ITV pulls live 2023 British MotoGP broadcast from schedules

ITV will no longer air the 2023 British MotoGP round live after dropping coverage from their schedules, Motorsport Broadcasting has learnt.

The race weekend, scheduled at Silverstone from August 4th to 6th, would have been ITV’s third consecutive year airing the British Grand Prix live.

Under their existing agreement with Dorna, the free-to-air broadcaster airs highlights of the series on ITV4, along with live coverage of two race weekends (Sprint and the Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP races).

Previously, it was assumed, much like Sky’s contract with F1 (where the British GP airs live and free-to-air), that ITV must air the British round live on ITV1.

A press release from the commercial broadcaster last month stated that coverage of both the Italian and British rounds would air live.

The Italian round aired on ITV1 on June 11th, with the British round expected to air on ITV1 on August 6th, both races a simulcast of the coverage produced by pay TV rights holder BT/TNT Sports.

However, the latter will no longer air live on ITV1, and will now be covered in highlights form akin to the other 18 rounds on ITV4 on Monday evening. Instead, ITV1 will air the season finale in Valencia on November 26th live, the broadcaster has confirmed to this site.

“Due to competition in ITV’s schedule, we will be showing highlights of the Silverstone MotoGP round but plan to show full live coverage of the season finale in Valencia,” a statement read.

A disappointing scenario

The decision by ITV not to air the British MotoGP this year is disappointing, especially considering the broadcaster’s commitment to airing the race live less than two months ago.

The broadcaster’s coverage increased in 2021 in an attempt to increase the visibility of the series in the UK, supported by stakeholders, including Silverstone.

Silverstone’s Managing Director Stuart Pringle recognises that MotoGP faces issues in the UK, which in turn impacts attendances for the race weekend.

Speaking to Autosport recently, Pringle said “There is no question at all that the visibility of MotoGP in the UK is really poor.”

“That starts with television, and indeed free-to-air made people’s awareness of the sport far greater. That in turn has dropped off the broadsheets and the tabloids in that time as well. So, the whole thing, the whole visibility piece is the fundamental problem.”

Pringle, Dorna, or TNT Sports are likely to be unimpressed by ITV’s attitude towards MotoGP, especially at the eleventh hour. However, did ITV have any choice in the matter? Perhaps.

In mid-June, ITV announced that they had secured the rights to air the FA Community Shield match between Arsenal and Manchester City on Sunday 6th August. The match was initially set to kick off at 17:30, but was brought forward to 16:00, with the programme starting at 15:15 on ITV1.

During the same weekend is the football Women’s World Cup round of 16 matches (with the matches starting at 03:00 and 10:00, one of which will be on ITV), while ITV also holds the rights to the Glorious Goodwood and Sky Bet Sunday Series horse racing events.

If the football goes into extra time and penalties the MotoGP race, which starts at 13:00, would have faced being bumped off ITV1 and onto ITV3 or ITV4.

MotoGP could have pushed the race back to fit in between both football matches, similar to how the Royal Ascot forward due to the FA Cup final.

It is likely that ITV made the call on that basis, to cover MotoGP on a weekend where their sporting schedule is less congested than during the British MotoGP weekend. The MotoGP weekend itself moved from a Bank Holiday August slot to an early August slot in 2022.

The decision to air Valencia live means that live MotoGP free to air coverage will clash with the latter stages of the F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi. With the F1 race likely to be a dead rubber, this could work in ITV’s favour if the MotoGP championship goes down to the wire, although as of writing this is an outside possibility.

Live coverage of the full British Grand Prix weekend begins on Friday 4th August, with practice airing on TNT Sports 2 from 09:00.

Updated on July 28th with further details.

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Scheduling: The 2022 MotoGP and Supercars season openers

The motor racing season continues to roar back into action this weekend, with the return of MotoGP and Supercars action!

For UK fans, both championships air live on BT Sport, however, there are other viewing options available across the board for fans wanting to dip their toes into the action.

MotoGP – the coverage

2022 is BT’s ninth season covering MotoGP, along with feeder series Moto2 and Moto3, with every session airing live on BT Sport 2.

In addition to BT Sport’s pay TV offering, free-to-air highlights will air on Monday evenings on ITV4.

In a new element to the ITV deal that began last season, the broadcaster will also cover two races live. The British MotoGP race will air live on ITV, while ITV4 will cover action from one other round live.

Both BT’s and ITV’s current arrangements with commercial rights holder Dorna run until the end of 2024.

The new season begins in Qatar, which is the earliest for the championship, and its predecessors, since 1964. Back then, the first race took place on 2nd February in America, with Mike Hailwood coming out victorious.

Not only does the championship start earlier, but so does the race, with all sessions two hours earlier than last year for UK fans.

