15 minutes has fallen 20.5% to 20.2m which is understandable given that it lost half of the live races. In contrast, F1 has gained as it is understood that 5.5m watched at least 15 minutes of Sky’s broadcasts of the first eight races and this offset the BBC’s drop. In fact, the total audience for the race in Valencia was 8% up on 2011.”

I’m afraid that can only be described as spin. The figures quoted there as reach figures, and it is impossible for the reader to know how many of the 5.5 million are bundled into the 20.2 million figure. I’ve watched the majority of Sky’s programming, but also watched the British Grand Prix on BBC. Does that mean I am two people and therefore bundled into both sets of figures? With regards Valencia, the total audience was up, yes, but on the other hand Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain, Spain, Monaco, Canada and Britain were down. Only Valencia and China have recorded increases.

Finally, I’m afraid I do not believe the following is true:

“The deal suits F1 particularly since only a core of die-hard fans watch every race live in full.”

BBC’s viewing figures last year were the highest since 1999, both seasons averaging 4.55 million, which shows that not only die-hard fans were getting into watching every race live, but it was also drawing in a large proportion of casual fans. The lowest rated race last season was Belgium, which had 3.76 million viewers. This year, already four races have had under 3.76 million viewers, and this year looks set to be the lowest rated season since 2008…

An idea for Sky Sports F1 during the Summer break

As many of you will know, after the Hungarian Grand Prix, the F1 circus takes an unprecedented five week break. Normally the Summer break is three or four weeks, but this year, it is five weeks. The Hungarian Grand Prix is on 29th July, with no races through August until the Belgian Grand Prix on 2nd September. What this means is that there is a lot of spare airtime on Sky Sports F1 going spare in August, 31 days as a matter of fact from Monday 30th July to Thursday 30th August.

I can’t imagine there being new programmes on throughout August, there is not much point really. Furthermore, I would expect The F1 Show to come off air on Friday 3rd August, returning on Friday 24th August, unless a big story breaks that justifies having a show on the 10th or 17th August. There’s not much point having a show on either of those dates as the majority of the Formula 1 world is on holiday.

With that in mind, what should Sky Sports F1 do? The answer, for me, is rather simple. A classic season. Not a classic race, no. A classic season, beginning on Monday 13th August. The reason for that start date is so it does not clash with the Olympics. Throughout the Olympics, I would repeat this years’ races in full, on the following dates:

– Australia: Saturday 4th August
– Malaysia: Sunday 5th August
– China: Monday 6th August
– Bahrain: Tuesday 7th August
– Spain: Wednesday 8th August
– Monaco: Thursday 9th August
– Canada: Friday 10th August
– Europe + Britain: Saturday 11th August
– Germany + Hungary: Sunday 12th August

Then, I would repeat a classic season. Maybe let the readers decide via Facebook, Twitter or on the Sky Sports F1 website, with choices from 1990 to 2006. Don’t include 2007 through to 2011, because they are too recent to be considered classics, in my opinion. Putting 1990 to 2006 as poll options means that you are likely to get a genuine classic season as a winner. The schedule would go as follows, assuming 2 hours in length for each. I’m using 1996 as a template, just to give an idea of what it would look like, instead of using generic ‘Round 1’ or ‘Round 2’ terms:

Monday 13th August
20:00 – 1996 Australian Grand Prix (R1)

Tuesday 14th August
18:00 – 1996 Australian Grand Prix (R1 – repeat)
20:00 – 1996 Brazilian Grand Prix (R2)

Wednesday 15th August
18:00 – 1996 Brazilian Grand Prix (R2 – repeat)
20:00 – 1996 Argentine Grand Prix (R3)

Thursday 16th August
18:00 – 1996 Argentine Grand Prix (R3 – repeat)
20:00 – 1996 European Grand Prix (R4)

Friday 17th August
18:00 – 1996 European Grand Prix (R4 – repeat)
20:00 – The F1 Show
21:00 – 1996 San Marino Grand Prix (R5)

Saturday 18th August
13:00 – The F1 Show (repeat)
14:00 – 1996 Australian Grand Prix (R1 – repeat)
16:00 – 1996 Brazilian Grand Prix (R2 – repeat)
18:00 – 1996 Argentine Grand Prix (R3 – repeat)
20:00 – 1996 Monaco Grand Prix (R6)
22:00 – The F1 Show (repeat)

