Motor sport ratings (week ending 14th July, 2013)

With Formula 1 going on its first of two Summer breaks, it meant it was time to shine for some other forms of motor sport, specifically two wheels. Live coverage of MotoGP from the Sachensring in Germany brought an average of 1.01 million viewers to BBC Two from 12:30 to 14:00 according to BARB. This is slightly down on its usual numbers, but not too surprising given the unusually warm British Summer weather as of late. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I dread to think what numbers MotoGP will deliver on BT Sport next year. In my opinion, they are not going to look pretty. Without going into a full blown debate in this post, numbers will more than likely end up below 500,000 viewers with MotoGP being pushed out of the public spotlight. Eurosport’s numbers are unavailable, as are the numbers for BBC’s Red Button service.

Also of interest to motor sport fans on BBC Two was the fantastic Hunt vs Lauda documentary, which acted as a ‘preview’ of Rush, out in cinemas in September. The documentary averaged 2.23 million viewers, slightly above the slot average and benefiting from a Top Gear lead-in of nearly 5 million viewers. Because of that documentary, a repeat airing of Grand Prix: The Killer Years fared brilliantly on BBC Four, averaging 799,000 viewers, making it the most watched programme on the station for the week.

Over on ITV4, the Tour de France again dominated the top ten, with the highlights shows averaging between 463,000 and 698,000 viewers. Live coverage at the weekend averaged 320,000 and 477,000 viewers respectively. Numbers are down on last year, presumably due to no Bradley Wiggins involvement, with highlights shows last year bringing between 650,000 and 850,000 viewers. Sky Sports F1’s highest rated show unsurprisingly was The F1 Show, which averaged 60,000 viewers. All other ratings were under 18,000 viewers as is typical during a non race week. It will be interesting to see if The F1 Show Special did any better than the usual editions. Due to the lack of promotion, I suspect not.

Highlights of the first IndyCar race from Toronto on ESPN averaged 18,000 viewers in the early hours of Sunday morning, whilst live DTM coverage later on at 12:15 brought 15,000 viewers both safely in ESPN’s top ten. I would be surprised if IndyCar’s move to BT Sport 2 for the next race in Mid Ohio changes its fortunes significantly, I imagine you’re looking at similar ratings to now, barring a miracle.

The contractual battle

The news today that the BBC have won the rights to screen The FA Cup from the 2014-15 football season alongside BT Sport means that it is another contract battle that has been resolved. It is very good news for both, but from differing perspectives.

For BBC, it means that they have secured a contract which lasts a significant duration. The contract signed between them and The FA will last until the end of the 2017-18 season. It is the latest in a long line of contracts which is now secure for the next three years or more on the BBC:

– Premier League – expires 2016 (source)
– The Open Golf – expires 2016 (source)
– Wimbledon – expires 2017 (source)
– Six Nations Rugby – expires 2017 (source)
– The FA Cup – expires 2018 (source)
– Formula 1 – expires 2018 (source)
– Olympic Games – expires 2020 (source)

For BT Sport it means that they retain the cup having inherited ESPN UK’s contract for this upcoming season. For the moment on the contractual front, there is a breather before the next round of negotiations start concerning the first few of those contracts – rumours are already beginning concerning the Open Golf and Wimbledon, for example. I don’t expect any of the contracts, including Formula 1, to be broken half way through. I’d be incredibly surprised if that happened.

As for what happens with those contracts, attention now turns to the launch of BT Sport. It is not necessarily the first few weeks what are vital, but the first six months – from August to Christmas. Yes, the first few weeks are important, but it is not all of a sudden game over if the viewing figures and reaction are not what they hoped for. BT in their channel analysis won’t be looking at just one rating or just one figure, but they will be analysing trends over the upcoming months.

If things do not go to plan, then unfortunately for them, Sky Sports will have the cards to potentially deliver a knock out blow later in the game and BT Sport will have to go back to the drawing board. If that does happen, BT Sport could end up the next ITV Digital or Setanta Sports. At this stage, it is impossible to say what will happen, but like I say above, we will be in a much clearer position come Christmas. On the other hand, if things do go to plan, and the uptake for the channel is better then expected, then in their words this could well be a ‘game changer’. Better than expected results mean that they can put more money in and also try and push the boundaries in what they can offer.