The switch from British Summer Time (BST) to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) offsets one hour, with the sessions taking place one hour earlier than previously.

ITV4’s highlights package airs later than usual on Monday thanks to FA Cup action.

Alternatively, fans can watch MotoGP via Dorna’s in-house over-the-top platform. Priced at €199.99 across the year, or £167.13 based on current conversion rates, the price gives fans access to all the action live, and access to MotoGP’s rich and ever-expanding archive.

Considering the increase in races this season, the price represents better value for money than in previous years.

MotoGP – the personnel

It is in-house where the biggest changes come for MotoGP, following Steve Day’s decision to step down as lead commentator at the end of 2021.

Day, who succeeded Nick Harris in the role, stepped down after four years as World Feed lead commentator.

Writing on his Instagram at the time, Day said that he had made the “incredibly difficult decision to leave my role in order to spend some more time at home with my family, my friends and to work on some new and exciting projects.”

Replacing Day is Louis Suddaby. Suddaby is already a familiar voice to MotoGP’s fanbase, having been part of their social media presenting and editorial team in recent years.

Suzi Perry continues to lead BT Sport’s MotoGP offering, with Gavin Emmett and Neil Hodgson providing analysis throughout the weekend.

Friday 4th March
08:45 to 16:00 – Practice (BT Sport 2)
=> 08:50 – Moto3: Practice 1
=> 09:45 – Moto2: Practice 1
=> 10:40 – MotoGP: Practice 1
=> 13:10 – Moto3: Practice 2
=> 14:05 – Moto2: Practice 2
=> 15:00 – MotoGP: Practice 2

Saturday 5th March
08:15 to 11:15 – Practice (BT Sport 2)
=> 08:25 – Moto3: Practice 3
=> 09:20 – Moto2: Practice 3
=> 10:15 – MotoGP: Practice 3
12:00 to 16:15 – Qualifying (BT Sport 2)
=> 12:30 – Moto3: Qualifying
=> 13:25 – Moto2: Qualifying
=> 14:20 – MotoGP: Practice 4
=> 15:00 – MotoGP: Qualifying

Sunday 6th March
08:30 to 09:45 – Asia Talent Cup (BT Sport 2)
10:00 to 17:00 – Races (BT Sport 2)
=> 10:00 – Warm Ups
=> 11:15 – Moto3: Race
=> 13:00 – Moto2: Race
=> 14:30 – MotoGP: Race
=> 16:00 – Chequered Flag

Monday 7th March
21:45 to 22:45 – Highlights (ITV4)

Full scheduling details for the 2022 Qatar MotoGP. Scheduling details correct as of Monday 28th February and are subject to change.

Supercars returns

Down under in Australia, the Supercars series gets back underway with the Sydney SuperNight event!

Triple Eight’s Shane van Gisbergen is looking to successfully defend his championship after winning his second title last year.

While BT Sport airs every race live for UK based readers, fans wanting to get closer to the action can do by subscribing to the SuperView service. New for 2022, fans can also access SuperView via YouTube.

The service, which costs £38.14 across the year based on current conversion rates, gives fans access to every race, including feeder series, as well as on-demand replays of qualifying and the race itself.

Like MotoGP, Supercars has their own in-house broadcast team, which international broadcasters use.

> Full details: the 2022 Supercars broadcasting line-up

Neil Crompton and five-time champion Mark Skaife lead the commentary line-up, supported by an expert team including three-time champion Craig Lowndes and Triple Eight endurance co-driver Garth Tander.

Friday 4th March
02:00 to 08:00 – Practice
=> 04:15 – Practice 1
=> 07:10 – Practice 2

Saturday 5th March
01:15 to 10:45 – Race 1
=> 03:45 – Qualifying, Race 1
=> 05:30 – Top 10 Shootout, Race 1
=> 08:10 – Race 1
=> Race 1 airs live on BT Sport Extra 1 from 08:00 to 10:45

Sunday 6th March
21:00 (Saturday) to 07:00 – Race 2
=> 23:50 (Saturday) – Qualifying, Race 2
=> 01:05 – Top 10 Shootout, Race 2
=> 03:30 – Race 2
=> Race 2 airs live on BT Sport/ESPN from 03:30 to 06:00

Full scheduling details for the 2022 Sydney SuperNight event. Scheduling details correct as of Tuesday 1st March and are subject to change.

If scheduling details change, this article will be updated.

Additional Supercars details provided by Joshua Kerr.

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Scheduling: The 2022 Rally Monte Carlo

A new era begins for the World Rally Championship this weekend, as the championship moves to hybrid-power cars for the first time, under the Rally1 banner.

Sebastien Ogier fended off competition from Elfyn Evans to win his eighth championship last year.

While Ogier will be part of the Monte Carlo season opener, Ogier is not competing in a full season, meaning it is all to play for in the hybrid era.

