Last year, I did a poll on this blog looking at blog readers Formula 1 television viewing habits. The poll was successful, with around 200 responses. I released the results in April and did some analysis. A year on since then, and now heading into year three of the current BBC and Sky contract, I thought it would be a good idea to replicate the poll to see what has changed, and if anything has changed drastically.
For those that did this last year, the questions are largely similar, but there are a few minor differences.
Q1: Where do you currently reside?
Q2: Have your viewing habits or situation changed between 2013 and 2014?
Q3: What pay-TV platform do you subscribe to?
Q4: BSkyB subscribers: What is your status regarding Sky Sports F1?
Q5: Virgin Media subscribers: What is your status regarding Sky Sports F1?
Q6: What shows on Sky Sports F1 have you watched?
Q7: How did you consume Formula 1 in 2013? [Sky live races]
Q8: How do you plan to consume Formula 1 in 2014? [Sky live races]
Q9: How did you consume Formula 1 in 2013? [BBC and Sky live races]
Q10: How do you plan to consume Formula 1 in 2014? [BBC and Sky live races]
Q11: BBC F1 – 2013 vs 2014
Q12: Sky Sports F1 – 2013 vs 2014
Q13: Have the changes to the BBC team made you…
Q14: Have the changes to the Sky Sports F1 team made you…
Q15: Sky Sports F1 as a standalone channel: the price per month?
Q16: Further comments
Questions 1 through to 3 are overview questions, whilst questions 4 to 10 drill down into your individual consumption of Formula 1. After that are the BBC and Sky Sports F1 year-on-year comparisons for questions 11 to 14. A new addition concerns the possibility of having Sky Sports F1 as a standalone channel. I personally would be interested in such an option, but I’m interested in seeing how much blog readers would be willing to pay for it realistically.
Note that if you live outside of the United Kingdom, you will be taken straight to Question 16, where you are welcome to write some comments on the broadcasting situation in your country. There are also branches throughout, no one should see both questions 4 and 5. If anyone does spot any issues, do let me know. And as noted, comments made there may be used when analysing the results in a future blog post. If there are many comments from international readers, then I may do a future post around that subject.
The survey can be found here. The results will be published in mid-April 2014.
Motorsport Broadcasting 
The survey is about viewing habits, yet unfortunately the way it’s been structured it doesn’t really highlight how people who’ve got both Sky and BBC watch F1. I have both, but will always watch the BBC in preference if they’re showing it live.
Yes totally agree with you Golly. That’s how I see it as well. If the race is live on BBC I will watch it on the BBC. I will sometimes, even though having access to Sky watch the highlights on the beeb – for highlights programs there not too bad really.
Golly and Rob – questions 7 through to 10 are multiple choice so you can pick as many choices as you want. i.e. Rob for your second bit – for question 7 and 8 you could have ticked both ‘…watched the race live on Sky’ and ‘…watched the race highlights on BBC’.
I have added a note on those two pages to make it clearer that the user can tick as many options as they desire.
Let me know if you have any further queries, always looking at ways to improve the survey as it’ll be staying open until the middle of April. 🙂
Got it! Sorry I didn’t realise you could tick more than one answer. Do’h! 🙂 Thanks
I did work that out and ticked both boxes. However, I still don’t think the end result of the survey will tell you whether people who have Sky still prefer to watch the BBC when it’s live. Don’t want to be too critical as I think the survey and the effort you’ve made is great. Just think this is a key point which would be interesting to get some facts on.
Err what about those who don’t subscribe to a pay-tv platform?
‘Other’ encompasses ‘None’, which I should have made clearer. You’re not the first person to mention it, so I’ll note it in the results.
Q1: Where do you currently reside?
Japan
Q2: Have your viewing habits or situation changed between 2013 and 2014?
Yes
Q3: What pay-TV platform do you subscribe to?
None
Q4: BSkyB subscribers: What is your status regarding Sky Sports F1?
Does not apply
Q5: Virgin Media subscribers: What is your status regarding Sky Sports F1?
Does not apply
Q6: What shows on Sky Sports F1 have you watched?
Race, race buildup, a few episodes of the F1 Show
Q7: How did you consume Formula 1 in 2013? [Sky live races]
Internet streaming
Q8: How do you plan to consume Formula 1 in 2014? [Sky live races]
Internet streaming
Q9: How did you consume Formula 1 in 2013? [BBC and Sky live races]
I prefer BBC commentary and sky buildup, Susie is annoying, but then so is the Herbert Hill comedy act.
Q10: How do you plan to consume Formula 1 in 2014? [BBC and Sky live races]
I will continue to stream them as I don’t have access to live races here in a commentary that I understand.
Q11: BBC F1 – 2013 vs 2014
About the same, sky 2012 was much better
Q12: Sky Sports F1 – 2013 vs 2014
Same so far
Q13: Have the changes to the BBC team made you…
Watch more sky
Q14: Have the changes to the Sky Sports F1 team made you…
Watch less buildup
Q15: Sky Sports F1 as a standalone channel: the price per month?
Does not apply
Q16: Further comments
It would be perfect if FOM had a live stream for those of us without access.
Not sure what you’ve posted it as a comment, I provided a link to the poll to complete in the blog post 🙂
I wonder how Manny of th e ex BBC viewers who don’t have sky find other means watching live. They properly a bit more techie savvy and less pubs showing f1
When I tried to do the survey, it skipped to the final question since I live outside the UK.
It might be better to change it, or mention that it’s for UK peeps only.
That’s deliberate. However, the last question is for you to give your opinions on F1 broadcasting where you live. I can see some people have already done that and I’ll be using some of the comments in future blog posts this month.