And that’s where the above contracts come in. BT will be in a position to say “we can bring audiences to the channel” which will lead to potentially many battles between them, Sky, BBC and ITV. With some spare funds, ITV a few years down the line could bid for any of them, although it has been noted previously that ITV overbid for The FA Cup (as did Setanta) so they may very well be glad to see the back of that deal. I know that some will probably disagree with me here, but it was in a way lucky that the BBC and Sky Formula 1 rights deal happened when it did. Had BBC seen out its contract (which originally would have expired at the end of 2013), right now in a parallel world, we could be seeing both BT and Sky both fighting for the Formula 1 contract from 2014 with BBC left out in the cold with highlights! Yes, two years ago no one, including myself, wanted to see Formula 1 on Sky. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and in hindsight things could have ended up a lot worse than what they did. As for the next round of rights, if BT Sport is still running, it could be all for play for. And that’s not just for F1. That’s for any of those contracts.

Is that good for the consumer, you may ask? I don’t know. With the amount of money broadcasters are paying for lucrative contracts, it means that inevitably price hikes happen every so often. Whether BT Sport will continue to offer BT Sport free to all people with BT Broadband for example this time next year remains to be seen. From the outside, it will be fascinating to see what happens with BT Sport and whether they can walk the walk as well as talk the talk…

Analysis: A bitter pill to swallow?

We’ve been here before. And we’re going there again. Except, this time, things appear to be for the worse. Or, is it?

Of course, I’m talking about the Formula 1 rights announcement in July 2011 compared with the MotoGP rights announcement in May 2013. Yesterday, it was announced that BT Sport will be screening MotoGP exclusively live for the next five seasons. The feeling amongst MotoGP fans yesterday can be compared with the feelings of Formula 1 fans on July 29th, 2011. The circumstances behind both deals though, are significantly different. Regular readers of my blog will have seen me revisit the BBC and Sky deal on many occasions, most recently in March. BBC were needing to make cost cuts as a result of the licence fee being frozen, which in real money is a drop in income. As thus, in July 2011, BBC went to Sky asking if they wanted to share the F1 coverage with them. The benefit of that meant that BBC get to keep coverage, whilst cutting costs at the same time, and Sky gained in getting ten races exclusively live. BBC’s Formula 1 contract in 2011 was not due for renewal, as their original contract was set to last until the end of the 2013 season. If they had kept with Formula 1 on an exclusive basis, the rights negotiations between them and Formula One Management would have began in Winter 2012. BBC chose to enter the deal with Sky for Formula 1. Unlike the MotoGP deal, no other bids were invited, despite third parties clearly interested. There was one loser here: the fan, as now only half of Formula 1 races are live on terrestrial television.

In comparison, the current UK MotoGP deal was set to expire at the end of this season, meaning that as per any other broadcasting contract, the rights holder – in this case Dorna – would have sent the contract out to tender. BBC and Eurosport have already confirmed that they bidded unsuccessfully. I think it is fair to assume that their bids would have been slightly higher than previously to cover both of their interests. Neither of their bids (to form a combined bid as their bids would be in tandem) would have been significantly higher than before, though. It would not be in Eurosport’s interests to put in a high bid, I imagine their budget is fairly tight as it is for a channel of their nature. At the same time for reasons already explained, BBC would not be going significantly higher. MotoGP’s ratings have remained stable for many years at just over one million viewers per race, so there is no logical reason for them to bid any higher than they need to. Also, if BBC for example bid £3 million higher than previously and won, it would have meant that the Sports department would have to find savings elsewhere. So in come BT Sport, with a lot of money behind them, and the strength to put in a deal priced at £10 million per year, for arguments purposes. Neither BBC or Eurosport have the ability to put together a response. They have both been priced out the market.

Unfair, you may say, but it was a fair and due diligent process (unlike the ‘behind closed doors, no one else invited’ BBC and Sky deal). It does not mean that fans should like it, though. Of course, BT Sport should not be the enemy here, the majority of complaints should go to Dorna. They could have said to BT Sport “well we’re sorry, but you do not provide free-to-air coverage to over 90 percent of the United Kingdom, therefore we are sticking with BBC and Eurosport”. They didn’t. As always in the broadcasting world, money wins and fans lose. If Dorna really cared about the fans, they would have stuck with those that have provided coverage to the masses many years previously: BBC and Eurosport. Yes, neither have provided the interactive features and so and so forth. But for me, free to air and terrestrial television coverage is absolutely fundamental even in the digital age for motorcycling to succeed in this country. I would like to be proven wrong and be back here next April writing an article saying “One million viewers watch the Qatar Grand Prix on BT Sport”. I doubt it, unfortunately. I won’t be one of the ones switching over to BT Sport from August. This is not a battle of BT Sport vs Sky Sports. This is a battle of broadband providers, as was clearly evident in the free marketing unveiled yesterday.

