After ten years of flirting with multiple free-to-air networks, Formula E has made the jump to pay television in the United Kingdom.
From ITV to Channel 5 to the BBC and onto Channel 4, the electric series has never found its belonging at any of those networks. Now, after battling for its place on free-to-air, the series has turned to TNT Sports for its next phase.
But how has Formula E ended up here, and did the series have any other options? Motorsport Broadcasting analyses the situation.
A new home for 2024
Organisers of the series, now heading into its tenth season, have announced an agreement with TNT Sports, touting the outlet as the championship’s exclusive television home, although terms of the contract (or its length) are undisclosed.
Discovery+ will stream coverage, the platform bringing together their Eurosport and TNT outlets under one roof.
Moving forward, fans will be able to access live coverage of MotoGP, World Superbikes, British Superbikes, Speedway, World Rally Championship, World Endurance Championship (including the 24 Hours of Le Mans) and Formula E via Discovery+.
Their television line-up for the new season is a hybrid of familiar Formula E names, combined with names typically associated with Whisper’s Channel 4 F1 broadcasts, the production house taking over the English language wrap-around offering from North One Television.
Joining the likes of Nicki Shields, Karun Chandhok, Dario Franchitti and Allan McNish will be Billy Monger, David Coulthard and Jamie Chadwick, the latter two names making “guest appearances” during the 2023/24 season.
The big talent announcement though is that former footballer Jermaine Jenas will be presenting Formula E’s race coverage, succeeding Vernon Kay. Jenas is no stranger to presenting, having presented the BBC’s magazine programme The One Show since 2020, as well as contributing to TNT’s football coverage.
“Since retiring from football I never thought I would find a sport that I loved as much but Formula E is a sport like nothing else,” Jenas said. “I couldn’t be more excited to take on this incredible presenting role and travel the world with such amazing teams.”
“To get in front of the camera and share that energy and action with viewers is a whole new challenge and adrenaline rush for me and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Formula E’s CEO Jeff Dodds added, “This is incredible news for sports fans in the UK who already watch premium live sports on TNT Sports. From next month they will get to enjoy the new thrill of Formula E racing, the most competitive motorsport on TV.”
“For existing Formula E fans, we are excited to present TNT Sports as the new home of Formula E in the UK,” Dodds said.
“With experienced professional sportsperson and broadcaster Jermaine Jenas leading our stellar line-up of expert presenters to provide his original perspective for viewers, we cannot wait to get to work in Mexico City.”
Was this Formula E’s number one option?
The biggest surprise about Formula E’s announcement is that it did not happen earlier. Formula E was first linked with TNT Sports (then BT Sport) a decade ago, and had a brief spell on BT Sport five years ago!
At the time, their chief executive Alejandro Agag said that the series was in discussions with BT and Sky, but that the aim was “free-to-air even if we get less money. Free-to-air would be great: BBC or ITV.”
To Agag’s credit, that is exactly what Formula E did, launching in 2014 live on ITV4. Less than a year later, a peak of over 1 million viewers watched Nelson Piquet Jnr become the first Drivers’ Champion in London.
But since then, despite glimpses of optimism along the way, the series has failed to gain traction in the UK and instead has gone into reverse. ITV lost faith, as did other broadcasters.
Viewing figures have failed to reach the 2015 peak, with clashes with F1 and MotoGP, long gaps between races and a lack of promotion from both broadcasters and series organisers hampering the championship.
The pandemic only exasperated the problem that the series faced in the UK. Channel 4’s broadcast deal sought to reverse the decline, with more races airing live on free-to-air television. Note the key word: “more,” not “every.”
Some races aired live on YouTube, meaning that the series was offering a disjointed service to fans. Either way you cut the slice, audience figures on Channel 4’s YouTube broadcasts were pitifully low, while races on Channel 4’s linear channel struggled outside of London.
According to The Race, the Hyderabad E-Prix averaged 97,000 viewers for the two-hour broadcast on Saturday 11th February. Two weeks later, the Cape Town E-Prix averaged 151,000 viewers. It is with this in mind that comparisons with MotoGP, which moved to pay TV a decade ago, are invalid given that their free-to-air audience was far higher than what Formula E achieved.
With such little interest, why should Channel 4 care enough to renew, when repeats of The Simpsons would draw a higher audience? At a time where broadcasters are making efficiencies across the board, it is little surprise that Channel 4 did not renew.
Channel 4 would not be alone in their assessment of Formula E: in Germany, free-to-air station ProSieben cut ties with the championship owing to viewer interest not developing “as expected.”
