Speedvision F1 FAQ

Q. It's been announced that Speedvision has secured Formula 1 rights. What is/how do I get Speedvision?

A. Speedvision is a 24-hour a day, 7 day a week cable network dedicated to the vehicle enthusiast. Available in approximately 15 million homes, our programming is centered on 4 categories — Automotive, Motorcycles, Aviation, and Marine. Program themes include Competition/Events, Historical/Documentary, News & Information, Magazine/Lifestyle, and Instructional / How-Tos. Speedvision was founded by former ESPN CEO Roger Werner and is owned by Cox, Comcast, and Media One (formerly Continental). Speedvision is available on these and many other cable packages. It is also available on DirecTV, Primestar, and on C-Band (Satcom C4 Transponder 11).

Q. Why was the "F1 on Speedvision" package not announced earlier?

A. Speedvision was not informed by Formula One Administration Ltd. of its Exclusive Live coverage of Qualifying and Race action until Thursday, March 5th. At that point any pre-printed schedules (TV Guide, Satellite Magazines, Racing Periodicals, etc.) were outdated, and any announcements of Fox Sports Net replays were too late for print, and in many cases so were World Wide Web updates.

Q. Why was Speedvision / Fox Sports Net granted the rights when some of the Formula 1 audience in the U.S. would not be able to access the race live?

A. Since being launched in 1996 Speedvision has aggressively sought to expand and improve its programming, especially in regards to Formula 1. For the 1996 season we replayed F1 races the following Monday night with extensive studio analysis. For 1997 we began showing qualifying and race action LIVE. We came on 1/2 hour earlier with a pre-race show, set a policy to stay with F1 coverage as long as possible — including post-race celebrations and press conferences. Formula 1 had never received this kind of attention in the U.S. before. That kind of dedication, along with our other Formula 1 properties (F1 historical programming, mid-year and season in review shows, FIA World Rally, F-3000, etc.) was certainly a factor in Formula 1 Administration Ltd.'s decision on granting Speedvision U.S. television rights.

Q. Is this a long-term deal, or will the coverage change throughout the season? I do not want to change cable companies/invest in a dish and have the coverage change this or next year.

A. The contract between Formula 1 Administration Ltd. and Speedvision / Fox Sports Net is for the 1998, 1999, and 2000 Formula 1 seasons, with LIVE Qualifying and Race action on Speedvision (including a 1/2 hour pre-race show), as well as same-day race replays on Fox Sports Net, and Monday Night replays on Speedvision in both East and West coast Prime Time.

Q. Many F1 fans were upset with the last minute announcement of Speedvision / Fox Sports Net's coverage of the GP of Australia. Due to the short notice I was not able to view the race. How do you explain/what do you intend to do to accommodate a very dedicated audience?

A. We realize it was both disappointing and inconvenient for many F1 fans to either miss the GP of Australia or have to make other arrangements to view the race either live or on tape. Again, a great deal of the confusion was due to the late announcement by Formula 1 Administration Ltd. as to who actually had the U.S. rights. ESPN contributed to that confusion by listing and promoting Formula 1 coverage without having secured the rights. It is advised you contact your local cable company and demand Speedvision. Frankly, most cable companies will not be able to add Speedvision overnight — but it is not a wasted call. They do tally and consider subscriber input when choosing new additions to their systems. Call 1-888-22-SPEED and your request is forwarded to your local cable company.

Q. My Formula 1 season is ruined. How could you do this to me?

A. Speedvision exists for a very specific reason — we believe that there is a very passionate and dedicated audience out there that is interested in our programming. In recent years certain categories of motorsport have grown and enjoyed a huge share of television and market attention. While traditional broadcast and cable networks have focused on the "major" U.S. properties, Speedvision has looked to provide unprecedented programming for the vehicle enthusiast, grow, and in time be the source for all speed-related coverage. While this may sound aggressive, it is also important to realize that acquiring exclusive rights to Formula 1 is a sound business decision; it is not hard to recognize the F1 audience is a passionate and educated one. Understand — we are in the business of expanding our distribution, and Exclusive Formula 1 rights will obviously help accomplish that. At the same time we are not out to deprive anyone of the sport they love — replays on Fox Sports Net allows F1 to be seen in several million more homes than our coverage last year. It is our goal to enhance that coverage, grow, help the sport grow, and in turn provide the motorsport / vehicle enthusiast programming they hunger for.