WRC’s over-the-top platform All Live returns for its fifth season, allowing fans to see all the rallying action live.

New for 2022, the platform also allows fans to watch its European companion, the European Rally Championship live, for £99.99 across the whole year.

As usual, the All Live offering, including studio analysis and service park coverage, will air across BT Sport’s platforms, including their Red Button service and online platforms.

Free-to-air highlights will continue to air on ITV4 in the week following each event.

The usual broadcast team returns to cover the action, with Becs Williams leading the commentary line-up for All Live viewers throughout the event, alongside the likes of Julian Porter, Molly Pettit, and Kevin Piper.

Thursday 20th January
08:30 to 09:30 – Shakedown (BT Sport Extra 1)
17:30 to 18:30 – Pre-Show and Ceremonial Start (BT Sport Extra 1)
19:00 to 21:30 – Stages 1 and 2 (BT Sport Extra 1)
=> 19:00 – Stage 1 (also on BT Sport 2)
=> 20:30 – Stage 2

Friday 21st January
06:00 to 18:30 – Stages 3 to 8 (BT Sport Extra 1)
=> 08:14 – Stage 3
=> 09:17 – Stage 4
=> 10:35 – Stage 5
=> 13:16 – Stage 6
=> 14:16 – Stage 7
=> 15:37 – Stage 8
23:15 to 23:45 – Day 1 Highlights (BT Sport 2)

Saturday 22nd January
04:45 to 19:00 – Stages 9 to 13 (BT Sport Extra 1)
=> 07:15 – Stage 9
=> 09:00 – Stage 10
=> 10:15 – Stage 11
=> 13:00 – Stage 12
=> 14:15 – Stage 13
01:00 to 01:30 – Day 2 Highlights (BT Sport 1)

Sunday 23rd January
05:30 to 12:45 – Stages 14 to 17 (BT Sport Extra 1)
=> 07:45 – Stage 14
=> 09:00 – Stage 15 (also on BT Sport 2)
=> 10:00 – Stage 16
=> 11:00 – Stage 17 (also on BT Sport 2)
02:00 to 02:30 – Day 3 Highlights (BT Sport 3)

Wednesday 26th January
20:00 to 21:00 – Highlights (ITV4)

Full scheduling details for the 2022 Rally Monte Carlo. Scheduling details correct as of Wednesday 19th January and are subject to change.

If scheduling details do change, this article will be updated.

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ITV’s F1 archive to be activated in deal with Racing Past Media

ITV’s Formula 1 archive is to be activated over the next three years following a research deal reached between the broadcaster and Racing Past Media, led by presenter Steve Rider.

The archive being explored covers live coverage of F1 races from the 1960s and 1970s, including coverage of the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix, as well as ITV’s coverage of over 50 races via the European Broadcasting Union.

RPM says that the agreement “will help organise and activate a significant volume of material held by ITV from the first 30 years of the Formula One World Championship.” The agreement does not cover ITV’s later F1 coverage from 1997 to 2008.

In their press release, RPM says that “the ambition of the project to make this exciting content available to a much wider audience.”

Although the release does not list any outlets, the deal will open the door for the ITV archive to be made available to stakeholders, such as Formula 1 themselves for usage on their over-the-top platform, or Sky Sports F1 more easily than what it currently is.

Joining Rider at RPM is Robert Foster, who spent 25 years in production, rights and archive management at the BBC before becoming vice-president at the European Broadcasting Union.

Steve Rider said “It is not just the race coverage but the documentary and feature material being unearthed that is so exciting.”

“This is the first step in a project that, along with the co-operation of other archives and rights holders, will help provide a complete and accessible archive of the formative years of the Formula One World Championship.”

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Scheduling: The 2021 United States Grand Prix

With 6 races to go in the 2021 Formula One season, just 6 points separate Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton as the championship returns to Texas for the United States Grand Prix!

For UK viewers, the weekend offering from both Sky Sports and Channel 4 looks a little different to usual – hence why Motorsport Broadcasting has opted to publish a full schedule for the weekend.

F1 – the coverage

Channel 4’s offering is the weakest from a free-to-air broadcaster in decades, partly by choice, and partly inflicted upon them.

With qualifying starting at 21:00 UK time on Saturday, Channel 4 have opted to air qualifying on Sunday morning instead of a late-night Saturday slot, as they did in 2019.

Meanwhile, the race edit begins just after midnight on Sunday, the earliest Channel 4 can contractually air the race.

Channel 4 have trimmed both shows back compared to usual: a one-hour qualifying show airs on Sunday with an 85-minute programme covering the race. Expect limited commercials, and a weekend featuring primarily World Feed content.

The actual race edits should be the same length as usual, except without the usual bells and whistles that production company Whisper usually provide.

