UK F1 TV viewing figures rise, but Sky hit the skids

It has been a promising start to the 2015 Formula One season in the UK, with TV viewing figures recording an increase of eight percent compared with the first half of 2014, unofficial overnight viewing figures show. The figures have been boosted by better scheduling decisions, along with closer racing heading into the Summer break.

> BBC viewing figures increase 12 percent
> Sky slides to record low
> Combined numbers up on 2012 and 2014, but down on 2013

For newer readers to the blog, it is worth mentioning what the figures cover. All the figures in this post are BARB overnight viewing figures. BBC’s viewing figures are for their entire programme, irrespective of whether it ran 160 minutes or 190 minutes. Sky’s viewing figures are for the three and a half hour slot from 12:00 to 15:30, or equivalent. The pay-TV broadcaster opted to split their race day programming into four blocks, the numbers for Sky Sports that I report on this site covers the Pit Lane Live and Race Show segments and are all weighted averages. Sky’s figures also include any simulcasts that have occurred. For the avoidance of doubt, the last four races have been simulcast on Sky Sports 1: Canada, Austria, Britain and Hungary.

To the contrary, online viewing is not included. Only Sky will know how many people are watching Formula 1 via Sky Go, similarly the same can be said for BBC iPlayer, although some figures are released into the public domain for the latter, which I’ve summarised below. All comparisons are for the first half of each season. 2015’s half way figure includes Hungary, as it was round 10 of 19. 2014’s half way analysis did not include Hungary, as it was round 11 of 19.

The 2015 story
Beginning with Sky Sports F1, their race day programming from 12:00 to 15:30 has averaged 657k. As mentioned, that number includes Sky Sports 1 simulcasts. It is the lowest number since the channel has launched. The previous lowest was for the first half of the 2013 season, which averaged 724k. The 2015 number is down 15.3 percent on the first half of 2012, down 9.3 percent on 2013, and down 11.9 percent on 2014. You don’t need to know a lot about viewing figures to realise that the numbers are grim for Sky. Only three races have increased year-on-year for the broadcaster – Spain (up 5.0 percent due to exclusivity), Austria (up 4.3 percent) and Britain (up 27.0 percent due to no Wimbledon clash). All the other races have dropped, in some cases by fairly sizeable proportions.

The substantial drop for Sky is surprising given that at the end of 2014, I was reporting the highest figures since channel launch for the broadcaster. Quoting from that post, I said: “It will be intriguing to see if Sky can continue the upwards swing heading into 2015, or whether BBC can claw back a few viewers off Sky that they have lost during 2014.” It is difficult to say exactly why the audiences have dropped, although I think the negative publicity that Formula 1 faced at the beginning of 2015 could be attributed to it. Sky’s numbers are also affected by the earlier start times for Australia, Malaysia and China, all three of which dropped year-on-year, although you would expect same day timeshift to make up the drop in figures.

Where Sky have dropped, BBC have gained. Their average audience has increased by 12 percent, up from 3.12m to 3.51m. 2015’s number is down though on 2013’s first half average number of 3.81m, which was influenced by the “multi 21” controversy, alongside the German Grand Prix highlights show directly following the final of Wimbledon. BBC’s figures so far this season are good. Luck has come their way compared with previous years: the removal of the German Grand Prix meant that BBC have three live races in a row, whilst the crew have also covered both of the surprise Ferrari victories live this season.

Only one race has recorded a lower audience on the BBC compared with last year, that being the Spanish Grand Prix which the broadcaster screened as a highlights programme versus live in 2014. Every other race has increased, which shows that, even in Sky’s fourth season, free-to-air is still king. Sky should be attempting to make in-roads into BBC’s audiences, but that is not happening, meaning that they are in turn failing to entice new people on-board.

Online and other viewing
As I have said before, tracking online viewing is incredibly difficult due to the nature of the beast. However, that is set to change soon. It was announced by BARB last month that they would be releasing the TV Player Report from September in beta. The report will provide “official figures on the level of viewing to on-demand and live-streamed content through online TV Player apps.” The report should give us a better indication of the broader picture regarding online viewing. I would expect some mentions of sporting events, depending on the size and shape of the weekly reports.