Sunday 19th August
14:00 – 1996 European Grand Prix (R4 – repeat)
16:00 – 1996 San Marino Grand Prix (R5 – repeat)
18:00 – 1996 Monaco Grand Prix (R6 – repeat)
20:00 – 1996 Spanish Grand Prix (R7)

Monday 20th August
18:00 – 1996 Spanish Grand Prix (R7 – repeat)
20:00 – 1996 Canadian Grand Prix (R8)

Tuesday 21st August
18:00 – 1996 Canadian Grand Prix (R8 – repeat)
20:00 – 1996 French Grand Prix (R9)

Wednesday 22nd August
18:00 – 1996 French Grand Prix (R9 – repeat)
20:00 – 1996 British Grand Prix (R10)

Thursday 23rd August
18:00 – 1996 British Grand Prix (R10 – repeat)
20:00 – 1996 German Grand Prix (R11)

Friday 24th August
18:00 – 1996 German Grand Prix (R11 – repeat)
20:00 – The F1 Show
21:00 – 1996 Hungarian Grand Prix (R12)

Saturday 25th August
08:00 – The F1 Show (repeat)
09:00 – 1996 Australian Grand Prix (R1 – repeat)
11:00 – 1996 Brazilian Grand Prix (R2 – repeat)
13:00 – 1996 Argentine Grand Prix (R3 – repeat)
15:00 – 1996 European Grand Prix (R4 – repeat)
17:00 – 1996 San Marino Grand Prix (R5 – repeat)
19:00 – 1996 Monaco Grand Prix (R6 – repeat)
21:00 – 1996 Belgian Grand Prix (R13)
23:00 – The F1 Show (repeat)

Sunday 26th August
07:00 – 1996 Spanish Grand Prix (R7 – repeat)
09:00 – 1996 Canadian Grand Prix (R8 – repeat)
11:00 – 1996 French Grand Prix (R9 – repeat)
13:00 – 1996 British Grand Prix (R10 – repeat)
15:00 – 1996 German Grand Prix (R11 – repeat)
17:00 – 1996 Hungarian Grand Prix (R12 – repeat)
19:00 – 1996 Belgian Grand Prix (R13 – repeat)
21:00 – 1996 Italian Grand Prix (R14)
23:00 – The F1 Show (repeat)

Monday 27th August
18:00 – 1996 Italian Grand Prix (R14 – repeat)
20:00 – 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix (R15)
22:00 – The F1 Show (repeat)

Tuesday 28th August
18:00 – 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix (R15 – repeat)
20:00 – 1996 Japanese Grand Prix (R16)

Wednesday 29th August
16:00 – 1996 Italian Grand Prix (R14 – repeat)
18:00 – 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix (R15 – repeat)
20:00 – 1996 Japanese Grand Prix (R16 – repeat)

Someone will probably complain that the above is horrendously mundane, but it’s just to give you an idea of what it would look like if I was scheduler. Each race gets repeated multiple times, so the viewer can watch it whenever, and the entire schedule is essentially handed over to classic races. For example, above, the 1996 Australian Grand Prix is on four times, while say the 1996 British Grand Prix is on three times. I would also put the Legends shows on at 22:00 each night, for anyone who wants to catch up with that. Of course, the 1996 season I’ve used above is just that – a template, you could do the above with any season, quite frankly.

The classic races, to me, appear such a simple way to fill the schedules, and would definitely be a better way to have the schedules than another repeat of Fast Track or Weekend in Stills. I don’t understand why Sky seem to be ‘cautious’ with screening classic races, it is as if they do want to, to me, especially when you consider the effort BBC went into with their brilliant classic F1 series. As always, your ideas and thoughts are welcome.

UPDATE on 31st July: The F1 Show will continue through August, Sky have confirmed, so the above has been reflected to show that.

Sky open up Sky Sports F1 to all Sky and Virgin Media customers next weekend for free

Sky Sports this morning have announced that all of their channels, including Sky Sports F1, will be available to all Sky and Virgin Media customers next weekend for free.

From 06:00 on Friday 20th July to 23:59 on Sunday 22nd July, if you are with Sky or Virgin Media, you can watch Sky Sports F1 irrespective of what subscription package you have. Therefore, anyone next weekend (assuming you have Sky or Virgin of course!) can watch the German Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1. For everyone concerned, this is great news as it allows more people to sample Sky Sports F1’s programming.

This also includes Sky Sports 1 through to Sky Sports 4, meaning anyone with Sky or Virgin can watch the Indy Car Series live next Sunday from 19:00 on Sky Sports 4.

The full Sky Sports F1 schedule for next weekend is available here.