Earlier suggestions of a deal between Formula E and ITV in the UK for season 10 appear to have fallen through based on the wording of the press release issued by Formula E and TNT Sports, although Autosport suggests that free-to-air deals may be agreed on a “race-by-race” basis.
What we do not know is whether TNT Sports have offered Formula E substantial sums of money. They may well have done; however, I struggle to see a situation where this has happened. TNT most likely see this as a way of boosting their existing sports portfolio at little cost to them.
TNT Sports is not a small network: it is the second biggest sports network in the UK only behind Sky and has a significant sports portfolio. And, combined with Eurosport via Discovery+, the powerhouse airs sport ranging from the Olympics through to the UEFA Champions League football.
From a Formula E perspective, they may feel that it is better for them to be in amongst those sporting properties via Discovery+ rather than on free-to-air television, or having a couple of thousand viewers watch them via Channel 4’s YouTube channel.
For those who only watch Formula E and no other sport that Discovery+ airs, the news is likely disappointing, however I understand why the series has taken the decision it has, when faced with few alternatives.
Formula E wants to, understandably, attract the wider sports fan in the UK, and this is the best they can get with the options they have at their disposal.
Ten years ago, the landscape of MotoGP for fans in the UK changed when it was announced that the series would be moving behind a paywall to BT Sport for the 2014 season and onwards.
Since then, the premier bike series has undergone changes both on and off the circuit. The stars of yesteryear have retired, making way for a new fresh breed of talented riders at the forefront of the field.
Over the same time period, the way fans consume sports has evolved, with rights holders seeking to attract a more diverse audience across a plethora of different platforms: linear and live, vertical viewing, highlights, YouTube, TikTok, and feeds tailored to the fans of tomorrow.
Some sports have adapted to the changing landscape better than others, while some have found themselves left behind.
Although MotoGP managed to navigate the pandemic successfully, the series is faced with a fresh set of challenges if it is to thrive into the future. As Motorsport Broadcasting explores, the sport needs to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to changing fan expectations and media consumption habits.
Understanding why MotoGP moved to pay television
MotoGP enjoyed a long period of live free-to-air coverage in the UK, with a passionate fan base watching the likes of Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Nicky Hayden, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo through the 2000s.
The MotoGP era we know and love today began in 2002, with coverage of the series airing for UK fans on Channel 5, and a more extensive offering available via Eurosport. Free-to-air coverage moved to the BBC from 2003, initially on a two-year agreement.
At the time, MotoGP joined both the British Superbikes and World Superbikes on the Beeb, making the broadcaster the home of bikes for a short period until both Superbikes championships moved to pastures new.
MotoGP’s presence on the BBC expanded year-on-year, from just three races airing live in 2003 (Donington, Motegi, and Valencia), to every race airing live in 2006 via either the BBC’s Red Button service or BBC Two.
The demise of Sunday Grandstand led to MotoGP coverage airing in a standalone 90-minute slot on BBC Two, with further coverage available on the Red Button.
Suzi Perry, Jennie Gow, and Matt Roberts led the BBC’s on-site team through the years, steering viewers through every twist and turn. Their coverage attracted an audience of around one million viewers per race. Charlie Cox and Steve Parrish provided commentary for every race, giving new fans a gateway into the sport.
Opening titles for the BBC’s MotoGP coverage in 2010.
For fans who wanted more, Eurosport was the place to be.
The trio of Toby Moody, Julian Ryder, and Randy Mamola rank among this writer’s all-time favourite commentary teams, bringing their own raw style to Eurosport’s offering.
Eurosport’s involvement in MotoGP faded thanks to a deal that granted BBC more exclusivity from 2009, with the broadcaster’s offering increasing to include Moto2 and Moto3 via the Red Button, as well as exclusive coverage of the MotoGP race.
Soon after, the financial crisis hit MotoGP, and Dorna opted to prioritise money over reach, as BT Group’s pay TV proposition, attached with it a significant amount of money, was too good to refuse for Dorna. BT Group was prepared to pay far more than what both the BBC and Eurosport were able to at the time for MotoGP.
Instead of taking a step-change approach to let audiences adjust, like what happened with F1 (forced by the BBC’s and Sky’s hand in the matter or not) from 2012 onwards, Dorna went ‘all-in’ on the pay TV approach in the UK.
The story that this writer has heard on multiple occasions is that, without pay TV money, several outfits further down the grid in Moto2 and Moto3 would have struggled to survive. Put simply, the teams needed the money to keep the show on the road, and in some cases still do.
Since 2014, every race has aired live on BT Sport, with free-to-air highlights airing on either ITV4, Channel 5, or Quest on Monday nights.
