Formula One coverage on ITV: Difference between revisions

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===1997–2008===

[[File:ITV Sport 2006.svg|thumb|ITV Sport's logo, which was used in F1 broadcasts from 2006-2008.]]

When the BBC lost their rights to broadcast Formula One in late 1995, ITV gained the coverage for 1997. The deal worth £60&nbsp;million was negotiated by [[Formula One Management|FOM]] president [[Bernie Ecclestone]]. ITV chose to bid for the rights due to constantly being beaten at weekends while the ''[[Grand Prix (TV programme)|Grand Prix]]'' coverage was on.<ref name=walker>{{cite book | title = Murray Walker: Unless I'm Very Much Mistaken | first = Murray | last = Walker | author-link = Murray Walker | isbn = 0-00-712696-4 | publisher = [[HarperCollins|CollinsWillow]] | date = September 2002 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/myautobiographyu00walk/page/217 217–223] | url = https://archive.org/details/myautobiographyu00walk/page/217 }}</ref>

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In the early years, ITV also showed ''Murray & Martin's F1 Special'', which usually aired on Saturday teatimes at each Grand Prix weekend. Introduced by Murray Walker and Martin Brundle, the programmes featured detailed reports on the day's qualifying session, along with interviews and features with the drivers and team personnel. The programme was slowly phased out in 1999, with fewer specials airing, before being dropped altogether at the end of 2000.

ITV also introduced Martin Brundle's hugely popular gridwalk at the [[1997 British Grand Prix]], where roughly 10–15 minutes before the start of the race Brundle would walk around the grid interviewing drivers, team personnel, celebrities and whoever else he could find.<ref name=walker /> Brundle had elected not to commentate from some races such as the Canadian Grand Prix in 1997 where he raced at Le Mans and missed the race in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fox|first=Norman|title=Pescarolo rolls back the years|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/pescarolo-rolls-back-the-years-1256057.html|work=The Independent|date=1997-06-15|access-date=20 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202012518/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/pescarolo-rolls-back-the-years-1256057.html|archive-date=2 February 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He also elected not to attend the Hungarian Grand Prix on several occasions. When Brundle was absent, different people would stand in the commentary booth, including [[Derek Warwick]], [[Jody Scheckter]], [[Anthony Davidson]] and [[1996 Formula One season|1996]] champion [[Damon Hill]]. [[Mark Blundell]] also stood in for Brundle on several occasions, prior to becoming a permanent member of the ITV team in 2001 and then continued to do so until 2005.

[[File:Steve Rider.jpg|thumb|Steve Rider took over presenting duties in 2006]]

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In a one-off move for the return of the [[United States Grand Prix]] in 2000, ITV moved the coverage over to [[ITV2]] as the schedule of the main channel could not occupy the coverage of the race.<ref>{{cite web|title=British F1 fans get raw USGP deal|url=http://www.crash.net/f1/news/36758/1/british_f1_fans_get_raw_usgp_deal.html|publisher=crash.net|date=2000-09-14}}</ref> The [[2001 United States Grand Prix]] was Murray Walker's last in the ITV commentary booth, having missed four other races that season.<ref>{{cite book | title = Murray Walker: Unless I'm Very Much Mistaken | first = Murray | last = Walker | author-link = Murray Walker | isbn = 0-00-712696-4 | publisher = [[HarperCollins|CollinsWillow]] | date = September 2002 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/myautobiographyu00walk/page/356 356–359] | url = https://archive.org/details/myautobiographyu00walk/page/356 }}</ref> James Allen moved up from his former role as pitlane reporter to replace Walker in the commentary box with Brundle still commentating as usual and [[Ted Kravitz]] inheriting Allen's old role.

