Qatar MotoGP: more baffling BBC coverage

Jake | Monday 2nd April 2012 | MotoGP

I don’t have a problem with the MotoGP coverage on the BBC – I actively enjoy it, most of the time. But trying to nail down exactly what is on and where can be… challenging. I’ve lost count of the number of posts like this I’ve written, attempting to clearly lay out how to catch the coverage.

The Qatar GP and the Dutch TT at Assen tend to be the problems, falling inconveniently on Sunday evening and Saturday lunchtime respectively, rather than the regular Sunday lunchtime. Like it or not, for a mainstream – not to mention public service – broadcaster like the BBC, making room for them outside of the regular MotoGP slot is tricky.

2012 Qatar GP on the BBC

Qualifying
Saturday 7th April 2012
Moto3: 1600-1645
Moto2: 1655-1740
MotoGP: 1755-1855
BBC Red Button & Online: 1555-1900
– on Freeview: probably not

Moto3 & Moto2 Races
Sunday 8th April 2012
Moto3: 1700
Moto2: 1820
BBC Red Button & Online: 1655-1905
– on Freeview: 1655-1830 only

MotoGP Race
Sunday 8th April 2012
Race: 20:00
BBC Red Button & Online: 1930-2100
– on Freeview: yes!
BBC One & BBC One HD: 2325-0055

Onto the practicalities of this weekend, then. I’ve tried to spell it out as clearly as I can in the panel on the right.

In short, qualifying for all three classes on Saturday will be on the BBC Red Button and online, from 15:55 to 19:00. The BBC Red Button schedule is a bit vague, but it looks unlikely that it will be available on Freeview.

The MotoGP race on Sunday is straightforward, if not entirely satisfactory: 19:30 to 21:00 on the BBC Red Button, including Freeview, and the BBC Sport website. Then there will be a full repeat on BBC One and BBC One HD from 23:25. Yes, MotoGP will be in HD all year on the BBC.

Where it gets complicated is the support races. The BBC Red Button and BBC Sport website will carry coverage between 16:55 and 19:05. The Freeview stream, however, will finish at 18:30. With the Moto3 race at 17:00 and Moto2 at 18:20, only the very start of the Moto2 race will be on Freeview.

Why?

This is where I start to get agitated.

Masters Golf has a stream on the Red Button 18:15-23:00. An hour of this, 18:30-19:30, is on Freeview. And for that, the BBC chops off the majority – but not all – of the Moto2 race.

Surely there are two logical options here: leave Qatar after Moto3, and show the Masters Golf from the start of the stream; or show the Moto2 race in full.

Cutting away from the Moto2 race to join the golf coverage late seems nothing short of perverse. Who exactly is it meant to satisfy?

Ho hum. At least it’s all online.

Photo Credit
Alex Simonini / Absolutely Simple – Flickr – Some rights reserved

5 Comments

There are 5 comments

Comment by Shorty Bob, Friday 6th April 2012 @ 21:18

I don’t think the BBC are serious about MotoGP, I get the feeling they want to but when they try and cater for more than one sport it’s always MotoGp that gets cut or shoved off someplace else. It’s so difficult to try and watch Moto2 and 3 I think I’ll have to give it up, last year was bad enough. I dont want to watch highlights, F1 is screwed up enough with that..
Comment by Jake, Saturday 7th April 2012 @ 15:50

Yeah, it’s not made terribly easy to watch Moto2 and Moto3. I reckon it’s worth the effort though – some cracking racing in those classes.

The support races have at least usually ended up on the iPlayer, despite not being on a proper channel, so hopefully that will continue.
Comment by Robin, Saturday 7th April 2012 @ 19:14

Hi. Do you think its worth getting Eurosport On Line coverage? Is this better coverage than the BBC? I realise the main race is delayed coverage. Robin
Comment by Jake, Sunday 8th April 2012 @ 10:58

I wouldn’t have thought it’s worth paying for Eurosport purely for MotoGP. Their commentary team (Toby Moody, Julian Ryder & Neil Spalding – though it was Randy Mamola when I used to watch it on Eurosport, and that WAS a legendary commentary team) is great, but as you say, the main race is delayed.

The BBC coverage is no less convenient than the Eurosport Player, as it’s always online – even when it’s hidden on the Red Button and not on Freeview. Plus most of it ends up on the iPlayer. And I really like the world feed commentary team (Gavin Emmett, Nick Harris & Ian Wheeler – great that he’s returned this year) that the BBC takes for Moto2 and Moto3. For the MotoGP I really like Matt Roberts and Azi Farni, Steve Parrish is fine, and I can usually put up with Charlie Cox.

But if you also fancy watching live World and British Superbikes, or four-wheeled stuff like WTCC and IRC, then a Eurosport subscription is probably pretty good value.

Thanks for your comment!
Comment by Drakrats, Saturday 30th June 2012 @ 12:15

The only fault with the BBC coverage is the inclusion of Ian Wheeler on Moto3 and Moto2. Gavin Emmett is terrific but Wheelers annoying ‘know nothing’ comments and Gavins constant need to corrent him make it unlistenable.