Marquez shines on social media
Since moving to BT, MotoGP’s viewership in the UK has declined. Under a quarter of the BBC’s MotoGP audience made the jump, with a typical race attracting 200,000 to 250,000 viewers on average.
The free-to-air highlights package has made up some of the deficit, but even this has shrunk over the past decade, due to changes in broadcasters and scheduling, making it difficult for the casual fan to catch-up with the sport.
On-track factors have impacted the sport too. The stars of yesterday – Rossi, Stoner, Hayden, Pedrosa, Lorenzo – have all retired, with their replacements struggling to break through into the mainstream, partly thanks to the subscription model used in countries like the UK and Spain.
Spanish rider and Repsol Honda star Marc Marquez is the exception. Marquez lit up the track as soon as he entered the sport, and since 2013, Marquez has won 6 of the 10 possible MotoGP championships.
Analysis by Motorsport Broadcasting shows that Marquez is to MotoGP what Lewis Hamilton is to Formula 1 from a social media perspective, across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Marquez has 3.84 times more followers compared to MotoGP’s next best, while Hamilton has 2.92 times more followers than the second most followed F1 driver, showing how their on-track performances have perforated through onto social media.
Slide the bar across left and right to compare the top 10 F1 and MotoGP stars on social media.
But this is where the similarities between Marquez and Hamilton, MotoGP and F1, BT Sport and Sky, end. While F1 has built stars around Hamilton, MotoGP has failed to do so.
Across social media, the 2022 MotoGP champion Pecco Bagnaia is the sixth most popular rider on the grid, with 1.83 million followers.
The sixth most followed driver in F1 is Carlos Sainz with 9.5 million followers, and if you look at it from a raw number perspective, 1.83 million followers put Bagnaia alongside Alpha Tauri driver Yuki Tsunoda.
This is no sight on the riders at all, but rather a criticism of those responsible for not maximising its potential in the digital age.
One factor that hindered Dorna was Marquez’s accident as soon as the series returned to action post-COVID. It meant that organisers had to navigate 2020 minus their star, a challenging task considering his dominance. But it also shows the championship’s inability to prepare for such a scenario unfolding.
Perhaps the most significant moments that have captured widespread attention in MotoGP over the last decade are the controversial Sepang 2015 clash between Marquez and Rossi, and the horror accident that unfolded at the Red Bull Ring in 2020.
A decade ago, compared to F1, MotoGP was on the front foot where its television broadcasts and social media presence was concerned, however the tide has turned over the past five years.
What factors have contributed to F1’s success while MotoGP has struggled to gain momentum?
MotoGP Unlimited given the chop
F1’s new owners Liberty Media have prioritised growth across all platforms, with documentaries such as Netflix’s Drive to Survive launching in 2019.
MotoGP responded to Drive to Survive with their own documentary series. MotoGP Unlimited premiered on Amazon Prime in early 2022. But while Drive to Survive was a hit from early on, teething issues and a lukewarm reception plagued MotoGP Unlimited at launch.
The result was that the series failed to break through in the way that either Dorna or Amazon hoped. Sources close to this site have indicated that the series will not be returning.
As one person told me last year, once you have a failed product like MotoGP Unlimited in the market, it becomes a barrier to enter the market again for the next few years.
F1 has benefited from Drive to Survive across all platforms, helping the series to reach a younger, more diverse audience across social media and linear, with record crowds throughout 2022 as race circuits opened following the pandemic.
In the UK, Sky Sports F1 have seized the opportunity, grabbing some of the lucrative Drive to Survive audience. 2022 was their most watched season ever, recording a higher average audience than 2021’s titanic duel between Verstappen and Hamilton.
In comparison, BT Sport’s MotoGP audience figures have stagnated, while analysis from Crash.net reveals that circuit attendances dropped last season compared to pre-pandemic levels.
With F1 clearly on the front foot and in the limelight, MotoGP has found itself very much in F1’s shadow in recent years.
And, while it is not BT Sport’s fault that Dorna have made some missteps, it is their responsibility to look at how they can broaden their own reach, with Dorna’s support where possible.
After fixing some early issues during their infancy, BT’s coverage of MotoGP has been of high quality. Their coverage, produced by North One Television (also responsible for ITV’s F1 coverage and Formula E’s television feed), gives all three tiers of MotoGP extensive coverage.
The BT team is talented and knowledgeable across the board. Gavin Emmett commentates across all three classes, joined by Michael Laverty, Neil Hodgson, and Sylvain Guintoli, with Suzi Perry and Natalie Quirk on presenting duties.