In October 2002, the BBC had prepared pay £175&nbsp;million to gain the rights off ITV when their contract was to expire at the end of 2004.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bryne|first=Michael|title=BBC prepares to snatch F1 from ITV in £175 million deal|url=http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/161047/BBC-prepares-snatch-F1-ITV-175m-deal/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH|publisher=Media Week|date=2002-11-15}}</ref> In April 2004, ITV signed a six-year extension to their contract worth £150&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|title=ITV extends F1 deal|url=http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/154356/itv-extends-f1-deal|publisher=Sport Business|date=2004-04-26|access-date=7 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730155135/http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/154356/itv-extends-f1-deal|archive-date=30 July 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In that same year, the coverage dropped its trackside studio and the presenters and analysts provided the coverage directly from within the paddock, allowing them to be at every race ___location for the first time&nbsp;– in previous years, for certain races, particularly for those held in Asia, the trackside studio was based in London, using satellite link-up to broadcast the race. With the advent of new anti-tobacco advertising laws in the United Kingdom that were placed in force on 31 July 2005, it was feared that Formula One coverage would be blacked out because with the showing of tobacco company logos on television, the broadcaster would face extra charges even in a country where tobacco sponsorship was permitted.<ref>{{cite web|title=ITV loses a big F1 supporter|url=http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns13901.html|publisher=Grandprix.com|date=2004-11-26|access-date=7 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216162624/http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns13901.html|archive-date=16 December 2013|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> ITV was the UK's live television broadcaster at the time of one of F1's most controversial races in the form of the farcical [[2005 United States Grand Prix]] at which 7 of the 10 planned team entrants on [[Michelin]] tyres withdrew on the formation lap due to tyre safety concerns leaving just 3 teams using [[Bridgestone]] tyres ([[Minardi F1 Team|Minardi]], [[Jordan Grand Prix|Jordan]] and [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] (6 cars) to compete in the race, the broadcasting team received widespread praise for how they handled the unique and farcical situation as it unfolded. In September 2005, it was reported that ITV had secured Steve Rider's services and would replace Rosenthal from 2006 onwards to present coverage of Formula One. Rider made his debut broadcast covering ITV F1 coverage at the [[2006 Bahrain Grand Prix]].<ref>[https://archive.today/20070311091009/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5923-2061238,00.html "Rider opts for some driver practice]" ''[[The Times]]'', 4 March 2006; Retrieved 2 April 2006</ref> Jardine also left the ITV coverage at the end of the 2005 season, leaving Blundell as the sole expert analyst.

ITV extended their contract with North One Television for a further five years in an agreement that started at the first round of the 2006 season and would produce over 100 hours of content which also included qualifying and the highlight shows. ITV were the host broadcasters for the British Grand Prix.<ref>{{cite web|title=North One wins £35m F1 contract|url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/multi-platform/news/north-one-wins35m-f1-contract/155412.article|publisher=2006-03-02|access-date=2012-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205453/http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/multi-platform/news/north-one-wins35m-f1-contract/155412.article|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In March 2008, ITV announced the coverage would be transferred to the BBC from the 2009 season so that the broadcaster could focus more on coverage on the [[UEFA Champions League]].<ref>{{cite web|title=ITV wins Champions League rights|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7307971.stm|publisher=BBC News|date=2008-03-20|access-date=7 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080325025024/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7307971.stm|archive-date=25 March 2008|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The contract to show the sport at the time of announcement was worth £25&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lewis success to bost revenue|url=http://www.planet-f1.com/news/3213/2483505|publisher=Planet-F1|date=2007-04-09|access-date=7 August 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131100518/http://www.planet-f1.com/news/3213/2483505|archive-date=31 January 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> ITV later announced that they had enacted a clause within their contract enabling them to leave F1 coverage after the 2008 season.

At the [[2008 Japanese Grand Prix]], Martin Brundle stood in as the lead presenter as Steve Rider was unavailable due to his commitments hosting England international football on the same weekend. This wasn't the first time that ITV's main F1 presenter had missed a race for such a reason, Rosenthal had missed the [[2005 Belgian Grand Prix]] to be part of ITV's live coverage of boxing on that particular weekend, he was replaced in the role for that race by [[Angus Scott (television presenter)|Angus Scott]]. Similarly, Rider missed the [[2006 United States Grand Prix]] as he was in Germany presenting ITV's coverage of the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]], with Scott again presenting that race in his absence.

Ironically, ITV F1's highest ever broadcast rating came in its final race, the [[2008 Brazilian Grand Prix]], which attracted 8.8&nbsp;million viewers, peaking at 12.5&nbsp;million viewers and saw [[Lewis Hamilton]] win his first Formula One Drivers' World Championship title.<ref>http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2008/11/hamilton_drives_125m_to_itv1.html {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> On 17 November 2008, BBC announced that Martin Brundle would continue his commentary role alongside [[Jonathan Legard]] during the [[2009 Formula One season|2009 season]], while Ted Kravitz would continue his pit-lane reporter role alongside [[Lee McKenzie]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/11/17/brundle-at-bbc-in-2009/ |title=Martin Brundle a BBC F1 commentator in 2009 |date=17 November 2008 |access-date=8 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015205551/http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/11/17/brundle-at-bbc-in-2009/ |archive-date=15 October 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref>