UK Sky and Virgin customers can watch German GP at no extra cost
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If you’re a Sky or Virgin subscriber but don’t have the F1 channel, you will still be able to watch next weekend’s German Grand Prix.
Details here: http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/12040/7897074/Free-weekend
Interesting this. Maybe a ploy to attract some people to make the plunge to Sky and their tombola of sports variety, before mainstream airwaves fill up with the 24/7 Olympic coverage?
That, or perhaps with regards to F1, this strikes me as the first public sign that Sky are possibly becoming somewhat unnerved by their lack of raw viewing figures, given the huge infrastructural commitments they’ve made to the sport and the extra peripheral shows (/maybe presenting team salaries…? :P)
This site has been keeping tabs on the BBC/Sky viewing figures comparison. http://www.f1revs.com/2012/06/bbc-sky-european-gp-viewing-figures.html – and they appear to show Sky Sports F1 is only pulling 1 million viewers tops each race on average. But then again, Sky haven’t been known to care hugely about such figures, the pure possession of a said sport is the key for their business model. After all, compared to most sports they broadcast, they didn’t have to pay exclusive rights for F1 – getting a big, broad sport for 1/2 price at £50m
That, or perhaps with regards to F1, this strikes me as the first public sign that Sky are possibly becoming somewhat unnerved by their lack of raw viewing figures, given the huge infrastructural commitments they’ve made to the sport and the extra peripheral shows (/maybe presenting team salaries…? :P)
That has nothing to do with it. Sky have been giving free weekends for Sky Sports and Sky Movies every so often for years. If it was about F1, then they’d make only the F1 channel free for the weekend.
Interesting, but as @slr said, Sky have been running promotions like this for years and this is merely the latest in a long run of weekend passes (usually accompanied by Sky 3, or whatever it’s called now, getting better programming).
Interesting it should be the sports channels which get promoted, but I think the impending new football season has more to do with this decision than the German Grand Prix.
@richardb Sky are putting their prices up at the moment, they need some sources of good publicity.
Sky are only increasing the price of the Entertainment Pack (an extra £1.50 per month), Sky Sports 1 & 2 (50p per channel per month) and ESPN (£1 per month). If you have basic Sky+HD there shouldn’t be any changes.
I presume this means Freeview viewers will not gain access? I understand the forum title says Sky and Virgin Media. I was just asking as in the past when Sky have done their free weekend passes Sky 3 (now Pick TV) has had your top Sky programs available.
I hope Sky are having problems with not attracting enough viewers, I want full live races back on the BBC! I know it won’t happen because of the BBC cutting costs, and Sky like their exclusive rights to sports, but a free to air broadcaster sharing with the BBC would be better.
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