Congratulations Liberty Media's Messer's Chevy
Chase & Brickity Bratches', You've managed to make Formula One on Thy Stateside
Television the WORST ever...
"It's A
Shame,
Such a Shame
A Redheaded Wild
Flower
In the Wrong
Garden"
VIDEO: Redheaded Wild Flower - Song
U.S. Formula 1 TV Tidbits
- First U.S. Airing of Formula 1 race was the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix on ABC's Wide World of Sports
- ESPN Broadcasts F1 Stateside between 1984-1997
- Fox Sports Net: 1998-2000
- Speedvision, Speed Channel and Speed: 1998-2012
- NBC Sports: 2013-17
- ESPN: Currently, "Multi-year" Contract, i.e.; 2018-2020?
As of early 2015, ESPN2 reportedly has an
U.S. audience of over 94 million homes with pay Cable TV subscriber service,
and approximately nearly 82% of all U.S. Households with at least one
television vs. ESPNews claiming just a Smidge' under 72 million viewers or
61.8%.
For comparison's sake, thou original
"Flagship" ESPN Network channel's U.S. Footprint for one year later was
just slightly lower than ESPN2's numbers, claiming 91.5 million U.S. television
viewers approx. with a 78.53% "Market Share."
While Gasp! Am I really also looking up ESPN
Classic's stats? For which reportedly the latter weighs in with a measly 25.5
million viewers and a 21.9% market saturation.
Meanwhile, ESPNews has steadily become ESPN's
Dumping Grounds; Err Overflow Network for programming conflicts since 2010,
i.e.; when it's "B-I-G 3" Grid Iron Powder Puff Networks ABC, ESPN
and ESPN2 are All Awash' with College Football or other such Stick 'n Ball
Sports; BARF!
Although I'm Not saying anything new here
exactly, since we All know how Horrible le Duesh's, nee ESPN2's Regurgitated
Sky Sports Broadcasts Are! Especially when we return Exactly where We left off
at Righto Sister?
But I'm simply Dumbfounded over the Lack of
Effort to inform us U.S. Fans where the Bloody F1 Races various sessions can be
found upon Terrestrial Television, for which I continue to purchase Cable TV
Service solely for the ability to easily access Formula 1 and IndyCar
Broadcasts!
Therefore I find the events of the past few Grands
Prix coverage absolutely BIZZARO! As I totally stumbled into my first Friday
Free Practice sessions airing for the entire 2018 season upon ESPN2 Thursday
evening for the Japanese Grand Prix; HUH?
Then after having initially not planned upon
watching; Err listening to the race live late Saturday evening, since I'd told
Tacoma Bureau Chief Mary Ellen it would be another BORING race! Yep, I stayed
awake thru the whole Broadcast 'til midnight, or was it 1AM Pacific? Which
strangely was shown Commercial Free; WTF?
Yet what really Frosts me now, is that it's
taken me until Round 18 of 21, as in four Bloody races remaining to learn that
Formula One's television coverage can actually be randomly placed upon four
different TV Channels! As Thars' been nary a peep 'bout needing to look for the
relatively Obscure ESPN News channel.
Which I only figured out Saturday afternoon
whilst still completely Baffled over the apparent lack of showing the USGP
Qualie' session, as I'd already tried searching the previous Tuesday with NO
results. Then got annoyed as the Internetz' was it's typical useless ses-pot.
After I finally found the 2018 F1 TV Times, I
somehow accidently clicked upon another story link embedded in the page to
which Lucy', My ARSE-Steamed Screen Reader read me that Kimi Raikkonen was P1
and Qualifying was currently underway, but what Bloody Channel is it On
BASTARDOS!
As I finally learned it was on ESPNews and
then scrambled to pull up a Spectrum/Charter TV Channel guide Online, which
fortunately was listed Alphabetically, C'mon E's... Since naturally ESPNews is
Bloody Channel 412 for Mwah, and I wondered if I'd have it?
As I ran; Err sauntered out to the living
room, turned on Thy Telie' and punched in 412 and was ecstatic to hear the
Chirpy British tomes 'O Kroftie 'N Billybob', nee David Kroft and Martin
Brundle, as Thar were even some five plus minutes left in Qualie's Q1 session;
HURRAH!
But seriously Liberty Media, as I still Bristle
over a recent Daily Mail article noting how U.S. Fans Fail to get Revved Up
over Formula 1... How are Yuhs ever gonna move thou proverbial needle if a
Died-in-the-Wool F1 Aficionado has this much trouble locating his favourite
Sport?
As Liberty would be wise to take a page out
of its competitor NBC sports Playbook, where I know Leigh Diffey has gone to
great lengths to enunciate where the next Formula 1 or IndyCar race will be
available for viewing during TV Broadcasts in order to help it's Fan base
actually be able to watch their Sport at the appointed time, instead of leaving
us Seeing Red! And NO! I'm not talking 'bout the Scuderia...
And notice how I'm NOT even gonna bother
critiquing ESPN's bungled handling of race broadcasts random scatter WackaMole'
Commercial Breaks, Delaying advertised programme times for Sportscenter,
Women's softball et al, or instantly chopping F1 programmes that are running
late!
But why would I expect Sky Sports announcers
to tell us what Bloody channel the upcoming events are going to be on thee
Telie? As it seems a Wee Bit Funny that Walt Disney's competitor comca$t has
just purchased Sky Sports!
As let's See,
Mexico's Grand Prix coverage Friday and Saturday is on ESPNews and the race is
on ABC; Hut-Hut Omaha! And Thars ZERO encore presentations.
Whilst Yuhs get
What you Paid for Liberty! So I do NOT wish to hear, see or read one 'lil iota
'bout Messer Brickity Bratches or Liberty being Disappointed over their TV
Ratings...
Partial Song lyrics from:
Little River Band
Song: Redheaded Wild Flower
Album: Sleeper Catcher
Year: 1978