F1 Digital +

F1 Digital+
The UK F1 Digital+ logo
Launched	July 1996
Closed	December 2002
Owned by	Formula One Management
Picture format	576i (PAL) 4:3
Country	Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, Poland
Availability
Satellite
Sky Digital	Channel 434

F1 Digital+ (also known as just F1 Digital) was the name of the enhanced world feed package for Formula One coverage between mid 1996-2002. The service offered additional features to the standard, single analogue television feed of the sport, which digital broadcasters had the option of taking up and broadcasting on their own digital interactive television platforms (at a higher price than the standard television feed, which often necessitated the broadcasters charging viewers for), such as channels dedicated to onboard cameras, cameras in the pit area and live timing data. The programmes were also broadcast commercial-free.

The service launched at the 1996 German Grand Prix. Initially the service was only offered by the German-based DF1 service, broadcasting into Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The French broadcaster Canal Plus, also signed up for the service in 1996, with a ten-year contract estimated to be costing $60 million per year. Italian broadcaster TELE+ launched at the beginning of the 1997 season. British broadcaster BSkyB however did not offer the service until later.

An initial investment of $35 million was made to set up the service. By the time the service closed, over $100 million had been spent on it.

The race coverage shown on regular terrestrial TV was produced by a local broadcaster (the host broadcaster) and provided to all other broadcasters around the world. By comparison, the majority of the coverage shown on the F1 Digital+ service was produced on-site at each Grand Prix venue by Formula One Management. The operation involved transporting around 200 tons of equipment to each race. To transport the equipment required 18 trucks for European rounds or two Boeing 747 jumbo jets for fly-away races. At the race venue, a 1200 sq m air-conditioned tent was set up containing the majority of the equipment. The service was run by Eddie Baker, and the tent was colloquially referred to as Bakersville.

Two hundred staff were employed to provide the coverage. A two-week turn around was required to dismantle and reassemble all the equipment. Dismantling would begin immediately following a race broadcast on Sunday and would be finished by Tuesday. It would then be transported to the next venue. Between Friday and Sunday the broadcast centre would be reassembled and all cameras and cabling around the circuit would be completed by Wednesday. The equipment was tested on Thursday in preparation for the first broadcast of a race meeting on Friday.