Moto GP gets it, F1 does not
8th March 2008, 8:36 by Keith Collantine 15 Comments »
The Moto GP season starts this weekend and the promoters have made sure that anyone who uses Youtube knows about it. An official promotional video is listed on the front page of the web’s favourite videos site.
Click through to the video and a whole list of official Moto GP videos uploaded by the promoters are available:
With eight days to go until the first race of the F1 season, FOM are still ripping down all videos of F1, including these I picked a few weeks ago of the best overtaking moves of 2007. I appreciate their wish to protect copyright. But their total refusal to use modern methods of communication to promote their sport is woeful.
Robert Mckay said on 8th March 2008, 11:48
It’s funny, I was thinking this exactly last night. I note also that A1GP also do "featured videos" on Youtube. It’s an area where F1 is sadly lacking. They’ve finally started putting highlight videos on the official site, but they’re often rubbish (doing that classic F1 thing of focusing on celebrities and people in the pits too much) and there’s only ever one at a a time, as far as I can see (generally the last race, or sometimes the same race last year).
Even ignoring the Youtube aspect, look at Moto GP’s official site. Bit garish, but absolutely packed with stuff, including archive races and highlights (ok, you have to pay for that content, but I definitely would if F1 did the same thing). Then look at the official F1 site – pretty, but content-lite. Apart from the official live timing and some cherry-picked news days after the rest of the internet has it, nothing much of interest. Poor effort.
And while we’re talking Moto GP, funny that they’ve effectively stolen the thunder on the night race aspect. It does look quite cool though!
francois said on 8th March 2008, 12:05
I agree entirely , I don’t understand what there is for FOM to be so paranoid about unless they are thinking of expanding their own range of video downloads which they have done throughout last season.They generally are a bit paranoid about new media , I read Gale Force F1 had all kinds of problems getting accreditation back in 1995 .They were a bit ahead of their time publishing live timing info and race results.
They (FOM + NetResult) don’t seem to be doing a terribly good job at taking down videos – if you look hard enough there are quite a few full races there , I was watching Japan 1997 the other day.
Steven Roy said on 8th March 2008, 13:34
As someone who never asks anyone’s age and has long believed that physical age is little more than a random number this next statement is one I would never normally make but is the culmination of many of the things that I disagree with in modern F1. Motor racing has too many old men running it. To back my comment about age being a random number I would say that I would be quite happy with Jackie Stewart running the sport because although he was born a few years after Max and a dozen after Bernie his attitudes and thoughts are those of a far younger man.
Only a generational chnge at the top of the FIA and FOM is going to bring the sport into this century.
ben j said on 8th March 2008, 15:17
Only poor people watch videos on Youtube. Real F1 fans would buy the DVD set that comes in a numbered corinthian leather slipcover, includes a book with the finest glossy photographs, and is a great value at $1400 + shipping.
Fer no.65 said on 8th March 2008, 15:36
ben j… im sorry, but why you say "only poor people watch videos on youtube"?
you suck, buddy… "real F1 fans", "poor people"… who do you think you are?? ¬¬’
Keith Collantine said on 8th March 2008, 16:32
Fer, I think Ben was joking. But the thought of there being a high-quality F1 season review available to buy is wishful thinking – there’s only one, and it’s not very good.
Fer no.65 said on 8th March 2008, 17:50
well, if it was a joke, i apologise… but i love watching videos at youtube… i think what MotoGP does it’s great for its fans… that’s the kind of treatment F1 fans should have… Like Robert says, the website looks not that good compared to F1′s but it’s full of very enjoyable material!… it’s just great!
Arnet said on 8th March 2008, 18:17
Bernie is a dunderhead when it comes to new technology and new ways of making money. He would rather just ramp up the cost of hosting and F1 race every year and sit back and watch it go up by 10% per annum, instead of looking into new ways of promoting his sport, like getting new fans involved via youtube. Think of the miillions of new fans in India who could be learning about F1′s history right now, and they can’t even go to the "official" web-site to explore the rich record of video that exists, but is quickly disappearing. Think Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs and iTunes. Bernie is gates, but F1 needs a Jobs. Any nominees?
SoLiD said on 8th March 2008, 19:53
F1 is indeed missing out on some great great and free advertisment… this can give you acces to great vids and make you want to see more f1.. and people will talk about it.. what do you want more?
They should make f1 interactive and accessible for all (when you can’t do it in real life, do it virutally).
It would be cool if they actually released every race in full on dvd a few weeks later, don’t make it to expensive (lets say 9,99 euros) and they would sell…maybe add a great magazine with it and ask a bit more??
They would become a bit richer if they do it right…
Who of us wouldn’t subscribe?
Steven Roy said on 8th March 2008, 21:48
If Bernie had the business brain that many people credit him with he would be using youtube to sell official DVDs. Put up a few clips and mention where to see the whole video.
Gman said on 9th March 2008, 0:18
The great thing about Youtube is that it would help F1 reach a much younger audience in nearly all markets. Many young fans-such as myself-tune into Youtube for hilights of other sports, and to do so with official video from F1 would open many doors for the sport. I’ve talked several times on this site about Bernie relaxing the grip F1
Gman said on 9th March 2008, 0:20
I’ve spoken many times on here about Bernie relaxing his iron grip on official F1 content if he wants to be a success in new markets, and this topic is right in line wit that.
Alex Andronov said on 9th March 2008, 9:44
On the subject of companies understanding new media. Apple this Friday launched a huge suite of development apps for the iPhone. They gave away the whole thing for free with a $99 one off fee if you want to upgrade. Why? All weekend developers who have never programmed on a Mac and never owned one have been buying Macs just so they can develop for the iPhone. And when those developers make really cool iPhone apps that will mostly be given away free it’s going to drive sales of the iPhone through the roof.Giving things away for free isn’t missing an opportunity to sell as long as you remember what you’re selling. F1 is selling live races, online can’t compete with that. All YouTube does is make more people likely to watch a race live.
C-type said on 9th March 2008, 11:52
I’m pretty sure that the 2007 review they proudly boast on the Official site was originally an outstanding youtube effort, called ‘f1 2007 in six minutes and 30 seconds’ (I think) and far better in its full length. Same music, same clips etc. I hope they were paid for the rip off, and consequent disappearance from youtube of their own excellent video!
Pink Peril said on 11th March 2008, 0:14
FOM must be really crap at removing the Youtube vids then – every time you guys mention a pass or incident that I haven’t seen (as I only started watching F1 in 1998) I go onto Youtube to watch it, and have only drawn a blank a couple of times.
Says something about their management skills then, doesn’t it?