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Ecclestone to axe digital F1 coverage

Lack of viewers cited as reason for pay-per-view failure

Bernie Ecclestone is ditching digital television coverage of Formula 1, according to a story in the Daily Mail.

The newspaper reports that Ecclestone's decision to stop the pay-per-view coverage, which has been available on Sky digital in the UK this year, has been made because the service has not attracted enough viewers.

The state-of-the-art digital service has been available in Germany, Italy and France, as well as in the UK. Ecclestone had long championed the service as the future of Formula 1 coverage, but he now looks set to concentrate on the free-to-view terrestrial programmes.

The news will come as a boost to ITV, who will now have access to many of the features previously available only to digital viewers, such as extra on-board cameras.

However, the Daily Mail reports that Ecclestone is unlikely to be left too much out of pocket by the failed venture. Although the newspaper reckons the venture has cost £75 million since it started in 1997, it claims most of the costs were carried by French TV company Canal Plus and German broadcaster DF1.

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