Atlas F1 has been informed that ESPN lost it's contract to broadcast Formula One in the United States.
Speedvision will show the Australian GP live and Fox Sports will show it tape delayed on Sunday morning.
Atlas has not recieved any official explanation thus far.
Atlas F1 has yet to receive any official confirmation from any of the sources involved in this sad situation. However, Jon Oetting was one of the first readers to respond to me about this news. Below is his follow-up to our initial correspondence. It's the most I've heard and I thought to share it. Please mail me if you have further info. I would appreciate hearing from ESPN.
Best regards,
Paul Kaizar
Atlas F1 Editor
kaizar@atlasf1.com
To: kaizar@atlasf1.com
Subject: Re: ESPN coverage -Reply
Thanks for your reply. I have since received more information which I thought you might find useful. Here is a copy of an email I just received from the Sunshine Network, a Fox Sports network affiliate in Florida:
Thanks for your message. Yes, we just got word late yesterday that FOX Sports Net had just acquired the rights to the Formula One series and is making it available to us and other regional networks across the U.S. We plan to carry the package. We just put out a press release on it this afternoon. This Sunday's Grand Prix of Australia was just added to our schedule at 4 p.m. (ET). The newspapers and TV Guides won't have time to change their listings for Sunshine Network, so don't look for it there.
We plan to air the events either live or same day delay, depending on how FOX Sports Net offers them to us, on Sundays.
(end)
In addition, here is a copy of an email that was posted to a bulletin board on the Fox Sports web page. The person who posted it claims it came from ESPN:
FOCA has told us we are not televising the races and has broken off negotiations. For further information, you'd have to contact FOCA directly.
Sorry.
(end)
So your story is confirmed from multiple sources. I just hope Fox will provide reliable coverage in the States (Speedvision is only available via satellite in most places).
Jon Oetting