Eurosport MotoGP 2009 Coverage Looking More Likely

An update to the previous story about MCN's claim that British Eurosport would retain MotoGP coverage in 2009.
They now say that an announcement will be made this week confirming this...

If this is the case, then it is brilliant news indeed.
Even if the sacrifice is that Eurosport do not show the top class race live, the return of all the 125cc and 250cc coverage which the BBC were making a great job of completely butchering / shafting is a huge cause for celebration in itself.
There's no mention of whether our fave commentary team will be retained either.
I really hope so, but on the back of *proper* 125 and 250s then anything else is just chocolate :-)

Until the announcement is made I'm keeping pretty much *everything* crossed.
But it's sounding really promising.

British Eurosport To Retain MotoGP Coverage?

The hopes of thousands upon thousands of MotoGP fans (particularly those who, like us, are into 125cc and 250cc coverage as well as the main class) were raised today when MCN reported that British Eurosport may yet retain rights to TV coverage in 2009 (though this appears to be with the exception of live coverage of the MotoGP race itself).
According to MCN...

Live coverage of the 125 and 250 races is expected to remain, as is British Eurosport’s heavy output of practice and qualifying from all three classes.

This would be fantastic news - and I hope to god it's true and our hopes aren't dashed again.

It's become clear just how piss-poor the BBC proposition was, and ongoing public discussions via sites like Crash.net about the coverage and fans' concerns has shown them (the Beeb) to be little short of a bunch of shitwits with no interest in serving up the best possible product for true fans.

Please let it be true - Please let it be Eurosport that I'm following this season with!
You can read the full article here...

BBC & MotoGP Coverage - Latest Inadequate / Lame Response

For those of us (and that by definition means Alvaro fans) who have an interest in the classes outside of MotoGP itself, the various bits of news and information about the BBC's exclusive takeover of coverage for 2009 has been a huge worry.
I must admit that the choice of commentators doesn't rile me as much as overall questions of the amount of 250 and 125 coverage (you can always turn the volume down), and the fact that much of what we are interested in looks like it will be stuck behind the red button, away from where it can be recorded.
BBC MotoGP Series Producer Belinda Rogerson has responded on Crash.net (in as far as you can call the following a response - to be brutally honest apart from a couple of piffling and largely irrelevant bits of technical smoke and mirrors, and some elaboration on the commentators, it's nothing new from what they said last summer...) to other disgruntled and concerned fans.
Here's what she has to say:

"BBC Sport are proud of their coverage of MotoGP and bringing premier class racing to a terrestrial audience. In 2009 we are expanding our coverage to include Qualifying of the 125 and 250 classes on Saturday alongside MotoGP Qualifying from every round on the red button. There will be live coverage of every race and in Europe MotoGP Extra after the race has finished giving further insight and interviews. That's around 7 hours of coverage each weekend.

"Our coverage attracts audiences of over a million with an approval rating that has been the highest for any terrestrial program in a given week. We believe the BBC team and the commentary team are key to that success and we look forward to another exciting season in 2009.
Steve Parrish raced at the very highest level and Charlie Cox is an experienced lead commentator with a great passion for and extensive knowledge of motor bikes. We always review our coverage at the end of the season and I frequently read the comments posted on a variety of websites including this one but commentary is a hugely subjective issue and we believe we have the best team to lead our programme.
In terms of presentation Suzi Perry has a wealth of experience from years of fronting motorbike racing and our pitlane reporter Matthew Roberts has worked as a journalist for Dorna for 8 years before joining the BBC and his excellent connections with the teams enabled us to break stories last year ahead of anyone else.

"We have taken on board feedback about the non-recordable nature of the red button when viewed on certain platforms and as a result we will be looping the Qualifying on Saturday afternoon and evening and will do the same with the races on Sunday into the following week. A timetable for this will appear on the website at the start of the season.
The inability to record the red button is a Sky Box issue rather than a specifically BBC one so we are doing all we can to enable you to watch the sessions you may have missed live. If you can get Eurosport then you will also be able to access the red button. Under the terms of the licence we can't turn BBC3 or 4 into a sports channel although we can use them occasionally and they are unavailable during the day as the bandwidth is used by CBeebies and CBBC.