In terms of Sky Go, Sky say that it is now available in six million households.As I alluded to earlier, that figure means nothing without further detail. Just because it is available in six million households, it doesn’t mean that those six million households are using it regularly, let alone watching sports content. Over on the BBC TV, the Malaysian Grand Prix attracted 553k requests, Bahrain had 466k requests. As the BBC files show, the numbers include those that watched the live streams as well as On Demand afterwards. The highest number of requests that an F1 show has ever received on BBC iPlayer is 662k for the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix (although that is down to the circumstances involved). Aside from that, F1 has settled into the half a million requests region for iPlayer requests. If F1 is getting around that number on iPlayer, it is fair to assume that Sky Go’s numbers for Formula 1 struggle to hit 100k.

Combined audience and final thoughts
The combined TV average at the halfway stage of 2015 is 4.16m, an increase of 12 percent on 2014’s halfway figure of 3.87m. The viewing figures so far for 2015 are also up on 2012, but are down on 2013’s halfway average audience of 4.53m. Overall, the viewing figures so far have been really good, although admittedly as I have mentioned above, the BBC gets the majority of the credit for the increase. The TV viewing figures will be slightly below those recorded from between 2009 and 2011 when BBC covered the coverage exclusively, but when you include the online audience on BBC iPlayer, 2015 will not be that far behind 2011’s numbers. Working out the exact amount is impossible for a variety of reasons, but F1 2015 stands up well in comparison.

It is a very significant turnaround compared to this time last year, when I was reporting the lowest viewing figures for TV since 2008. The climb can be attributed to better scheduling, a lack of opposition this Summer, as well as a British driver being on top. However, the figures may be a surprise considering all but the last two races before the Summer break were mediocre in nature. Either way, anyone hoping that Formula 1’s viewing figures were going to drop will probably be left disappointed by the latest set of numbers. The only viewing figures that are dropping are Sky’s, a fact that they will be looking to turn around significantly in the latter half of 2015.

With reference to the 15 minute reach figures, a BBC spokesperson said “We’re delighted that our Formula 1 TV coverage continues to go from strength to strength with 1m more people watching our coverage compared to at this stage in 2014. It’s been a fantastic season so far and we look forward to bringing audiences the thrilling action of F1 for the remainder of 2015.” Sky did not respond within the timeframe to a request for comment concerning the viewing figures. If Sky do comment on the figures in the forthcoming days, I will amend this article.

Hungarian Grand Prix soars to best number since 2011

An adrenaline filled Hungarian Grand Prix, won by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, helped the race hit its highest number since 2011, unofficial overnight viewing figures show.

Race
Live coverage of the race, broadcast live on BBC One from 12:15 to 15:15, averaged a strong 3.87m (32.5%), peaking with 4.97m (36.8%) at 14:45. It is BBC’s highest number for Hungary since 2011, perhaps unsurprising given the fact that they have only covered Hungary in highlights form in recent years. Nevertheless, it is another reminder that live action does draw viewers, and that viewers do prefer watching something live – if they have the choice. Over on Sky Sports F1, their live coverage from 12:00 to 15:30 averaged 625k (5.3%), peaking with 830k (6.1%). Including the simulcast on Sky Sports 1, those numbers rise to 745k (6.3%), with a peak of 1.00m (7.4%), again at 14:45.

The combined average of 4.61m is the third highest on record, since at least the late 1990s. In recent times, 2009 averaged 4.81m (42.5%), whilst 2011 averaged 4.65m (42.2%), both slightly higher than 2015. The combined peak of 5.98m (44.2%) as Vettel won the race yesterday compares extremely well, only behind 2011’s peak audience of 6.10m (50.0%). It is no surprise that all of the highest peaks this year have been recorded when BBC are covering the race live, and all of those peaks have been in the six million viewer ballpark. I think I should underline that the Hungarian round has traditionally rated well with viewers, the last time the race rated under 4 million viewers was 2008.

