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Formula One TV changes in 2018 a raw deal for race fans

By Alex Herbst

SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA - JULY 09: Kevin Magnussen of Denmark driving the (20) Haas F1 Team Haas-Ferrari VF-17 Ferrari and Felipe Massa of Brazil driving the (19) Williams Martini Racing Williams FW40 Mercedes get caught up in a collision into turn one at the start during the Formula One Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on July 9, 2017 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA - JULY 09: Kevin Magnussen of Denmark driving the (20) Haas F1 Team Haas-Ferrari VF-17 Ferrari and Felipe Massa of Brazil driving the (19) Williams Martini Racing Williams FW40 Mercedes get caught up in a collision into turn one at the start during the Formula One Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on July 9, 2017 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /
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Formula One will move their television coverage to ESPN and ABC in 2018. But the deal could be a raw one for fans of racing in the United States.

A potentially seismic shift has occurred in Formula One coverage in the United States heading into the 2018 season. NBC Sports is out, and ESPN and ABC are in for showing all 21 Grand Prix races live in a multi-year deal. But how will this latest development from the F1 paddock impact the growing base of fans in the USA?

At the outset, fans should be excited to see ESPN reaffirm their commitment to motorsports. A lack of competition breeds contempt, and if all the major motorsports rights were to have been consolidated around Fox Sports and NBC Sports, coverage could potentially suffer. Many thought this was a possibility following the ESPN layoffs, but the network is at least assured of some racing on TV even if they lose the IndyCar contract race.

However, it is not all good news when it comes to Formula One world championship racing on ESPN and ABC. In fact, it could be a few steps backward for F1 racing in America. While placing the races on a bigger sports “brand name” should help raise the stature of drivers and teams, does it really help expand the audience for the series? ESPN2, where most of the races will be seen, is on par with FS1 and NBCSN in terms of distribution. And while three races will be seen on network television, it is a drop from three to two live broadcasts on over-the-air television.

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Further questions abound when looking at the schedule released by ESPN for the 2018 campaign. All the times listed for race coverage are just five minutes before lights out and racing officially begins. This would suggest to fans and viewers that the network has no plans to do a pre-race show similar to that seen on NBCSN. This could also mean very limited post-race activity as well.

Overall, fans should expect “shoulder programming” for Formula One to significantly decrease in 2018. NBC Sports has invested tons of time and money in their pre-race and post-race coverage, talent, and series like Off The Grid. Meanwhile, ESPN reportedly did not pay a rights fee to cover F1 in this multi-year deal, and will rely on the FIA World Feed for their race coverage and analysis.

Perhaps the key to the entire future of Formula One in the United States falls to ESPN’s questionable amount of investment in the sport. If the mothership is not willing to invest in top of the line talent to commentate on races, will fans still want to tune in? Big names like Bob Varsha, Leigh Diffey, David Hobbs, and Steve Matchett have become household motorsports names. But with recent cuts to on-air talent at ESPN, the network and parent company Disney seem very hesitant to spend on new hires that are too sport-specific.

Ultimately, the move for Formula One to be seen on ESPN and ABC could come down to the new direction of series owners Liberty Media. The company wants to launch an over-the-top service to bring F1 racing straight to race fans around the world. This would bring their ownership in direct competition with media groups like NBC Sports and ESPN, part of the reason why the incumbent rights holder did keep the world championship. While series officials have continued to reaffirm their commitment to keeping races available to fans no matter what, could the growing greed of those within the sport be pushing availability and coverage in the wrong direction?

Next: Formula One Driver Power Rankings After Malaysia

What do you think of Formula One races moving to ESPN and ABC in 2018? Are you a fan of the move, or are you concerned about coverage going forward? Be sure to tune in for the remainder of the final season of F1 on NBC Sports, continuing this weekend from the Japanese Grand Prix.

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