Martin Whitmarsh, team principal of the McLaren Formula One motor-racing team, has said that the introduction of UK pay-television broadcaster BSkyB as a rights-holder for the championship has reinvigorated coverage of the sport.
“I think Sky has put a tremendous amount of energy into the coverage,” he told motor racing website Autosport. “We used to be obsessed with bums on seats in front of television sets, but that is going to be as antiquated as considering the lending of library books as a measurement for literature.
“We can’t think of bums on seats in the living room anymore, because there are mobile phones, tablets, PCs, internet – plus storage for viewing later. We are only at the start of that process, and I think that Sky has got a lot of energy and creativity for the future.
“We were all very worried about it, but pay-per-view, with all its different outlets; it is much more complex than the traditional approach.”
Sky broadcasts all races live in the UK while public-service broadcaster the BBC, which previously showed all races live, has scaled back its coverage by broadcasting half of the grands prix live and delayed highlights of the other events. Both broadcasters have seven-year deals with Formula One Management, the championship’s rights-holder, from 2012 to 2018.