The great number from Hungary, combined with some recent solid audiences, means that the 2015 Formula One season is currently 8 percent up year on year. I’ll have more analysis in a few weeks time, but the numbers bode well heading into the latter half of the season.

The 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix ratings report can be found here.

Scheduling: The 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix

The Formula 1 paddock returns from its first Summer break to what is going to be a sombre weekend at the Hungaroring, for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The scheduling details can be found below:

BBC F1
BBC TV – Sessions
24/07 – 08:55 to 10:35 – Practice 1 (BBC Two)
24/07 – 13:00 to 14:40 – Practice 2 (BBC Two)
25/07 – 09:55 to 11:10 – Practice 3 (BBC Two)
25/07 – 12:10 to 14:20 – Qualifying (BBC One)
26/07 – 12:15 to 15:15 – Race (BBC One)
26/07 – 15:15 to 16:15 – Forum (BBC Red Button)

BBC Radio – Sessions
24/07 – 08:55 to 10:35 – Practice 1 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
24/07 – 12:55 to 14:35 – Practice 2 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
25/07 – 09:55 to 11:05 – Practice 3 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
25/07 – 12:55 to 14:05 – Qualifying (BBC Radio 5 Live)
26/07 – 12:30 to 15:00 – Race (BBC Radio 5 Live)

Supplementary Programming
23/07 – 21:00 to 22:00 – Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)
24/07 – 18:45 to 19:00 – Inside F1 (BBC News Channel)
25/07 – 11:10 to 12:10 – F1 Rewind (BBC Two)
25/07 – 19:45 to 20:00 – Inside F1 (BBC News Channel)

Sky Sports F1
Sessions
24/07 – 08:45 to 11:00 – Practice 1
24/07 – 12:45 to 15:00 – Practice 2
25/07 – 09:45 to 11:15 – Practice 3
25/07 – 12:00 to 14:35 – Qualifying (also Sky Sports 1)
26/07 – 11:30 to 16:15 – Race (also Sky Sports 1)
=> 11:30 – Track Parade
=> 12:00 – Pit Lane Live
=> 12:30 – Race
=> 15:30 – Paddock Live

Supplementary Programming
23/07 – 14:00 to 14:30 – Driver Press Conference
23/07 – 20:45 to 21:00 – Paddock Uncut: Hungary
24/07 – 16:00 to 16:45 – Team Press Conference
24/07 – 17:00 to 18:00 – The F1 Show: A Tribute to Jules (also Sky Sports 1)
29/07 – 20:30 to 21:00 – Midweek Report

GP2 Series – Hungary (Sky Sports F1)
24/07 – 11:00 to 11:50 – Practice
24/07 – 14:50 to 15:30 – Qualifying
25/07 – 14:35 to 16:05 – Race 1
26/07 – 09:30 to 10:45 – Race 2

GP3 Series – Hungary (Sky Sports F1)
25/07 – 08:45 to 09:25 – Qualifying
25/07 – 16:15 to 17:15 – Race 1
26/07 – 08:20 to 09:20 – Race 2

If anything changes, I will update the schedule above.

Predicting the 2016 calendar pick order

Note: This post is now rendered obsolete following the announcement that Channel 4 will be taking over the BBC’s rights from 2016 onwards. A new post will be uploaded in due course.

In the biggest shake-up of the Formula 1 calendar in quite some time, the 2016 season will contain 21 races, with a bit of a calendar reshuffle. The season was originally set to start in April, but now it looks like a March start is back on the cards. It is tradition for The F1 Broadcasting Blog each year to predict the BBC and Sky pick order. The main changes are that Malaysia and Russia swap ends on the calendar. Baku, listed as the European Grand Prix, has been added in June, controversially clashing with the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 2016 is the fifth year of the current BBC and Sky broadcasting contract. The calendar, as it is stands, is therefore as follows:

