F1: SPEED Welcomes Formula One Move To HD In 2011

Formula 1

F1: SPEED Welcomes Formula One Move To HD In 2011

The international feed for the F1 World Championship is being originated and offered in High Definition for the first time...

Erik Arneson | Posted January 12, 2011 Charlotte, NC

SPEED.com - The Online Motor Sports Authority (Image: SPEED)

SPEED™ ECSTATIC ABOUT FORMULA ONE MANAGEMENT DECISION TO DELIVER INTERNATIONAL FEED IN HD

F1 SEASON BEGINS MARCH 13 LIVE ON SPEED FROM BAHRAIN

For the first time ever, the international feed for the FIA Formula One World Championship™ is being originated and offered in High Definition, giving U.S. F1 fans something to cheer about in 2011.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with this decision and our ability to bring our rabid F1 fan base coverage of their favorite racing in HD in 2011,” said Rick Miner, SPEED SVP Production & Network Operations. “And SPEED is going the extra mile, installing continuous fiber service to guarantee the best possible picture quality.”

The Formula One season opens March 13 with live coverage of the Bahrain Grand Prix on SPEED. Sixteen of the season’s 20 races will be live and exclusive to SPEED in the U.S., with four events airing on FOX.

"This is great news for fans of Formula One on SPEED, and an overdue one as well,” said Bob Varsha, the longtime host of F1 race broadcasts on SPEED. “Our engineers have done great work in recent seasons enhancing the digital feed we and the rest of the world have been supplied, but once SPEED went to high definition it was obvious there was something missing. This announcement means those days are now over, and viewers will be able to enjoy the spectacle of F1 with the clarity and color of true HD. I can't wait for Bahrain in March."

SPEED made the move to High Definition in February of 2008, before building and moving into a state-of-the-art HD facility in Charlotte, N.C., later that same year.

About SPEED™ - SPEED, anchored by its popular and wide-ranging coverage of NASCAR, is the nation’s first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle. Now available in more than 82 million homes in North America, SPEED, a member of the FOX Sports Media Group, is among the industry leaders in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEED.com, the online motor sports authority.

About FOX Sports Media Group - FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets under Chairman & CEO David Hill. Built with brands that are capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FSMG now includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; Fox’s 19 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; SPEED and SPEED2; Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus; FUEL TV; and Fox College Sports. In addition, FSMG also includes FOX Sports Interactive Media, which comprises FOXSports.com on MSN, whatifsports.com and scout.com, reaching over 20 million unique visitors monthly. Also included are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses FOX Deportes, Big Ten Network and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network, FOX Sports Skybox restaurants and FOX Sports Grills.