Tom wrote:Bernie, there could be a market here, I'd pay for it.
While I do think
you're onto something with your webcast ideas (
and totally on board with doing without the ah so "witty" commentators) I very much dislike the idea of having to pay for
any F1 "live feed" content - pay any more than currently, that is. The price is extracted in the audience dispensing with its time, energy and consciousness to watch a continuous stream of sponsor messages (
also ultimately paid by consumers). On the cars, on the track, commercials, you name it. And various countries also have licences, taxes and such associated with these viewing "privileges". A suitable broadband connection doesn't (
yet, in most cases) come free either. We really don't need a
triple,
quarduple or
quintuple cost - in which a paid live feed would amount to - in Formula One.
At least the car manufacturers seem to want F1 imagery to remain free to view, but you can bet that with new markets and new media, the issue is being continuously looked into by Bernie's cohorts. While I can entertain some inefficiency and silliness in income transfers, there's a fine line between that and being outright swindled. With all the smooth operators, our collective behaviour amounts to a continuous business meeting with F1 execs. We cannot trust them with free reign; win-lose arrangements are almost always solely down to opportunity.