I’ve done the calendar above as a table, given the amount of year-on-year changes, it means that there are a few timing changes which may influence the pick order – although sadly for BBC, the Australian Grand Prix will not be on at 07:00 UK time! Because of the way the BBC and Sky deal works, both sides have to ‘pick’ races. The races that BBC pick will be shown live on BBC One and Sky Sports F1, while the races that Sky pick will be shown exclusively live on Sky Sports F1, with highlights on BBC One. The picks go as follows:

– BBC pick three races (pick 1, 2 and 3)
– Sky pick three races (pick 4, 5 and 6)
– BBC pick one race (pick 7)
– Sky pick one race (pick 8)

This continues until every race has been picked. There are 21 races on the calendar, so BBC will screen ten races live with Sky screening eleven races exclusively live. We found out earlier this year that the picks do not change in the event of a race being dropped from the calendar. Even though Germany was dropped from the 2015 calendar, the picks stayed the same, meaning BBC were able to broadcast three races in a row live. There are a lot of different factors in the 2016 season, more so than usual, with the European Championships playing a part throughout the middle phase of the season. However, crucially, the Olympic Games does not clash with the Formula 1, which is a genius move. Again, this post is only for discussion and a bit of fun with the pick orders. My tally for 2015 of getting 11 out of 19 correct was slightly better than usual though, which is good!

BBC pick Britain, Abu Dhabi and Brazil – Abu Dhabi and Britain are compulsory picks being the last race of the season and the home race respectively. From the BBC’s perspective, USA and Mexico run deep into primetime at a time of the year where they will have big programming, and Canada clashes with the opening weekend of Euro 2016, so again Brazil is the only option for their third pick in my view. What it does mean is that they definitely cannot pick Mexico, as they can’t have three live races in a row. Does the fact that the title race looks likely to be resolved earlier than usual change things? I don’t think so given that Mexico and USA run deeper into primetime than Brazil, and thus would disrupt BBC One’s schedule more. I’d expect to see Sky picking Canada, USA and Australia. It’s a tie between Australia and Monaco really, but the season opener is still a big deal in the eyes of Sky. BBC could in theory pick Australia instead of Brazil, but they haven’t picked Australia since this deal began, and I don’t see that changing. There might have been more chance of BBC picking Australia had it stayed in April, but not now. Ridiculously, the British Grand Prix now falls on the same day as not only the Wimbledon final (meaning demotion to BBC Two) but also with the final of Euro 2016.

Mexico and Monaco I would expect to be on BBC’s and Sky’s agenda early, a primetime race and a prestigious race. Bahrain too has to figure somewhere, arguably its positioning makes it a great pick for BBC. I can see BBC picking Bahrain, and as discussed earlier, Sky pick Mexico. In reality, Mexico would probably be left until the end given that BBC have already gone for the last two places, but I’m trying to do it blocks so the post does not get too confusing. Mexico takes priority over Monaco because it could be a championship decider.

We are left in this position:

March 20th – Australia (Melbourne) – Sky
April 3rd – Bahrain (Sakhir) – BBC
April 17th – China (Shanghai)
May 1st – Russia (Sochi)
May 15th – Spain (Barcelona)
May 29th – Monaco (Monaco)
June 12th – Canada (Montreal) – Sky
June 19th – Europe (Baku)
July 3rd – Austria (Red Bull Ring)
July 10th – Britain (Silverstone)
July 24th – Hungary (Budapest)
July 31st – Germany (Hockenheim)
August 28th – Belgium (Spa)
September 4th – Italy (Monza)
September 18th – Singapore (Marina Bay)
October 2nd – Malaysia (Sepang)
October 9th – Japan (Suzuka)
October 23rd – USA (Circuit of the Americas) – Sky
November 6th – Mexico (Mexico City) – Sky
November 13th – Brazil (Interlagos) – BBC
November 27th – Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina) – BBC

Normally, at this stage, I’d work down from start to finish, but Euro 2016 complicates matters. For that reason, I think we will see BBC pick Monaco and Sky pick Italy. It is unusual for me to label Monaco as pick nine, but I do think BBC will consider Bahrain high priority, whilst the addition of Mexico bumps it further down the order. BBC are certainly not going to jump for any race that clashes indirectly or directly with Euro 2016. Sky probably would want some exclusive live F1 content during the Summer next year, but it certainly won’t be at the sacrifice of screening either USA or Mexico exclusively live, for example. Following that, BBC pick Germany, Sky pick Belgium, BBC pick Singapore and Sky pick Malaysia. Lastly in this set, BBC pick Russia and Sky pick Spain. Spain does clash with the end of the Premier League season though, which is worth bearing in mind.

