Formula One coverage on ITV: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:16, 17 July 2024

Revision as of 11:47, 6 September 2024

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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 webnews|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. 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>[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>

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>

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The most egregious incident however occurred at the [[2005 San Marino Grand Prix]] when the broadcaster cut to a commercial break during the closing moments of the race whilst [[Michael Schumacher]] and [[Fernando Alonso]] were engaged in a close on track duel for the race victory. This decision garnered 126 complaints from viewers. [[Ofcom]] ruled that ITV breached section 6.7 of the Rules on the Amount and Scheduling of Advertising.<ref>{{cite web|last=Welsh|first=James|title=126 viewers complain over ITV F1 ad break|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/news/a22709/126-viewers-complain-over-itv-f1-ad-break.html|publisher=Digital Spy|date=2005-07-18|access-date=7 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129044850/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/news/a22709/126-viewers-complain-over-itv-f1-ad-break.html|archive-date=29 November 2011|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The broadcasters also had not shown the post-race press conference segment featuring [[Jenson Button]]'s comments about the race.<ref>{{cite web|title=F1 broadcaster guilty|url=http://formula-1.updatesport.com/news/article/1121719837/formula_one/F1headlines/F1-broadcaster-guilty/view.html|publisher=updatef1.com|date=2005-07-18|access-date=7 August 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205090359/http://formula-1.updatesport.com/news/article/1121719837/formula_one/F1headlines/F1-broadcaster-guilty/view.html|archive-date=5 February 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> ITV repeated the last three laps after the race and as a result of these complaints, the server on their website crashed. An on-air apology was made by Jim Rosenthal before the start of the [[2005 Spanish Grand Prix|next race in Spain]] two weeks later.<ref>{{cite news | title = Rosenthal sorry for race break | work = The Guardian | url = https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/apr/25/formulaone.matthewhancock | access-date = 2008-06-12 | ___location = London | first = Matthew | last = Hancock | date = 2005-04-25 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160307181143/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/apr/25/formulaone.matthewhancock | archive-date = 7 March 2016 | url-status = live | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

In a 2022 interview on The Race's ''Bring Back V10s'' podcast looking back retrospectively at this particular race Ted Kravitz (who was ITV's pitlane reporter at the event) stated ITV held off going to the final commercial break because Jenson Button had been leading the race at certain points and the assumption that Schumacher would pass Alonso relatively quickly as the reason for the channel delaying an advert break until the closing laps and also criticised Ofcom for their response to complaints.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bring Back V10s: Alonso defeats Schumacher, Ad break enrages |url=https://the-race.com/formula-1/bring-back-v10s-alonso-defeats-schumacher-ad-break-enrages/ |website=THE RACE |date=3 March 2022 |publisher=The Race Media |access-date=3 March 2022}}</ref>

===Coverage===