However, the broadcaster enters a time of change, which may have ramifications for the long-term future of their MotoGP programming, and for fans who watch it. BT Sport’s contract with Dorna finishes at the end of 2024, but before then, the landscape will change radically.
BT Sport and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) agreed to form a 50:50 joint venture last year, and will launch the TNT Sports brand in the UK this Summer. The new TNT brand, led by ex-Sky Sports F1 head Scott Young, will bring down the curtain on both the BT Sport and Eurosport brand names.
On the face of it, this is good news for motor sport fans, as content such as MotoGP, World Superbikes, British Superbikes, the World Endurance Championship and World Rally Championship will in the long term be available through TNT. WBD have yet to announce a pricing strategy for the new venture.
It gives TNT the chance to properly cross-promote their bike properties, something that has already started to happen on both BT and Eurosport ahead of the 2023 season, which should help drive up MotoGP’s viewing figures.
However, one question that Warner Bros. Discovery may ask is whether MotoGP justifies the price tag that BT Sport are currently paying for their investment, considering that their return on investment is low, and viewing figures have failed to move in the past decade.
How do Dorna plan to change the status quo?
Introducing the MotoGP Sprint
Like F1, Dorna has taken steps to make all three days of the race weekend a more attractive proposition for fans and broadcasters alike.
For 2023, a 20-minute sprint race takes place on Saturdays at each of the 21 race weekends, a contrast to F1’s ‘pick and choose’ approach.
While the sprint races have been full of thrills and spills, the distribution method is the same as the feature race for fans in the UK: behind a paywall. If Dorna genuinely wants to attract a new audience, this is not the right approach.
BT Sport’s highlights of the first ever Sprint race.
When announcing the decision to add sprint races to the calendar, Dorna said, “The introduction of Sprint Races allows every day of a race weekend to offer fans and broadcasters the best possible experience on track and off, with track action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday focused on maximum spectacle to show off the best of MotoGP.”
“In addition, the new format will provide increased engagement opportunities for fans, broadcasters and media across the event and increase the profile of the MotoGP class without reducing that of Moto2 and Moto3,” they added.
In my view, the sprint races need to be more accessible, whether that is, in the case of the UK, through BT Sport airing the sprints on a ‘free to view’ basis, or streaming via YouTube, Dorna need to think outside of the box rather than sticking with tried and tested methods.
Some may feel that pay broadcasters would not benefit from such a move. However, I would argue that a strong, easily accessible sprint race on Saturdays would entice fans to seek out the main event on Sunday via pay TV, not only benefiting MotoGP but also Moto2 and Moto3.
F1’s pay TV audience has grown in recent years, so why should MotoGP be any different in this regard?
Dorna has adjusted their Saturday schedule so that the sprint is the last event of the day. MotoGP’s final practice session and qualifying have both moved to Saturday mornings, which has caused some broadcasters, such as BT, to change how they cover the day.
2022’s Saturday schedule (local time)
2023’s Saturday schedule (local time)
09:00 to 09:40 – Moto3 Practice
08:40 to 09:10 – Moto3 Practice
09:55 to 10:40 – MotoGP Practice
09:25 to 09:55 – Moto2 Practice
10:55 to 11:35 – Moto2 Practice
10:10 to 10:40 – MotoGP Practice
10:55 to 11:30 – MotoGP Qualifying
12:35 to 13:15 – Moto3 Qualifying
13:30 to 14:00 – MotoGP Practice
12:50 to 13:30 – Moto3 Qualifying
14:10 to 14:50 – MotoGP Qualifying
13:45 to 14:25 – Moto2 Qualifying
15:10 to 15:50 – Moto2 Qualifying
15:00 – MotoGP Sprint
Previously, BT began their Saturday presentation offering at 11:00 UK time (12:00 local time), giving them ample time to discuss all three classes, and analyse the crucial qualifying sessions.
Retaining this structure would have resulted in neither the final MotoGP practice session nor qualifying receiving the full ‘bells and whistles’ treatment as in previous years.
For the first round in Portugal, BT made a few adjustments to their MotoGP broadcasts:
Friday – Taking the World Feed commentary instead of producing their own commentary.
Saturday – Extending their presentation offering, coming on-air two hours earlier at 10:00 local time, allowing them to cover MotoGP qualifying through their own presentation team. All three morning practice sessions for the three classes aired via BT Sport 5 (the Red Button for viewers on Sky).
Sunday – Airing the post-race Chequered Flag programme later in the evening as a standalone show instead of following the MotoGP race.
For BT, covering the MotoGP qualifying session in detail is essential, as it determines the starting grid for both Saturday’s sprint and Sunday’s main event.
A longer show means additional preparation time, not just for the production team, but also for those in front of the camera.
Five minutes of television do not happen by magic, and every segment or feature requires resources: a presenter, a camera operator, and someone to edit it all together to make compelling television.
While BT adjusted for Argentina and last weekend in America (notably producing their commentary feed for Friday’s and airing MotoGP practice on the main channel), the broadcaster is at the behest of series organisers who dictate the weekend schedules.
From a fan perspective, MotoGP qualifying feels too early in the weekend. From a broadcaster’s perspective, a difficult-to-fill 80-minute filler gap follows the session.
A better approach would be to move MotoGP qualifying to after the lunch break at 12:00 local time, with Moto3 and Moto2 qualifying following, the two series benefiting from having the main class immediately before it.
Some fans criticised the decision to move Moto3 and Moto2 practice off BT Sport 2 on Saturday mornings, which shows the need to strike a balance between appealing to the hardcore fanatic who wants every session live and the new fan who wants to know more about the stories in the main class.
While sympathising with those who do want to watch practice over additional MotoGP content, the fact is that airing the latter has a better chance of increasing the audience than the former.
A source compared the situation to thinking of it in a “multi-screen way,” giving viewers the choice of what they want to watch, like how Discovery treats other significant events, such as the tennis Australian Open tournament.
A similar problem exists on Sunday’s, but for a completely different reason: the Rider’s Parade would be better after Moto3 and Moto2, to benefit from a higher attendance rather than taking place in front of half empty grandstands.
The need to go further
Aside from the sprint, Dorna has made other changes for 2023, notably the introduction of a new signature theme for the series.
Academy Award nominee and Emmy-winning composer Marco Beltrami is the man behind the MotoGP theme. Beltrami approached MotoGP with his idea, saying that the new theme had to be “something simple, rhythmic, heroic.”
Ladies and gentlemen, the 2023 #MotoGP opening titles! 📽️
Beethoven inspired Beltrami for the theme. “The first place I looked was Beethoven, his ninth symphony, in the second movement you have a really simple rhythmic motif and I thought maybe that’s the starting place for my theme. That’s basically what I did.”
Comparisons with Formula 1’s opening theme are inevitable: Hollywood composers pitch both, with similar structures throughout both sets of titles.
F1’s theme, composed by Brian Tyler, launched in 2018, with F1 working with third parties on new opening titles each year since. Instead of comparing MotoGP’s first version with F1’s sixth, a better comparison would be to compare with MotoGP’s inaugural effort with F1’s 2018 titles.
The cinematography in MotoGP’s effort is superb, arguably better than some of F1’s recent efforts from a visual perspective. The intro does well to introduce the stars of the show, which is Dorna’s main intention.
Unfortunately, what lets the sequence down is that it is pedestrian, ironically the opposite problem to what F1’s first opening sequence encountered, which introduced the 20 drivers at breakneck speed. Shaving ten seconds off the opening titles would still get the message across to newer viewers watching at home.
When F1 launched their new branding, it came at a time of change for the sport, and the sport’s owners wanted to emphasise that across the screen.
MotoGP is not in such a position: there are no new owners, and what we have on-screen this year is a mix between new and old. New sprint, new theme, same owners, same logo, same graphics, same over-the-top platform.
The latter is a sticking point where Dorna was once ahead of F1 but has fallen behind. The Video Pass service uploads sessions as soon as they have finished and has a rich archive dating back to 1992, which should make it a hot commodity for MotoGP fans.
F1’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) proposition is significantly cheaper than MotoGP. The MotoGP service costs €199.99 across a full season compared to roughly €74.99 (territory dependent) for the F1 equivalent. Meanwhile, MotoGP’s YouTube channel is light years behind F1’s channel.
Does MotoGP need an overhaul that goes far and beyond what current owners Dorna have delivered? Maybe that is what Dan Rossomondo, MotoGP’s new Chief Commercial Officer, will help deliver.
Rossomondo joins Dorna with a wealth of experience, having previously been Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships and Media at the NBA.
“Dan’s vision for the commercial future of MotoGP fits perfectly with our views: fresh ideas, increased reach, and commitment to take the sport to new heights,” said Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports.
“At the helm, I’m confident he will provide existing partners with the best possible results and relationships, and at the same time will work to search out new, like-minded media, marketing and licensing partners.”
“We know Dan can bring a lot to Dorna and our biggest property, MotoGP, and on a personal level we’re also very much looking forward to working with him. We’re very excited to begin this new chapter.”