"All broadcasters take the race coverage from Dorna and this is currently not produced in HD although I understand they are planning to do so in 2010. We took the widescreen coverage of the racing as soon as it became available at the start of the last season and we are always looking for further ways to innovate our coverage. I have a great deal of time for all the Eurosport team, I know them all personally and I was very sorry to see them go at the end of last season but this was a decision taken by Dorna and not the BBC."

It's this inconsequential stuff about red-button recording being a Sky issue and so-on that grates... These people knew the limitations of the technology perfectly well, and also apparently the limitations of their own channel outputs (not being able to elect to build a sports channel as such) and were by default in a perfect position to see - as me and anyone with half a brain (or possibly less) were able to - that the end product would therefore be a lesser offering by far than Eurosport's.
Why on earth - despite that bit about it being DORNA's decision (what rubbish! DORNA forced them to broadcast this?) did they commit to ensuring they were the sole broadcaster of a product that it was utterly inappropriate for them to broadcast.

I have to say I'm as annoyed about it as when I first heard, as everything continues to confirm my worst fears over the quality and quantity and accessibility of 250 and 125.
Get it out from behind the red button and into the videostream and give us *AT LEAST* what Eurosport did (Friday 250 & 125 sessions for example!) and then you will have found a base level from which to build something to be proud of.
Until then it's a load of crap.
They have very deliberately bid to be in a position where they broadcast an exclusive, yet worse, product than people had before - and the public now have absolutely no choice on TV coverage and have to go to the Beeb to watch something weaker, more difficult to access and more limited in extent of sessions covered and in the ability to record. The BBC should be fucking ashamed, quite frankly.

I tell you I'm just glad I'm going away; I'd have a bloody anger stroke if I had to contemplate this mess much more!

Get This: "MotoGP - Riding Secrets" DVD

As someone who religiously gets the Duke MotoGP Season Reviews, another top tip for this year has to be their "MotoGP Riding Secrets" DVD which is out now...
The best part of two hours long, it's not unlike last year's "A-Z" title which was an excuse to pull together lots of the special features from the season's TV programming plus some excellent race and onboard footage to form a terrific (but paid-for) bonus disc.
This time around we have pretty much the whole top class talking about how a team operates across a GP weekend, mental and physical fitness (the mental bit includes a really nice interview with J-Lo... honest...) and lots of great stuff on starts, overtaking, cornering and of course crashing (that old DVD favourite) from the likes of Tony Elias, the Hopper, Colin Edwards, JT, Vale - all of 'em.

Whilst it's easy to snipe at it being an exercise in charing you for recycling, I don't honestly mind - it's a great film with Dorna and MotoGP's usual top quality behind it and it's an excellent way to pass a couple of hours.
My only serious gripe would have to be the fact that, unlike last year's "A-Z" it is totally focused on the top class, and completely excludes the 250s and 125s. That's a great shame, although I'd be the first to admit that it might end up a preposterously long film if they *were* included.

Get it now!

Incidentally, as a Mac geek and iTunes/iPod/iPhone addict I've been busy badgering Duke to get the Season Reviews put into the iTunes Music Store. Their response was pretty positive so keep an eye out next year :)

MotoGP Round In Singapore In 2011?

(*Above: Artist's impression of the Changi circuit in Singapore)

MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta told Singapore newspaper Today that the country could hold a MotoGP race in 2011.
"We have signed an agreement with a promoter to stage a round of the motorbike world championship in Singapore," he said.
"But it depends when the permanent track will be completed. I understand it will be up in three years' time, so there could be a race as early as 2011, if not 2012.
"Asia is important to MotoGP's growth and Singapore is at the centre of it, that's why we want to hold a round there. But my agreement is subject to the track being built."

The track is nothing to do with the 'Grand Prix' street circuit used by F1, but a purpose built facility at Changi, set to be built on a plot next to Changi Airport.
The artist's impression above isn't too helpful on judging the exact layout so if anybody has seen a genuine circuit plan I'd be very happy to share it up here...

OPINION: Gloomy Outlook For MotoGP Under The BBC

In lieu of any kind of update or expansion / explanation from the BBC about genuinely answering the concerns of punters regarding their exclusive deal with DORNA for the rights to MotoGP coverage in the UK, the outlook for any decent kind of coverage remains decidedly bleak and grim.

