The F1’s chief financial officer has therefore stated in the Telegraph<\/i> that he does not see how the BBC could prematurely terminate its contract since it would expose them to lawsuits from his side. \u00ab Let’s wait and see what happens with the BBC because right now they want to make a lot of noise. I don’t see how the BBC could cancel (its contract earlier than expected). We could probably sue them. \u00bb<\/p>\n
It must be said that the current contract provides for the payment of 30 million pounds (35 million euros) from the public broadcaster, which is exactly half of the expected budget cuts from the sports editorial team. As F1 is broadcast during low-viewing hours (especially during Asian and Australian races), it could be one of the prime victims, despite the excellence of its service, as Bernie Ecclestone himself acknowledges: “We have no problem with the Beeb.” The status quo would therefore be his preferred solution.<\/p>\n
If the BBC were to choose not to renew its contract beyond the 2013 season, a strong candidate could be Channel 5, which has been trying to increase its audience since being acquired last year by Northern and Shell Media, which also owns the newspapers The Daily Express and The Daily Star. However, its main advantage is that its owner is none other than Richard Desmond, who happens to be a close friend of Bernie Ecclestone. The latter stated that, of course, he would talk to Richard if the BBC failed, but it was not his preferred solution and he had so far had no discussions in this regard.<\/p>\n
Another potential candidate would be Channel 4, which has just been forced to save 40 million pounds by losing, in favor of Channel 5, the broadcasting rights for the high-audience show Big Brother, which could free up the necessary budget to add F1 to a sports lineup that already includes the World Athletics Championships and the Paralympic Games.<\/p>\n