Further ructions over BBC F1 deal.

Doesn't the government decide how much us licence fee payers pay, rather than the BBC anyway? If BBC have the money, then they should go for it. They have lost a lot of sports over the past few years without much opportunity to win them back because they can't compete with the likes of Sky with their deeper pockets that aren't capped when it comes to a bidding war. Bernie has done the right thing ensuring it stays on terrestrial, unlike the money conscious people who allowed cricket and football to be the preserve of those who can afford Sky etc. I'd imagine the BBC will make quite a bit of money from selling coverage too, meaning licence fee pays won't be making up the whole £200 mil or so

I think this has been covered all ready with previous comments in the other related articles... there is enough football on TV as it stands!

No probe or investigation is required, lets just let the BBC have it and celebrate advert free F1 on free to air TV.

Anything that keeps F1 on free to air TV is a good thing. Only wished it was true here in Portugal.:-(

"All-Party Scottish Football Group at Westminster"

WTF... I thought these w**nkers were supposed to be doing something useful whilst at westminster, being payed by the taxpayer to talk about poxy football!

And just how much public money was given towards building Wembley Stadium.....?

Adding to that, I bet we pay more to these MPs to keep them in the lifestyle they are accustomed to. I think I know where I'd rather have my money spent! Actually on something I can take advantage of, rather than watch my money squandered by someone else on a new John Lewis kitchen...

May one ask if those MPs so concerned about BBC disbursements for F1 are amongst those who are so concerned about transparency, that they are unwilling to reveal the disbursments made to them by the taxpayer in respect of expenses.
I commend to them the aphorism concerning pots and kettles.

Snoopy
Perhaps lining BE's pockets by paying an over inflated price when there was no evidence of competition for the contract is a better way of wasting the cash!

I've always maintained that the mere fact that somebody WANTS to become an MP makes them pretty dodgy in the first place! There is far too much Football on TV anyway and for MPs to be discussing this subject anyway really makes me wonder whether they have got their priorities right----there is no doubt that the lunatics are running the asylum.

Only a fraction of the cost will be made up of taxpayers IMO - the coverage will be sold all over the world, like the ITV coverage is. Surely that will make up quite a lot of the cost.

TriumphST, if F1 had gone to Sky then we'd be paying a lot more to line BE's pockets!

is scottish football really worth watching???? and at least motorracing has real men in it and not the bunch of over paid girlies they call footballers

This has to be the stupidest enquiry in history, some lowly Scottish MP's are somehow getting credibility for their view that rather than f1, BBC should be showing Scottish international matches, to try and make it clear to them I'm going to spell it out

NO ONE OUTSIDE OF SCOTLAND WANTS TO WATCH SCOTTISH FOOTBALL !

ITS APPEAL IS VIRTUALLY ZERO !

IF YOU CANT WATCH IT AT HOME JUST GO DOWN THE PUB AND WATCH IT ON SKY!

Do they honestly believe the BBC should pay huge amounts for something that will get crap viewing figures even in Scotland let alone outside. Other than Celtic and Rangers attendances at Scottish football matches is dire.

F1 is a giant coup, just accept it

Forgive me, but not being from Europe (like a few hundred million other fans around the world...) and not having access to BBC, does that mean that the official F1 feed outside of Europe will be fed from the BBC? New commentators too? Watson comin' out of retirement? Old commentators comin' back? What's so important about this BBC switch story to us non-Euro folks? Just curious

"It is beyond comprehension that Scotland football fans will not be able to watch their matches on terrestrial TV,"

How dare the Scotish football fans lose out to F1 fans from across the whole UK?!

Snoopy
I was under the impression the transmission was limited to UK only, certainly ITV didn't have worldwide rights (even with the latest deal on streaming is UK only) nor am I aware of interest from Sky or any other UK network.

My issue is why the BEEB didn't cut a better deal seeing as ITV wanted to dump F1 (ignoring what BE may say is the better option whatever the circumstances) and I didn't see any other expressions of interest?

And who thinks that Football "could and should be" on commercial TV ???

The programme that ITV uses is used in several countries (don't know which) - Brundle has said so a few times in his commentary. I doubt there were any rivals because no-one had the faintest ideas this was happening - I can only assume BE went to BBC and pitched it. If they said no though, it'd have probably stayed with ITV for the time being though.

Snoopy, the following was taken from the BBC website and doesn't mention worldwide rights only the UK. In the Guardian BE is reported to be disappointed the LH effect (if it ever existed) hadn't resulted in a bidding war.

......The BBC has secured the television rights to show Formula One in the UK from the 2009 season.
The five-year deal for an undisclosed fee marks F1's return to BBC screens 12 years after it switched to ITV.

The contract covers all platforms and will see F1 broadcast on the BBC Sport website, as well as on TV and radio.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said he was "delighted", adding: "The BBC has some innovative ideas to consolidate and expand our UK fan base."....

I bet not a single one of these Scottish MP's so obsessed with the Scottish Football Television rights has ever PAID to see there national side play... sure they may have been to watch them play, but i bet it was on a complementary hospitality ticket, thats how important seeing their national side loose is to them.

F1 should be a nice money spinner for the BBC, what with the other networks paying royalties for footage etc, one that will hopefully mean the shortfall in their budget next year will be slightly less than last years £2bn

thank god F1 will not be interupted by adverts for the forseeable future, you lose the thread of what is happening during them, at least in Spain they left F1 running by using picture in picture. I will not grumble about my license fee again

Are you people for real?????????
F-1 is a premier world penetration event. Football can be taped like the races and each presented in real-time style programming slots - without editing.
BBC will recover all its cost by resale of individual events and apply the margin of revenue above cost to reduce the rates paid.
Get a life. You've no idea how good you've got it. Just talk to a Brit returning from the colonies - you know, from over here.