Some time ago now (July 1oth in fact) Crash.net published an article entitled “The BBC Responds To You” which was theoretically supposed to answer all the obvious questions that had been raised from the BBC’s acquisition of broadcast rights (at the expense of the much loved Eurosport coverage).
The reaction to this piece - or rather to the BBC’s official comments (via Belinda Rogerson) - was utterly underwhelming and in some cases angry. This was not at all surprising to be honest, given that the Beeb had simply blurbed out a bunch of pretty inconsequential, banal and issue-avoiding soundbites. It was stuff worthy of a politician in fact. Not a good start in reassuring viewers that their beloved sport was in safe or deserving hands.
I’ve not heard anything concrete since, and want to revisit the subject as I’m getting hellish nervous and concerned about what I’m going to be able to watch next season.

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The main criticisms and concerns about the BBC’s ‘exclusive rights’ to MotoGP centred (and sadly still continue to centre) on three particular areas.
1 - The commentary team.
2 - The lack of guarantees over decent (and live) 250cc and 125cc coverage.
3 - The amount of this content going “behind the red button” where it is nigh-on impossible to sort out timer recordings.
Let’s take a quick look at these...

Question 1 really doesn’t need me - or indeed anybody - to explore it in any kind of depth. There is only one sensible answer and that is to employ Toby Moody, Julian Ryder and Randy Mamola without hesitation.
End of story. Job done.
At the present time this question remains wide open and you simply have to have faith that somebody with some money, common sense and dangly bits cuts to the quick and calls this decision.

Question 3 is also hard to explore deeply. Mainly for the simple reason that it’s going to be an inherently problematic aspect of the BBC’s coverage and one that has been blindingly apparent from the outset. Eurosport spread the coverage out across two dedicated sports channels (Eurosport and Eurosport 2) and they never hid it behind interactive buttons. The fact that it remained absolutely upfront in the broadcast stream meant that it was always available and predictable for home recording purposes. The BBC, although they have plenty of money to bid for - and fling at - rights to sports like MotoGP, are simply *not* a dedicated sports broadcaster with any kind of appropriate channel allocation to support this kind of coverage.
Oh, and by the way - the iPlayer is *not* something to brag about as part of the solution here. I want my motorsport on a bloody great telly, not on a laptop or other teensy device. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not a technophobe - I love my Macs, my iPhone and my iPod; but I know how and where I want to watch my MotoGP, and it’s live, on a big big screen with the volume up every time.

Question 2 - that of the levels of coverage of the ‘lower classes’ - 125cc and 250cc - is actually one of enormous interest to many people. Not only do many enjoy watching these classes for their excitement and action anyway, may also actively follow and support riders in 125 and 250 - something that should be very clear following the number of British entrants in 125 this year and of course the performances of Scott Redding and Bradley Smith in particular.
As an Alvaro Bautista fan, clearly my primary interest lies in another area, but I am an avid viewer of all classes and I’m going to thoroughly resent the BBC if they’ve barged in and gained exclusive rights to something that Eurosport covered really well, only to go and wreck that volume and commitment and give us something reduced, inferior and with little / poor focus on the supporting classes.
Why will the Beeb not give any genuinely useful answer on what kind of level of coverage they intend for 125cc and 250cc over a race weekend? Surely they had a pretty decent idea what they would do with the rights when they bid for them?
To me, it is this question - the question of the BBC’s level of commitment to the ‘series’ / sport as a whole; and not only the top class - which is the most important.
It was the extensive and upfront access to the coverage of all classes that was key to Eurosport’s product. Yes, they’ve got brilliant commentators in Toby, Julian and Randy - but they’ve got to have something to commentate on after all...
Before you can do anything half-decent with the presentation of the product you have to have a decent product itself first, and so far the pretty sparse and uninformative references that the BBC have made to 125 and 250 suggest something that’s going to fall somewhere between ‘lame’ and ‘piss-poor’.
Prove me wrong Beeb. Please.

