Canal+ will broadcast the Grand Prix races in clear when they return to Europe!
Faced with the economic difficulties of the encrypted model, the television channel Canal +, which had obtained the broadcasting rights for F1 from 2013 to 2015, has just decided to broadcast the races free-to-air starting with the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.
After acquiring the television rights to Formula 1 for a three-year period – between 2013 and 2015 – Canal +, following a productive and calm Board of Directors meeting, decided to revise its broadcasting policy for the premier discipline of motorsport: F1 will be broadcast free-to-air starting with the return of the circuit to Europe.
The historic decision made by the Canal Group has surprised the French audiovisual landscape, but Cyril Linette, the channel’s sports director, assures that it is a well-considered choice: « Contrary to football, which is historically a subscription product, at least for Ligue 1, Formula 1 has built its foundation on free access. Today, we are not certain that the pay-per-view model is truly relevant. Therefore, it was logically decided to switch to free and clear broadcasting. »
If the Australian and Malaysian Grand Prix had rather satisfied the channel’s executives – with 400,000 and 800,000 subscribers in front of their decoders respectively – the advertising revenues did not meet expectations: « All economic models can be modified, and Canal+ has never closed the door to free-to-air broadcasting of its flagship products, which nonetheless remain promotional products. Formula 1 is a flagship product, and we must capitalize on Canal’s expertise and mastery to offer the best possible content – which we have demonstrated since the beginning of the season – with the inherent constraints of transitioning to free broadcasting. »
Indeed, while the transition to free-to-air broadcasting of races should delight viewers who have been frustrated since Canal + acquired the rights, others may be more skeptical, especially when Cyril Linette discusses the upcoming changes: Broadcasting a Grand Prix free-to-air requires different imperatives: five to six pages of advertising during the live broadcast will be necessary to recoup the costs of purchasing and producing such a spectacle. The same applies to the duration of pre- and post-race segments, which will be reduced, with a focus on studio interventions from Paris. Moreover, with free-to-air broadcasting, the show Formula One will effectively become obsolete, merging with Les Spécialistes F1 for a two-hour show, encrypted, on the Wednesday following the race, where features such as an almanac or a top 10 of the race might be incorporated. The precise content is still under consideration.
When asked about the schedule for this free-to-air broadcast, the director of sports replied: « It was decided that the first free-to-air broadcast of a Grand Prix would take place upon F1’s return to Europe, meaning for the Spanish Grand Prix. These are primarily contractual reasons: the change in the broadcasting method requires us to review the agreement we’ve signed with the FOM, and Bernie Ecclestone insists that an amendment to the contract reflects this change. On our side, this also allows us to finalize advertising contracts. Let’s hope everything goes smoothly. » Therefore, the Chinese and Bahrain Grand Prix will be broadcast in encrypted format.
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