The schedule therefore looks like this:

March 20th – Australia (Melbourne) – Sky
April 3rd – Bahrain (Sakhir) – BBC
April 17th – China (Shanghai)
May 1st – Russia (Sochi) – BBC
May 15th – Spain (Barcelona) – Sky
May 29th – Monaco (Monaco) – BBC
June 12th – Canada (Montreal) – Sky
June 19th – Europe (Baku)
July 3rd – Austria (Red Bull Ring)
July 10th – Britain (Silverstone) – BBC
July 24th – Hungary (Budapest)
July 31st – Germany (Hockenheim) – BBC
August 28th – Belgium (Spa) – Sky
September 4th – Italy (Monza) – Sky
September 18th – Singapore (Marina Bay) – BBC
October 2nd – Malaysia (Sepang) – Sky
October 9th – Japan (Suzuka)
October 23rd – USA (Circuit of the Americas) – Sky
November 6th – Mexico (Mexico City) – Sky
November 13th – Brazil (Interlagos) – BBC
November 27th – Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina) – BBC

We’re left with China, Baku, Austria, Hungary and Japan. BBC cannot pick China or Hungary, Sky cannot pick Japan, otherwise they would be showing three races in a row live, which they cannot do unless something drops out. At this stage, it is between Baku and Austria. It is assumed that Baku will clash with the final few hours of the 24 Hours of Le Mans but not the end of the race. Austria clashes with the London ePrix, but it is not a direct clash – the ePrix starts at 16:00 UK time, although there will be personnel clashes. I think BBC pick Austria as it forms a double-header with Britain. Sky pick Baku, BBC pick Japan and Sky pick both China and Hungary.

Which leaves us with this final calendar:

March 20th – Australia (Melbourne) – Sky
April 3rd – Bahrain (Sakhir) – BBC
April 17th – China (Shanghai) – Sky
May 1st – Russia (Sochi) – BBC
May 15th – Spain (Barcelona) – Sky
May 29th – Monaco (Monaco) – BBC
June 12th – Canada (Montreal) – Sky
June 19th – Europe (Baku) – Sky
July 3rd – Austria (Red Bull Ring) – BBC
July 10th – Britain (Silverstone) – BBC
July 24th – Hungary (Budapest) – Sky
July 31st – Germany (Hockenheim) – BBC
August 28th – Belgium (Spa) – Sky
September 4th – Italy (Monza) – Sky
September 18th – Singapore (Marina Bay) – BBC
October 2nd – Malaysia (Sepang) – Sky
October 9th – Japan (Suzuka) – BBC
October 23rd – USA (Circuit of the Americas) – Sky
November 6th – Mexico (Mexico City) – Sky
November 13th – Brazil (Interlagos) – BBC
November 27th – Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina) – BBC

I don’t think we will know the actual picks until the New Year, as the Euro 2016 draw does not take place until December. Either way, this is an initial guess at how things will transpire.

Updated on October 18th, 2015.

A significant milestone

The date: Friday 29th July 2011.
The location: Budapest.
The time: 07:00 UK.

The press release went out. The paddock left to clean up the mess, as the fans looked on in shock and disbelief. “BBC TV and Sky Sports have been awarded the live rights to Formula 1™ between 2012 and 2018”, were the words at the top of the press release.

It was something that the majority of Formula 1 fans in the UK feared would happen. The move was a result of the licence fee settlement the previous Autumn, which meant that the BBC had to tighten budgets in all departments. It was either Six Nations, Wimbledon or Formula 1 that was going to be chopped. Axing Wimbledon or the Six Nations, both of which have been BBC staples for decades, would have been extremely controversial, especially when you consider the number of people that play tennis and rugby at grass roots levels.