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Crash.net also followed up the BBC's original comments (and lack of clarity) with an article on July 13th. And on this occasion the BBC's Belinda Rogerson said on the subject of scheduling and coverage levels, "it's only halfway through the current season and we haven't got into detailed planning for 2009 yet."
Now, whilst I can understand that genuinely huge detail would not be possible, I absolutely refuse to believe that they have no communicable concept of what a race weekend is going to look like.
The BBC have shelled out a large amount of money for this coverage, and also there must have been some kind of formal bidding / negotiation process surrounding DORNA's review and allocation of rights. Are we expected to believe that the BBC went to DORNA, unable to give the slightest concept of a race weekend plan to support their bid?
If I was handing out the rights, I would want to know a lot of detail about what the bidders intended to do... it's not just about money... (or maybe it IS - it's DORNA we're talking about I guess...)
But surely it defies belief that the Beeb would bid for (and win) exclusive coverage rights to a sport without a decent plan of outline scheduling/planning???
As far as I'm concerned their lack of will to tell us what to expect is a very very bad signal indeed. I really want to know that there *is* some kind of a plan here, and am writing to the Beeb to try and get some reassurance; I will be posting any reply of course.

Whilst Crash.net's Mike Nicks concluded the July 13th article with the reasonable opinion that the Beeb would not pay to acquire exclusive rights to the sport only to neglect it, I’m afraid I have to disagree - or at least take issue.
And for these reasons...
Once they have the exclusive rights they can do as much or as little as they like - viewers have no choice over voting with their remote controls. If there's bugger-all coverage of 250 and 125 classes, what can we do about it? They have the rights. They paid DORNA good money for them. What they get is an exclusive (captive) audience that will watch all they can of the sport; it by no means guarantees that the coverage will match that of Eurosport... after all, what's the incentive? Are DORNA going to take it off them after a year if the coverage doesn't match what Eurosport did? Or are they going to take the money and not give a damn about the fans? I know what I'd put my money on...

There is a big and ugly question that lies at the heart of this ongoing debate - and will surely do so until the day that the Beeb agrees to present coverage that equals or betters what Eurosport have been doing.
And that question is; Why did the BBC bid for exclusive rights to broadcast something, knowing that their output would be a lesser and impoverished product, which would result in worse coverage of the sport for an audience who were no longer to be given any choice in where to watch it...?
Oh, and why did DORNA give them those rights if that is the case?


Let’s have some answers and some clarity please.

What Future Now For *Decent* MotoGP Coverage On TV In The UK?

Absolutely horrifying news for any UK MotoGP fans...
(Source - crash.net)


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Dorna Sports has announced that the 2008 MotoGP World Championship will be the last to be broadcast by Eurosport.

"After many years of successful collaboration, MotoGP rights-holders Dorna Sports would like to announce that coverage of the MotoGP World Championships will no longer be available on Eurosport from the 2009 season," read a statement from Dorna.

"Dorna would like to thank Eurosport for a partnership which has been of mutual benefit for several years, having helped take MotoGP to new levels of popularity and coverage whilst also offering the pan-European broadcaster impressive viewing figures.
"The decision is part of Dorna's new strategy of working with national network broadcasters around Europe, always focusing first and foremost on free-to-air coverage to bring MotoGP to wider audiences.

"This means that in the UK, the BBC will enjoy exclusive coverage of MotoGP next year, whilst in Spain and Italy, where MotoGP enjoys long-term agreements with TVE and Mediaset respectively, negotiations are ongoing about extending coverage to more hours during the weekend.
"In Germany, a deal has been signed with a privately owned free-to-air channel, giving the commercial network exclusive coverage for three years until 2011. Meanwhile, negotiations are ongoing in France and other major European territories with various mainstream networks; further details will be announced shortly."

The British Eurosport commentary line-up of Toby Moody, Julian Ryder and former 500cc star Randy Mamola is considered one of the best in the business, while Eurosport's extensive live coverage often includes all three days at each grand prix.

The BBC will be broadcasting both F1 and MotoGP next season, with F1 certain to be given preference in the event of a clash.

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Expect to hear more on this, as I'm absolutely appalled and, as things stand, have no confidence in the BBC to deliver anything approaching the coverage (particularly of 125 and 250 classes) or quality we have come to expect.
I'm going to be writing to them outlining all my concerns and asking for a response on their plans regarding coverage and scheduling.
If I get anything useful back I'll post it here.