An interesting question to ask is whether Dorna had any bids from another other broadcasters. Broadcasters never tend to say whether they put in a failed bid for something, unless they were the current contract holders. Starting with the terrestrials, I do not think ITV would have put in a bid, as MotoGP would have clashed on the majority of occasions with the British Touring Car Championship, which itself is now in a perfect position to become the second most popular form of motor sport on TV in this country. Channel 5 I doubt would afford it whilst Channel 4 is an unknown. The other possibility is Sky Sports. A few motorcycling personalities on Twitter at the latter end of 2012 making noises about Sky and motorcycle racing. I put in a request to Sky to ask if they did bid for the rights, but as of writing I have yet to receive a reply.

I think the fact that every MotoGP race will be exclusively live on BT Sport makes this an even worse pill to swallow than the BBC and Sky Sports F1 deal back in 2011. A lot of people inside the business will spin this as if it is some kind of good deal for MotoGP, but any deal which slashes your audience instantly is not a good one. In my opinion, a lot of people will see BT as the next ITV Digital/Setanta Sports/ESPN. Dorna have questions to answer on why they appear to have gone back on their 2008 intent of keeping MotoGP free-to-air. I always had MotoGP down as one motor sport which considered its fans first, with its fan friendly social media output and the such like. It appears, now that is not quite the case. Today, or at least when the chequered flag in Valencia, MotoGP may be one fan less. Or, at least 900,000 fans less in this country. I have e-mailed Dorna to see if there are any plans for a terrestrial television highlights package for 2014 onwards for those fans that will soon turn into ‘lapsed fans’ as a result of this deal. As always, I will post on here if I get a response.

BT Sport secure exclusive MotoGP rights

BT Sport have secured exclusive rights to the MotoGP World Championship, along with feeder series’ Moto2 and Moto3, it has been announced. The announcement ends BBC’s ten year association covering the championship, and British Eurosport’s coverage. BT Sport’s deal will cover 2014 through to and including 2018, the broadcaster covering every session of the championships.

The acquisition of MotoGP by BT means that they join Eurosport and Sky Sports in having covered the series. Sky Sports were involved in MotoGP (then 500cc) in the early 1990’s, with Keith Huewen and Julian Ryder commentating. Martin Turner, now Sky Sports F1 executive producer, was producing the programs. When Sky chose to focus on the Superbike World Championship, Eurosport picked up coverage of the 125cc, 250cc and 500cc series. Since 2003, BBC have covered MotoGP live alongside Eurosport, BBC taking over from Sunset+Vine’s Channel 5 coverage which was presented by Steve Scott. BBC’s rights to screen the MotoGP race became exclusive from the beginning of 2009 when Dorna opted to axe British Eurosport’s coverage. Amusingly, that press release contained the words: “The decision is part of Dorna´s new strategy of working with national network broadcasters around Europe, always focusing first and foremost on free-to-air coverage to bring MotoGP to wider audiences.” Unfortunately for fans across the United Kingdom, Dorna’s deal with BT Sport goes completely against that grain. As it turned out, the decision to axe British Eurosport’s coverage was overturned in February 2009, with sessions being broadcast live and the MotoGP race being shown on a tape delay.

The announcement of BT Sport’s coverage notes how viewers will be able to “see races from the riders’ perspective and with more interactive features showing off the most technologically advanced bikes, giving UK fans a whole new MotoGP viewing experience, immersing them in every aspect of the Championship”. This puts the coverage alongside Sky Sports’ F1 coverage and BBC’s F1 coverage which has a similar set-up behind their respective interactive services. Manel Arroyo, Dorna Sports, Managing Director, said: “We’re proud that MotoGP will be part of such a huge and exciting project as BT Sport.” Simon Green, Head of BT Sport, added: “The agreement with MotoGP is really exciting. We want BT Sport to offer a wide range of sports that appeal to many different audiences and MotoGP is a thrilling sport with a massive and committed fan base in the UK and Ireland.”