The axe swung towards Formula 1, as the BBC entered a deal with Sky Sports. The move was controversial, more so considering that the sport in the UK was at its peak in popularity. Despite Sebastian Vettel’s dominance, the majority of races in 2011 peaked with over six million viewers. Since then, numbers have dropped. When Formula 1 bosses wonder why some fans are more vocal than previously in relation to the current on-track product this season, I’d give the same answer that I gave to BBC’s chief F1 writer Andrew Benson on Twitter: “People are more likely to complain about something that they have to pay for rather than something that is free to air…”

So, why did the BBC go into allegiance with Sky and not another free-to-air broadcaster? Unfortunately for BBC, ITV had already allocated budgets for 2012 to cover the European Championships, and therefore could not be considered. Channel 4 were also not considered, despite their interest in securing the rights. I mention this in light of yesterday’s news that the Six Nations rights will be shared between BBC and ITV from 2016 to 2021. There are some similarities between the two, but also some interesting differences. The main similarity in both cases is that the original BBC contract ended early. For Formula 1, the BBC contract was originally 2009 to 2013. BBC renegotiated the contract in the middle of 2011. BBC’s current Six Nations contract was scheduled to last until 2017, except the shared offering with ITV means that the new contract will begin with immediate effect. The reasoning though is different. BBC were always going to get into discussions with the Six Nations Council at this stage it appears. However, Sky Sports also tabled a bid, which led BBC to go to ITV, tabling a joint bid to knock Sky off to stage left.

The key difference between the F1 situation and the Six Nations situation is that the BBC were able to bring ITV as partner on board for the rugby, which they couldn’t do for the F1 due to the point made above. The benefit of any joint BBC and ITV bid is that it is far more compelling for a rights holder to accept a joint bid from free-to-air broadcasters than a single one from a pay-TV broadcaster given the extra exposure that it would bring to the championship. However, BBC were left with no other choice. Had they not gone into partnership with ITV, then they risked either losing the Six Nations completely or needing to go into partnership with Sky Sports. The reaction to the last partnership would be a lot more volatile than the former option…

We’re half-way through the current Formula 1 contract. What happens next? For the next six to nine months, nothing. As mentioned earlier, the current contract between BBC, Sky and FOM runs out at the end of 2018. With the recent licence fee settlement that played out earlier this week. At the moment, no one knows what BBC Sport’s budget will or will not be in the years to come, but one thing is for sure, it will be lower, hence why BBC could not justify outbidding Sky for the Six Nations. The situation is complicated, and there are a lot of different factors that come into play. Do BBC and Sky want to continue their existing relationship? Or would BBC prefer to be in partnership with another free-to-air channel? And where does BT Sport fit into this, if anywhere?

My gut instinct tells me that the deal will be renegotiated before the end of the contract. By renegotiation, I do not mean BBC pulling out the contract. What I mean is BBC and Sky renegotiating their existing contract, in order to extend it to around 2021 or 2022. This assumes that the BBC are happy with the current product, the current viewing figures, what they are currently paying compared with what they are getting and whether they can afford to pay that much. If BBC cannot pay that much, could we realistically see a situation where the BBC only broadcasts only the British, first and last races live? I don’t know. But I definitely think the current deal will be renegotiated early, from the BBC’s longer term perspective that probably is the best option rather than letting the contract run until its end. It would also be to Sky’s benefit as well, as it would mean that BT Sport do not get a look in. Running the contract to the end risks BT Sport and Sky Sports fighting over the live contract alone, should they wish to. However, it also depends whether FOM wishes to take the money or the viewers. As motorcycling fans will know, we’ve been in this position before.

ITV’s F1 contract was meant to last until 2010. They exited in 2008.
BBC’s F1 contract was meant to last until 2013. They renegotiated in 2011.
BBC’s and Sky’s current F1 agreement is meant to last until 2018. I suspect 2016 will be a very interesting year in F1 broadcasting…