Bernie Ecclestone hopes BBC agrees new Formula 1 UK TV deal
Bernie Ecclestone is hoping the BBC does not walk away from Formula 1 once the corporation's contract expires at the end of 2018
F1 commercial rights holder Ecclestone on Friday confirmed German free-to-air broadcaster RTL had signed a new two-year extension to its deal to cover F1 for 2016 and '17.
Although there has been a swing from Ecclestone in recent times towards pay-per-view broadcast deals, the 84-year-old still recognises the value of free-to-air providers such as RTL and the BBC.
Ecclestone is therefore eager for the BBC to remain on board, in tandem with Sky Sports, from 2019 and beyond.
Under the current agreement with Sky, the BBC is allowed to screen half of a season's races live, and the remainder via a highlights package.
Asked whether he was anxious to keep free to air UK coverage with the BBC, Ecclestone replied: "Absolutely. I hope they continue."
Whether the BBC could afford to continue coverage remains to be seen, but Ecclestone added: "We're not interested in the money.
"We're interested in entertaining the public and doing a service. That's what we are there for.
"The continuation of the Sky/BBC deal would be good.
"It works at the moment so there is no reason why we should change.
"Sky has done a super job. They have lifted the level, and they have lifted the BBC."
As to whether there is potential interest in F1 from BT Sport, which has started to rival Sky when it comes to the acquistion of prime-time sports and events, Ecclestone said: "Let's see.
"They've not been in to see me, but then even if they had I wouldn't tell you."
Monza's hopes of new Italian Grand Prix F1 deal fading - Ecclestone
Mark Donohue's tragic comeback
Cosworth: F1 return not on radar despite Ford's comeback
Cosworth is not considering a future return to Formula 1 despite former partner Ford’s comeback with Red Bull in 2026, saying it “hasn’t been a focus.”
Ekstrom joins World RX as sporting director for 2023 season
One-time World RallyCross Championship title-winner Mattias Ekstrom will join the series promoter as sporting director ahead of its second season of its full-electric regulations.
FIA president Ben Sulayem steps back from day-to-day F1 operations
The FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has stepped back from the day-to-day running of Formula 1 ahead of the new season.
Why the Hyderabad E-Prix is only a first step in India's motorsport emergence
OPINION: Motor racing still has some way to go to usurp cricket as India's favourite sporting discipline. The long-awaited return of international motorsport to the country this weekend with the Hyderabad E-Prix is an important step in the right direction, but it will take more than Formula E's arrival to cause a true shift
Why Albon won't be "throwing around laptops" to gain a 2023 F1 edge
OPINION: At the Williams 2023 Formula 1 season launch, Alex Albon’s easy-going nature was again a point of focus. But does being “too nice” really matter in modern F1? Albon’s own expressions put that in an intriguing new light
How the last Sauber-built Alfa offers F1 2023 evolution clues
Alfa Romeo has become the first Formula 1 team to reveal a new car for 2023, in addition to a fresh livery. This offered a first look at some of the understated changes produced by the revised regulations, along with points of convergence in the second year of the ground effect rules
The pioneering F1 car that preceded Lotus’s terminal decline
In the hands of Ayrton Senna the actively suspended 99T would be the last F1 race-winning Lotus but, as STUART CODLING reveals, it was a complicated machine that caused more problems than it solved
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.