ITV coverage

trevisio · 31 Jul 2005, 13:48 (Ref:1368221)

The ITV coverage is all about money. Full of too long, too frequent and badly timed ad breaks. Today they excelled themselves by advertising a premium rate SMS number to "vote on Jenson: should he stay at BAR" YAAAAWWWWNNNNN. Where is the racing????????? And where was the only ever plus point of the ITV coverage, Martin Brundle?

Kicking-back · 31 Jul 2005, 13:51 (Ref:1368223)

Martin is allowed to have a holiday for one race per year.

As for the SMS thing - if you don't want to do it, don't - but the profit made on such ventures is very small.

The ad-breaks are a necessity of commercial television.

This ITV bashing gets a bit tiresome.

trevisio · 31 Jul 2005, 14:06 (Ref:1368242)

Ok so Martin was on holiday.

I don't watch F1 for any reason other than racing, all the rest of it is pure unadulterated bullsh1t.

If the ad breaks can be managed with the fans in mind in other sports, like football, why not in F1?

This is not ITV bashing. Just a long time fan of F1 expressing his opinion on a public forum about the current state of F1.

If its becoming too tiresome for you, you don't have to read it.

BootsOntheSide · 31 Jul 2005, 14:07 (Ref:1368244)

The Italian TV coverage has 2 30-second breaks, so why does the UK have 5 3-minute breaks?

Kicking-back · 31 Jul 2005, 14:14 (Ref:1368248)

Because ITV has advertisers who're prepared to pay for those adverts.

You must always remember that commercial television channels are about making profit, rather than necessarily always pleasing the die-hard sports fan.

I would say - watch any motor race on USA television, and you'd realise we don't have it at all bad here

**John Turner** · 31 Jul 2005, 14:17 (Ref:1368251)

I don't like adverts at all but they are a fact of life. I missed Martin but Mark substituted well and I think the coverage was generally good, today. I was running between two rooms recording both the GP and Eurosports coverage of the Spa 24 hours in order to cut out the adverts!!!

GolddustMini · 31 Jul 2005, 14:21 (Ref:1368254)

3 ways to improve F1..

less aero so the cars can get close together and draft
bring back the slicks
a 5 inch long strip of gaffa - tape, firmly afixed over James Allens mouth...

esorniloc · 31 Jul 2005, 14:37 (Ref:1368267)

Strange time to have a holiday considering there is now a 3 week gap!

luke · 31 Jul 2005, 14:41 (Ref:1368272)

Wonder why he usually does it for the Hungary race?

Silk Cut Jaguar · 31 Jul 2005, 14:42 (Ref:1368273)

Martin's a clever guy, he can go off and spend DC's 10% for 4 weeks now.

Pitstop · 31 Jul 2005, 14:48 (Ref:1368279)

Quote:

Originally Posted by trevisio

If the ad breaks can be managed with the fans in mind in other sports, like football, why not in F1?

Good point. Why don't you direct that question to ITV and let us all know if/when you get a response and what it is?

Should be facinating

Menelaos · 31 Jul 2005, 14:52 (Ref:1368282)

It's terrible in Greece too. There are at least 4-5 2++ minute breaks and it's really annoying. At least I can have the pc logged in to the live timing at f1.com and I watch it from there while there are commercials on tv

Silk Cut Jaguar · 31 Jul 2005, 14:54 (Ref:1368286)

Aside from the commentary I have no real problem with the recent ITV coverage, since the almighty blunder of San Marino the ad breaks have for the most been timed fairly well.

Knowlesy · 31 Jul 2005, 14:54 (Ref:1368287)

ITV are crap, but really we should stop complaining as we are banging our head against a wall. Nothing will change.

Ads will always be there.

Jardine/Allen/Kravitz will always be there.

Post race stuff will always be brushed over.

Pre race stuff will always be unnecessarily long and trivial.

Just gotta live with it!

fantasytoca · 31 Jul 2005, 15:07 (Ref:1368295)

Quote:

Originally Posted by trevisio

If the ad breaks can be managed with the fans in mind in other sports, like football, why not in F1?

Sorry, but I've only just got up from the floor after falling off my chair laughing at this one

Errm - football has a break for half time (normally 30 minutes or so), so ITV can happily fit in three or four ad breaks during that period - are you seriously suggesting all of the drivers pull into the pits for 30 minutes after the first 30 laps or so!

Tell you what, let's make it even more like football and reverse the track direction after the break - now that would sort the men from the boys (though it would presumably help to lessen tire wear problems

)

Knowlesy · 31 Jul 2005, 15:10 (Ref:1368297)

ITV could get their ads in during the pre-race coverage but choose not to.

Kicking-back · 31 Jul 2005, 15:50 (Ref:1368318)

Because the advertisers want their ads during the race!

Why is that such a difficult concept for people to understand?

As for more post-race coverage - it'll never happen.

They have to keep the audience up, and 10-thousand people a second turn off once the flag falls at the end.

Knowlesy · 31 Jul 2005, 15:51 (Ref:1368321)

I understand the adverts during a race concept, but then you look at other sports and their adverts are shown during pre and post game shows, when supposedly "10-thousand people a second turn off".

Kicking-back · 31 Jul 2005, 15:52 (Ref:1368323)

Football is the only sport that is an exception - and it has a natural break, F1 doesn't.

Knowlesy · 31 Jul 2005, 15:54 (Ref:1368324)

Yes, but during that natural break everyone puts the kettle on and brews tea!

trevisio · 31 Jul 2005, 16:26 (Ref:1368332)

So, instead of having 1 long boring race where drivers don't overtake on track and wait for pit stops, why not have 2 or even 3 races per "Grand Prix day", cars no aero, no pit stops and commercial TV can have all the ads they want in the gaps???

Sorry for pointing out the negatives, I just remember when it was on BBC and drivers like Mansell actually went for it, making it worth watching!

Kicking-back · 31 Jul 2005, 16:39 (Ref:1368334)

I don't think there's any connection between the aero rules and F1 being on ITV

Knowlesy · 31 Jul 2005, 16:50 (Ref:1368342)

Yes there is. That's ITV's fault as well.

IL LEONE · 31 Jul 2005, 17:10 (Ref:1368349)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Martin is allowed to have a holiday for one race per year.

As for the SMS thing - if you don't want to do it, don't - but the profit made on such ventures is very small.

The ad-breaks are a necessity of commercial television.

This ITV bashing gets a bit tiresome.

The profit made on the 09 rate sms/tel number is actually fairly high percentage wise, a premium is paid to the telephone co and most of the charge can be profit. They had over 10,000 calls on this today which which would have been profitable. I don't know what itv charge per spot break, but a well known cable co would charge around £1K per spot break as part of an ad campaign for peak time viewing. So do the sums and you would get an approx value of the revenue for that period.

I'm absolutely against the ads during the GP but there's nothing anyone can do as stated they are there to make profit. They do not get their grubby hands on our money Quite as easy as the BBC does.

What was a bit OTT is to have the flaming thing repeated during the commentary of the race, fair enough if they want to run a poll or competition do it at the end or the beginning, but to have it repeated during the race is a bit too much (IMO.)

ralf fan · 31 Jul 2005, 18:39 (Ref:1368403)

Well James and Mark were awful today....

They didnt understand that Montoya was on a 2 stopper till JPM himself said so in the interview when to most race fans the fact was obvious...

There was no sort of excitment in their voices whatsoever...
JA "er.. oh look... Klein has overturned... ho hum... er i think i'll go to sleep"

Martin please dont take any more vacations...

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