Ten acts after Mark Webber's call for live broadcasts of F1

NETWORK Ten has been forced into an embarrassing backflip over its decision to delay Formula One broadcasts.

NETWORK Ten has been forced into an embarrassing backflip over its decision to delay Formula One broadcasts for most of the country after F1 star Mark Webber called for a return to live races.

The network has endured days of abuse from fans and raised the concerns of sponsors after it moved the broadcasts from One HD to the standard definition Ten in a ratings grab.

Ten said the move was made for commercial reasons, locking F1 and MotoGP broadcasts into the 9.30pm slot around the country. It launched the strategy on Sunday night.

The move effectively saw Perth viewers getting the races after they had finished.

On Monday, The Australian revealed the network was coming under pressure from sponsors and fans over the move.

Within minutes of Webber tweeting yesterday the races should be live, Ten announced Adelaide and Perth would now get the races live on One HD, while Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane would still get races in standard definition on Ten.

Webber's tweet came after he had been deluged by fans begging him to say something.

Thousands of fans attacked Ten on its Twitter and Facebook pages, while many took a stand against the network and sourced pirated feeds of the race from British broadcaster Sky Sports.

Ten hailed Sunday's broadcast as a success "but we recognise viewers in Adelaide and Perth want live sport", spokesman Neil Shoebridge said.

"We acknowledge the concerns expressed by some viewers in those cities about the delayed telecast of Sunday night's race.

"Network Ten has, therefore, decided to broadcast Formula One and MotoGP in Adelaide and Perth live on One."

Viewers in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane will continue to receive the broadcast live on Ten.