talkSPORT explores acquiring Formula 1 radio rights from BBC
talkSPORT head Liam Fisher is looking to expand his station's portfolio by potentially acquiring Formula 1 radio rights. The move could end the BBC's exclusive coverage of the sport, which the broadcaster has held since 1994 amidst ongoing budget cuts.
BBC coverage under threat
The BBC has held the exclusive radio rights to Formula 1 since 1994, but it may soon lose that status. According to a report from The Telegraph, talkSPORT is exploring the possibility of acquiring the rights to Formula 1, which would end the BBC’s radio coverage of the sport. The BBC is currently undergoing broader cost-cutting initiatives as part of sweeping budget savings across the public broadcaster, which has already seen the station relinquish rights to several major sporting events like the Boat Race, bowls, the Commonwealth Games athletics, and Rugby Super League. 5Live, the BBC’s sports station, recently announced a scale-down in its commissioning as part of a broader cost-cutting move. This move opens space for a station like talkSPORT to take advantage. Cricket fans have seen England’s overseas tours increasingly head to talkSPORT, including the upcoming tour of South Africa this winter. The BBC uses Harry Benjamin as the lead voice for Formula 1, but budget constraints create a vulnerability for the broadcaster.
talkSPORT expansion strategy
Liam Fisher, the head of talkSPORT, intends to expand the station’s portfolio beyond football. "Football still is our bread and butter, but we’ve definitely looked to extend it on the basic understanding that, even if football is your first, second, and third sport, you are probably into something else as well," Fisher told The Telegraph. He said the station’s strategy is to "pick off the events where we believe there is an audience potential that sits well with what we’re providing" and to "cherry-pick what we think are the key sports and events that we think you might be interested in." Fisher called the Formula 1 rights "another brilliant set of rights" and stated that the sport’s audience matches the talkSPORT audience well. He noted that there is an opportunity to deliver "really good amplification" for the sport. While Harry Benjamin is the lead voice for the BBC, Fisher says talkSPORT can provide "always-on" coverage throughout the week. He argued that while 5Live focuses on races and qualifying, talkSPORT provides a "proper 360" level of coverage that includes the breakfast show all week and periods outside of the race weekends and the season. This approach also allows the station to amplify sponsors more than they are likely to get in certain other places because they can provide increased coverage. Fisher said that the station can turn up the noise on a sport at other times of the day and in other parts of the year.