MotoGP has started 2023 off on the right note. Now, it is for the team at Dorna to continue that work so MotoGP can thrive into the future.
The motor racing season continues to roar back into action this weekend, with the return of MotoGP and Supercars action!
For UK fans, both championships air live on BT Sport, however, there are other viewing options available across the board for fans wanting to dip their toes into the action.
MotoGP – the coverage
2022 is BT’s ninth season covering MotoGP, along with feeder series Moto2 and Moto3, with every session airing live on BT Sport 2.
In addition to BT Sport’s pay TV offering, free-to-air highlights will air on Monday evenings on ITV4.
In a new element to the ITV deal that began last season, the broadcaster will also cover two races live. The British MotoGP race will air live on ITV, while ITV4 will cover action from one other round live.
Both BT’s and ITV’s current arrangements with commercial rights holder Dorna run until the end of 2024.
The new season begins in Qatar, which is the earliest for the championship, and its predecessors, since 1964. Back then, the first race took place on 2nd February in America, with Mike Hailwood coming out victorious.
Not only does the championship start earlier, but so does the race, with all sessions two hours earlier than last year for UK fans.
The switch from British Summer Time (BST) to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) offsets one hour, with the sessions taking place one hour earlier than previously.
ITV4’s highlights package airs later than usual on Monday thanks to FA Cup action.
Alternatively, fans can watch MotoGP via Dorna’s in-house over-the-top platform. Priced at €199.99 across the year, or £167.13 based on current conversion rates, the price gives fans access to all the action live, and access to MotoGP’s rich and ever-expanding archive.
Considering the increase in races this season, the price represents better value for money than in previous years.
MotoGP – the personnel
It is in-house where the biggest changes come for MotoGP, following Steve Day’s decision to step down as lead commentator at the end of 2021.
Day, who succeeded Nick Harris in the role, stepped down after four years as World Feed lead commentator.
Writing on his Instagram at the time, Day said that he had made the “incredibly difficult decision to leave my role in order to spend some more time at home with my family, my friends and to work on some new and exciting projects.”
Replacing Day is Louis Suddaby. Suddaby is already a familiar voice to MotoGP’s fanbase, having been part of their social media presenting and editorial team in recent years.
Suzi Perry continues to lead BT Sport’s MotoGP offering, with Gavin Emmett and Neil Hodgson providing analysis throughout the weekend.
Friday 4th March 08:45 to 16:00 – Practice (BT Sport 2) => 08:50 – Moto3: Practice 1 => 09:45 – Moto2: Practice 1 => 10:40 – MotoGP: Practice 1 => 13:10 – Moto3: Practice 2 => 14:05 – Moto2: Practice 2 => 15:00 – MotoGP: Practice 2
Saturday 5th March 08:15 to 11:15 – Practice (BT Sport 2) => 08:25 – Moto3: Practice 3 => 09:20 – Moto2: Practice 3 => 10:15 – MotoGP: Practice 3 12:00 to 16:15 – Qualifying (BT Sport 2) => 12:30 – Moto3: Qualifying => 13:25 – Moto2: Qualifying => 14:20 – MotoGP: Practice 4 => 15:00 – MotoGP: Qualifying
Sunday 6th March 08:30 to 09:45 – Asia Talent Cup (BT Sport 2) 10:00 to 17:00 – Races (BT Sport 2) => 10:00 – Warm Ups => 11:15 – Moto3: Race => 13:00 – Moto2: Race => 14:30 – MotoGP: Race => 16:00 – Chequered Flag
Monday 7th March 21:45 to 22:45 – Highlights (ITV4)
Full scheduling details for the 2022 Qatar MotoGP. Scheduling details correct as of Monday 28th February and are subject to change.
Supercars returns
Down under in Australia, the Supercars series gets back underway with the Sydney SuperNight event!
Triple Eight’s Shane van Gisbergen is looking to successfully defend his championship after winning his second title last year.
While BT Sport airs every race live for UK based readers, fans wanting to get closer to the action can do by subscribing to the SuperView service. New for 2022, fans can also access SuperView via YouTube.
The service, which costs £38.14 across the year based on current conversion rates, gives fans access to every race, including feeder series, as well as on-demand replays of qualifying and the race itself.
Like MotoGP, Supercars has their own in-house broadcast team, which international broadcasters use.
Neil Crompton and five-time champion Mark Skaife lead the commentary line-up, supported by an expert team including three-time champion Craig Lowndes and Triple Eight endurance co-driver Garth Tander.