Given the closeness of the championship race, one wonders whether Channel 4 should have negotiated with Sky to bring the free-to-air highlights package forward, even by an hour to 23:05.

Doing so would unlikely deplete Sky’s live audience, but boost Channel 4’s figure significantly, resulting in a net gain overall. Thankfully this is not a championship decider, because having the F1 title won at 01:00 on free-to-air television is not in anyone’s interests.

By way of comparison, 30 years ago, the BBC aired a 50-minute highlights package of the US Grand Prix from Phoenix in a late night time slot on BBC Two.

Sky have seemingly reacted to Channel 4’s qualifying conundrum by opting to simulcast their live coverage on their new Sky Showcase channel, enabling more viewers to watch qualifying across Sky, Virgin Media and BT TV.

F1 – the team and W Series

With a reduced offering comes a change in presenter, as Lee McKenzie steps into Steve Jones’s presenting shoes for Channel 4.

Martin Brundle returns to Sky’s coverage after missing both the Russian and Turkish rounds, with Jenson Button also joining the team out in Austin.

For the first time, IndyCar and NASCAR star Danica Patrick joins Sky’s offering. One person not with Sky is Ted Kravitz, Kravitz part of the W Series team during the US Grand Prix weekend.

Live coverage of the W Series airs across More4 and Channel 4, the Saturday race airing on More4 with the season finale airing on Channel 4.

All F1 sessions are available to listen live via BBC’s F1 website

Thursday 21st October
21:00 to 22:00 – The F1 Show (Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event)
22:00 to 22:30 – F1: Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)
23:00 to 00:30 – F1: Drivers’ Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)

Friday 22nd October
17:00 to 18:45 – F1: Practice 1 (Sky Sports F1)
20:45 to 22:30 – F1: Practice 2 (Sky Sports F1)

Saturday 23rd October
18:45 to 20:10 – F1: Practice 3 (Sky Sports F1)
=> also BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra from 18:55 to 20:05
20:30 to 21:00 – Hamilton vs Verstappen: The Season so Far (Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Showcase)
21:00 to 23:45 – F1: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Showcase)
=> Sky Showcase until 23:15
=> also BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra from 21:55 to 23:05
23:05 to 00:25 – W Series: Race 1 (More4)

Sunday 24th October
08:00 to 08:30 – W Series: Race 1 Highlights (Channel 4)
08:30 to 09:30 – F1: Qualifying Highlights (Channel 4)
16:30 to 18:00 – W Series: Race 2 (Channel 4)
18:30 to 23:00 – F1: Race
=> 18:30 – Grand Prix Sunday (Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event)
=> 19:55 – Race (Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event)
=> also BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra from 19:45 to 22:00
=> 22:00 – Chequered Flag (Sky Sports F1)
00:05 to 01:30 – F1: Race Highlights (Channel 4)

Full scheduling details for the 2021 United States Grand Prix. Scheduling details correct as of Friday 15th October and are subject to change.

Meanwhile, MotoGP heads back to Misano, the Emilia Romagna race filling the void left by the cancellation of the flyaway rounds.

With a 52-point advantage, Fabio Quartararo is odds on favourite to win his first MotoGP World Championship. As always, live coverage of every session airs on BT Sport 2, with highlights airing on ITV4.

Elsewhere in motor racing, the British Touring Car Championship concludes with all the action from Brands Hatch airing live on ITV4.

Friday 22nd October
08:00 to 15:15 – Practice (BT Sport 2)
=> 08:00 – Moto3
=> 08:55 – MotoGP
=> 09:55 – Moto2
=> 12:15 – Moto3
=> 13:10 – MotoGP
=> 14:10 – Moto2

Saturday 23rd October
08:00 to 15:00 – Practice and Qualifying (BT Sport 2)
=> 08:00 – Moto3: Practice 3
=> 08:55 – MotoGP: Practice 3
=> 09:55 – Moto2: Practice 3
=> 11:35 – Moto3: Qualifying
=> 12:30 – MotoGP: Practice 4
=> 13:10 – MotoGP: Qualifying
=> 14:10 – Moto2: Qualifying

Sunday 24th October
07:30 to 14:30 – Races (BT Sport 2)
=> 07:30 – Warm Ups
=> 09:15 – Moto3: Race
=> 11:00 – Moto2: Race
=> 12:30 – MotoGP: Race
=> 14:00 – Chequered Flag

Monday 25th October
20:00 to 21:00 – Highlights (ITV4)

Full scheduling details for the 2021 Emilia Romagna MotoGP. Scheduling details correct as of Friday 15th October and are subject to change.

If plans change, this article will be updated.

Contribute to the running costs of Motorsport Broadcasting by donating via PayPal. If you wish to reproduce the contents of this article in any form, please contact Motorsport Broadcasting in the first instance.