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Will NBC Cover F1 Better Than Speed?

Formula One Racing has never been much of a sport as
far as the idea of popularity in the United States, but this season might step up
a bit as the NBC Sports cable network, along with the NBC Network and CNBC will
combine together to broadcast all 19 races this season, taking over the
previous contract that was announced when Speed Channel recently had aired the
sport since 1997.

The sport itself has not just come around on U.S. television
recently, but back in the 1970’s the famed sports show ABC Wide World of Sports
had been covering only a few races that went back as far as 1964, when the
network covered the Grand Prix of Monaco with the late Jim McKay at the helm.
But ABC only covered two major races: the Grand Prix of Monaco, and the United
States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in upstate New York. However, the torch in
the 1980’s and the 1990’s went to then newly promoted network ESPN, which is based
today in Connecticut, and this station covered not more than two races, but all events on the formula one calendar .
It was the beginning of more things to come on American networks.

In 1997, ESPN ended their contract and another cable
network resumed the coverage. Speedvision was a brand new network that covered
not just formula one, but many other types of racing, and this began a trend
that was to be around for the next 16 years. The network coverage started with
Sam Posey and David Hobbs, both former racers doing the commentary. It went
from there to include former Dartmouth graduate Bob Varsha and included former
Benetton mechanic Steve Manchett, who had been on two of legendary racer Michael
Schumacher’s winning formula one teams. Pit reporters were also important, and Englishman
Peter Windsor stayed many years before giving his position up to countryman
Will Buxton, who finished the final year at Speed.

However last December, the NBC Sports Network out
bid Speed Channel (which it is now named following the takeover from Fox
television) and for the first time, a newer format will now be tested throughout
the season that will have fans wondering whether or not this idea will appeal
to race fans who were very much used to the Speed format.

It was not too difficult to find the announcers for
this new job, and it was very easy to obtain Hobbs, Manchett and Buxton. But
the main anchor was not picked until the last minute, when NBC went back to
Speed and extracted Australian Lee Diffey who was also doing Rolex sports car
races. Along with formula one this season, Diffey will also be doing commentary
for the IZOD Indy Car Series.

As the F1 schedule is concerned, NBC Sports Network
will begin coverage in Australia starting this weekend, and will continue until
the Spanish Grand Prix on May 12th. Then the NBC network will take over for the next two races in Monaco and
Canada, followed by the business station CNBC, who will be announcing the next
two races in Great Britain and Germany. This will be done because of scheduling
conflicts with the other NBC networks. Afterwards, the NBC Sports Network will
continue the next race in Hungary, and broadcast the competition until the U.S.
Grand Prix in Austin, Texas on November 17th which will be on NBC.

This network will also air the final race of the season in Brazil on November
24th.

It has been a big chance for NBC to take on such a
task to broadcast one of the world’s most popular events. However, if the
network can put everything they want with the fans right, then they could
continue for many more years to come.

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