Friday 4th March 02:00 to 08:00 – Practice => 04:15 – Practice 1 => 07:10 – Practice 2
Saturday 5th March 01:15 to 10:45 – Race 1 => 03:45 – Qualifying, Race 1 => 05:30 – Top 10 Shootout, Race 1 => 08:10 – Race 1 => Race 1 airs live on BT Sport Extra 1 from 08:00 to 10:45
Sunday 6th March 21:00 (Saturday) to 07:00 – Race 2 => 23:50 (Saturday) – Qualifying, Race 2 => 01:05 – Top 10 Shootout, Race 2 => 03:30 – Race 2 => Race 2 airs live on BT Sport/ESPN from 03:30 to 06:00
Full scheduling details for the 2022 Sydney SuperNight event. Scheduling details correct as of Tuesday 1st March and are subject to change.
If scheduling details change, this article will be updated.
Additional Supercars details provided by Joshua Kerr.
A new era begins for the World Rally Championship this weekend, as the championship moves to hybrid-power cars for the first time, under the Rally1 banner.
Sebastien Ogier fended off competition from Elfyn Evans to win his eighth championship last year.
While Ogier will be part of the Monte Carlo season opener, Ogier is not competing in a full season, meaning it is all to play for in the hybrid era.
WRC’s over-the-top platform All Live returns for its fifth season, allowing fans to see all the rallying action live.
New for 2022, the platform also allows fans to watch its European companion, the European Rally Championship live, for £99.99 across the whole year.
As usual, the All Live offering, including studio analysis and service park coverage, will air across BT Sport’s platforms, including their Red Button service and online platforms.
Free-to-air highlights will continue to air on ITV4 in the week following each event.
The usual broadcast team returns to cover the action, with Becs Williams leading the commentary line-up for All Live viewers throughout the event, alongside the likes of Julian Porter, Molly Pettit, and Kevin Piper.
Thursday 20th January 08:30 to 09:30 – Shakedown (BT Sport Extra 1) 17:30 to 18:30 – Pre-Show and Ceremonial Start (BT Sport Extra 1) 19:00 to 21:30 – Stages 1 and 2 (BT Sport Extra 1) => 19:00 – Stage 1 (also on BT Sport 2) => 20:30 – Stage 2
Friday 21st January 06:00 to 18:30 – Stages 3 to 8 (BT Sport Extra 1) => 08:14 – Stage 3 => 09:17 – Stage 4 => 10:35 – Stage 5 => 13:16 – Stage 6 => 14:16 – Stage 7 => 15:37 – Stage 8 23:15 to 23:45 – Day 1 Highlights (BT Sport 2)
Saturday 22nd January 04:45 to 19:00 – Stages 9 to 13 (BT Sport Extra 1) => 07:15 – Stage 9 => 09:00 – Stage 10 => 10:15 – Stage 11 => 13:00 – Stage 12 => 14:15 – Stage 13 01:00 to 01:30 – Day 2 Highlights (BT Sport 1)
Sunday 23rd January 05:30 to 12:45 – Stages 14 to 17 (BT Sport Extra 1) => 07:45 – Stage 14 => 09:00 – Stage 15 (also on BT Sport 2) => 10:00 – Stage 16 => 11:00 – Stage 17 (also on BT Sport 2) 02:00 to 02:30 – Day 3 Highlights (BT Sport 3)
Wednesday 26th January 20:00 to 21:00 – Highlights (ITV4)
Full scheduling details for the 2022 Rally Monte Carlo. Scheduling details correct as of Wednesday 19th January and are subject to change.
If scheduling details do change, this article will be updated.
With 6 races to go in the 2021 Formula One season, just 6 points separate Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton as the championship returns to Texas for the United States Grand Prix!
For UK viewers, the weekend offering from both Sky Sports and Channel 4 looks a little different to usual – hence why Motorsport Broadcasting has opted to publish a full schedule for the weekend.
F1 – the coverage
Channel 4’s offering is the weakest from a free-to-air broadcaster in decades, partly by choice, and partly inflicted upon them.
With qualifying starting at 21:00 UK time on Saturday, Channel 4 have opted to air qualifying on Sunday morning instead of a late-night Saturday slot, as they did in 2019.
Meanwhile, the race edit begins just after midnight on Sunday, the earliest Channel 4 can contractually air the race.
Channel 4 have trimmed both shows back compared to usual: a one-hour qualifying show airs on Sunday with an 85-minute programme covering the race. Expect limited commercials, and a weekend featuring primarily World Feed content.