Q. I live in Canada and was expecting to see live coverage of qualifying and race action as advertised. Where was it?

A. Speedvision is carried in Canada. Unfortunately F1 rights are distributed not by Network (i.e., NFL is available on FOX and CBS, the NBA is available on NBC and TNT), but by country. Speedvision is not allowed to televise race action in Canada or any of its other international regions (including Mexico and Spain). This is not our choice; we must blackout coverage in certain areas. This is because F1 Administration Ltd. sells international television rights to countless nations, regardless of what network(s) are available in that nation. We are currently investigating the blackout issue for live qualifying in Canada and hope to be able to provide that service to Canadian viewers soon.

Q. Why do Speedvision Promos/Listings advertise in Canada if the program is just going to be blacked out?

A. The Speedvision promos you see on your TV in Canada are the same ones seen in the U.S. There is no separate feed (like the big 4 U.S Networks have different feeds for the East and West Coasts). You may have noticed the words "not available in all areas" on spots promoting internationally-affected programming. This, unfortunately, includes F1 coverage. We have no choice — the local rights holder mandates we blackout the programming.

Q. Race coverage issues. Why aren't your announcers on site? Why can't I see more Timing and Scoring? Where is your Pit Reporter? Why don't you show more on-board cameras?

A. Many great questions. Through our coverage of the GP of Australia you saw David Hobbs and Sam Posey calling the race from our studios in Stamford, CT. Obviously this is not something we are trying to hide from viewers, but a logistical necessity in terms of F1 coverage in the U.S. If Sam and Dave were in Australia, yes they would have been able to circulate and perhaps obtain useful info to relay in our broadcast. But the reality is even at the race they would be announcing out of a trailer in overcrowded, less-than technically superior conditions. They would not be in a press booth or even looking at the track, but looking at TV monitors in a trailer. This does not mean the announcers or production team is out of touch with the event. Leading up to and during the race weekend we are in close contact with not only most of the F1 teams but European correspondents Doug Nye (author of The Grand Prix Car Vols. 1 & 2), European Motorsports producer Martin Stockham, Autosport and Racer Magazine Correspondent Maurice Hamilton, and during Live Qualifying and Race coverage we are constantly on the phone with a correspondent in the press room. Admittedly, we would love to: Send our announcers to every race. This is not economically feasible at this time — remember for the last 5 years ESPN has not traveled to more than 4 races per year. Send a pit reporter and cameraman to more closely follow pit action. F1 Administration Ltd. will not allow us to do this — they feel the world feed provides sufficient coverage. Access real-time live Timing and Scoring feeds to enhance graphic presentation and statistics. Again, this is not allowed by F1 Administration Ltd. Speedvision/Fox Sports Net can only access a World Feed, just as any number of countries around the world do (the same feed ESPN/ESN2 has used for F1 coverage). We have no control whatsoever of the camera placement/selection, real-time graphic information, or pit interviews. We have no idea what the world feed is planning to do (i.e., a contact in their truck), so we must follow and guess what they will do next. We are not complaining, these are just the facts.

We at Speedvision want you to know that we are doing everything in our power to bring you the most comprehensive, thorough Formula 1 coverage ever seen in the U.S. Our format allows for fewer, shorter commercial breaks, which means more race action for the fan. We are committed to staying on after the race has ended for post-race celebrations and the press conference, an informative part of the coverage not often seen in recent years. We are proud to provide LIVE Qualifying and Race Coverage wherever contractually permitted, and our 1/2 hour LIVE Pre-Race Show proves our willingness to provide F1 fans proper coverage of the sport they love. Same-day Replays on Fox Sports Net and Monday Prime Time Replays (for both the East and West Coast) on Speedvision further demonstrate our goal of presenting F1 in a new, ever-expanding light. We are committed to you, the race fan, but we need your help as well. If you haven't yet, please call 1-888-22-SPEED as well as your local cable company and let them know you want Speedvision. The more homes we are in helps us bring you the programming you expect and deserve. This 1998 Formula 1 FAQ was published because of the enormous reaction surrounding televised coverage of the 1998 Formula 1 World Championship.

We hope this has answered many of your questions and look forward to your feedback in the future.

Sincerely, The Producers of Formula 1 on Speedvision.