F1 viewing figures plummet 16/02/2010 |
|
| |
| |
Global viewing figures for Formula 1 slumped by more than 80 million to about 520 million in 2009.
The drop – the first in five years – is being blamed on later race times but will be a blow to the sport’s commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Group, because it is likely to affect the value of television contracts.
In recent years, F1’s governing body the FIA has moved the start times of races around to cater for the lucrative European market. That has meant that, in certain regions such as Asia, races clashed with other sports, although there were also falls in more traditional countries including Spain and Brazil.
The UK bucked the trend, largely because of the success of Jenson Button, and the BBC enjoyed a 6 per cent rise in its audience in the first year since it regained the broadcast contract from ITV.
Ecclestone also revealed that F1 is unlikely to be broadcast in high definition in the near future because of a lack of demand.
"If somebody guarantees to broadcast it we'll do it." he said. "We'll do a deal when people are more interested."
|
| Back |
| |
| |
|
|
 |
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