The actual race edits should be the same length as usual, except without the usual bells and whistles that production company Whisper usually provide.
Given the closeness of the championship race, one wonders whether Channel 4 should have negotiated with Sky to bring the free-to-air highlights package forward, even by an hour to 23:05.
Doing so would unlikely deplete Sky’s live audience, but boost Channel 4’s figure significantly, resulting in a net gain overall. Thankfully this is not a championship decider, because having the F1 title won at 01:00 on free-to-air television is not in anyone’s interests.
By way of comparison, 30 years ago, the BBC aired a 50-minute highlights package of the US Grand Prix from Phoenix in a late night time slot on BBC Two.
Sky have seemingly reacted to Channel 4’s qualifying conundrum by opting to simulcast their live coverage on their new Sky Showcase channel, enabling more viewers to watch qualifying across Sky, Virgin Media and BT TV.
F1 – the team and W Series
With a reduced offering comes a change in presenter, as Lee McKenzie steps into Steve Jones’s presenting shoes for Channel 4.
Martin Brundle returns to Sky’s coverage after missing both the Russian and Turkish rounds, with Jenson Button also joining the team out in Austin.
For the first time, IndyCar and NASCAR star Danica Patrick joins Sky’s offering. One person not with Sky is Ted Kravitz, Kravitz part of the W Series team during the US Grand Prix weekend.
Live coverage of the W Series airs across More4 and Channel 4, the Saturday race airing on More4 with the season finale airing on Channel 4.
All F1 sessions are available to listen live via BBC’s F1 website
Thursday 21st October 21:00 to 22:00 – The F1 Show (Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event) 22:00 to 22:30 – F1: Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live) 23:00 to 00:30 – F1: Drivers’ Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)
Friday 22nd October 17:00 to 18:45 – F1: Practice 1 (Sky Sports F1) 20:45 to 22:30 – F1: Practice 2 (Sky Sports F1)
Saturday 23rd October 18:45 to 20:10 – F1: Practice 3 (Sky Sports F1) => also BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra from 18:55 to 20:05 20:30 to 21:00 – Hamilton vs Verstappen: The Season so Far (Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Showcase) 21:00 to 23:45 – F1: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Showcase) => Sky Showcase until 23:15 => also BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra from 21:55 to 23:05 23:05 to 00:25 – W Series: Race 1 (More4)
Sunday 24th October 08:00 to 08:30 – W Series: Race 1 Highlights (Channel 4) 08:30 to 09:30 – F1: Qualifying Highlights (Channel 4) 16:30 to 18:00 – W Series: Race 2 (Channel 4) 18:30 to 23:00 – F1: Race => 18:30 – Grand Prix Sunday (Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event) => 19:55 – Race (Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event) => also BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra from 19:45 to 22:00 => 22:00 – Chequered Flag (Sky Sports F1) 00:05 to 01:30 – F1: Race Highlights (Channel 4)
Full scheduling details for the 2021 United States Grand Prix. Scheduling details correct as of Friday 15th October and are subject to change.
Meanwhile, MotoGP heads back to Misano, the Emilia Romagna race filling the void left by the cancellation of the flyaway rounds.
With a 52-point advantage, Fabio Quartararo is odds on favourite to win his first MotoGP World Championship. As always, live coverage of every session airs on BT Sport 2, with highlights airing on ITV4.
Elsewhere in motor racing, the British Touring Car Championship concludes with all the action from Brands Hatch airing live on ITV4.
Friday 22nd October 08:00 to 15:15 – Practice (BT Sport 2) => 08:00 – Moto3 => 08:55 – MotoGP => 09:55 – Moto2 => 12:15 – Moto3 => 13:10 – MotoGP => 14:10 – Moto2
Saturday 23rd October 08:00 to 15:00 – Practice and Qualifying (BT Sport 2) => 08:00 – Moto3: Practice 3 => 08:55 – MotoGP: Practice 3 => 09:55 – Moto2: Practice 3 => 11:35 – Moto3: Qualifying => 12:30 – MotoGP: Practice 4 => 13:10 – MotoGP: Qualifying => 14:10 – Moto2: Qualifying
Sunday 24th October 07:30 to 14:30 – Races (BT Sport 2) => 07:30 – Warm Ups => 09:15 – Moto3: Race => 11:00 – Moto2: Race => 12:30 – MotoGP: Race => 14:00 – Chequered Flag
Monday 25th October 20:00 to 21:00 – Highlights (ITV4)
Full scheduling details for the 2021 Emilia Romagna MotoGP. Scheduling details correct as of Friday 15th October and are subject to change.
Motorsport Broadcasting 