Jake Humphrey, former BBC F1 presenter and BT Sport presenter, said: “As a motorsport lover I was also so excited when I knew we might be able to pull off quite a coup and beat a number of other broadcasters to bag exclusive rights to Moto GP from 2014. I am certain we will give you the commitment, consistency and creativity you deserve from the sports’ broadcaster, and I think there is so much we can do to give you a better insight into Moto GP than you’ve ever had before. The way F1 is covered has changed beyond recognitionin the past few years and it’s time to bring much of that to Moto GP. Insight, analysis, breaking down the technical barriers, getting to know the riders – I think it can all be better and we’ll work really hard to make it the most comprehensive coverage you’ve ever had. Moto GP is so compelling, so exciting, and after 4 years in the F1 pit lane I know it deserves the best possible coverage. We are also well aware how much passion there is for bikes in this country and I want you to trust that we will do you, and the sport you love, justice. It was particularly great to have Monster Tech3 Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow at our launch and he is really enthused about what BT Sport can bring to the table, as am I.”

It remains to be seen whether BT Sport take some, if any, of BBC’s or Eurosport’s current line-ups. BBC’s line-up consists of Matt Roberts and Azi Farni in the pit lane with Charlie Cox and Steve Parrish in the commentary box. Over on Eurosport is the familiar trio of Toby Moody, Julian Ryder and Neil Spalding. One option, and probably the best option, would be to have Roberts and Farni for before and after the sessions, with Moody, Ryder and Spalding in the commentary box. But in the same way BBC brought in fresh blood for their Formula 1 coverage in 2009 and Sky in 2012; I imagine that BT may want to bring in some fresh faces. As always, time will tell. Given that BT are starting off from scratch though, they will definitely be hiring people from somewhere, so I can imagine at least some of the current line-up at BT Sport next year. An article from Broadcast says that coverage will be produced by North One Television, with a small on-site presence at every round. Whilst the official announcement today does not confirm who is producing it, it does say that there will be “on-site [presence] with additional studio coverage from BT Sport’s state of the art facilities at the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London”. In between race weekends, there will be additional motorcycle related programming.

On the whole though, I cannot see any positives out of this deal, apart from Dorna getting an extra bit of money. The dedicated motorcycling fan will like the interactive features – if they can get their hands on the channel, but anyone else will be left phased out. MotoGP currently gets about 1.2 million viewers on BBC Two. Those that regularly follow my Formula 1 ratings reports will know that Sky Sports F1’s exclusively live races get less than that. I can’t see MotoGP’s viewership increasing here, unfortunately the viewership will probably go in the opposite direction.

Eurosport have confirmed to The F1 Broadcasting Blog that they did bid to retain their existing rights for 2014 onwards. BBC on their own website say “We are very proud of our Moto GP coverage and submitted a competitive bid to retain the broadcasting rights beyond our current contract.”

Do you think this deal is good or bad for MotoGP? Have your say in the comments below.

BT set to snatch MotoGP rights from 2014?

BT Sport are set to win the MotoGP rights from the BBC and Eurosport, articles this evening are suggesting. The usually reliable TV Sports Markets (subscription needed) are saying that BT will screen the series from 2014 onwards. As has been noted on my Contracts page for many months, the current MotoGP contract expires at the end of the season.

My initial thoughts on this is that it will be bad, bad move if it comes off. Just a few weeks ago, MotoGP was having terrestrial television presence in primetime with the beginning of their season on BBC Two. Motor cycling arguably needs the free to air presence more so than Formula 1, and I’m afraid that I struggle to find any positives here for motor cycling if the move happens. Hopefully the coverage stays free to air (BBC or elsewhere, maybe ITV) because a move to BT will slash any existing presence it currently has.

If I hear any more on this, I will update this blog.

Update on April 30th – Broadcast are today reporting that BT’s MotoGP plans are very similar to that of what Sky currently do with Formula 1, with “multi-camera options, such as rider point of view footage” being mooted. I would be surprised if they go as far to have their own MotoGP channel, when you compare the popularity of both sports, if other Formula 1 content gets less than 100,000 viewers, then I would dread to think what the other MotoGP content would get if BT went down that route.