Sky extends deal to broadcast F1 live in UK until 2029

2022 F1 season

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Sky Sports has extended its exclusive deal to broadcast live coverage of Formula 1, F2 and FIA F3 in the United Kingdom.

The pay subscription broadcast provider has held rights to F1 since 2012 and became the exclusive live broadcaster in 2019. Its current deal runs until 2024.

Sky Sports F1 is currently the only channel with rights to live F1 coverage in the UK, apart from the British Grand Prix, which it shares with Channel 4.

Sky have also extended their exclusive broadcast rights in Germany and Italy, running until the end of the 2027 season. Those nations’ home race’ will also be shown live on a free-to-air station.

The broadcaster promises more multi-screen options to allow viewers to follow the live racing, including driver trackers and onboard cameras. Formula 2, F3 and Porsche Supercup races will remain exclusive to Sky Sports F1 as part of the deal.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said that extending the exclusive broadcast deal with Sky Sports will help the sport to “engage new and more diverse audiences.”

“Formula 1 has seen huge growth in recent years, and I can’t think of a better partner to continue to reach our fans with dedicated, expert and in-depth coverage,” said Domenicali.

“Sky not only brings fans live coverage but a range of behind-the-scenes access and content that brings F1 to life. We are hugely excited about the future of the partnership and the journey of Formula 1.”

Stephen van Rooyen, executive vice president and CEO of Sky UK and Europe hailed record-high viewing figures for its service ahead of its extension.

“Formula 1 continues to break records on Sky, with millions more watching than ever before across our markets, driven by new younger and female fans which is fantastic for the sport,” said Van Rooyen.

“More than 80 countries will continue to enjoy our world class analysis and content of one of the most exhilarating sports in the world.”

A current Sky subscription deals to access Sky Sports F1 in standard definition starts at £46 a month for a minimum 18-month contract, including a £20 set-up fee.

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Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...

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33 comments on “Sky extends deal to broadcast F1 live in UK until 2029”

  1. A good way to engage new and more diverse audiences would be to have live races on free TV. But those days are clearly over.

    1. We won’t be able to have F1TV either then. So expect prices to go up a lot. Great deal, just not for the fans.

  2. F1 only ‘breaks records with Sky’ because in some places it’s the only place you can go to see it. It’s expensive for what it is and the commentary has been getting progressively worse. Croft/Kravitz are disgustingly biased, they regularly report on ‘rumour’ and ‘what I’ve heard’ rather than actual truth and regularly get things wrong. I’d almost be fine with paying Sky’s extortionate prices if we could lose them entirely.

    Overall Channel 4 had better coverage and a better commentary, and free to air broadcasting will bring F1 to more people than locking it behind Sky’s ridiculous paywalls is going to. But honestly get rid of Croft/Kravitz, please.

    1. Kravitz is good.

      Crofty is really anoying and in the way of enjoying the race.

      1. I agree with this. I like Ted, but Crofty is becoming increasingly difficult to listen to. If it weren’t for Brundle, who I’ve enjoyed listening to since 1999, I would switch to the ‘other’ commentators.

        1. This announcement is no surprise – another 6 years of “bantz on tour”. Great 😒

          Croft on the BBC was OK. It seems Sky require him to play a “Crofty” character that has very fixed opinions and forces them on his colleagues. Kravitz used to be good, now a caricature of himself. Simon “as I said” ™ (even though he hasn’t already said) Lazenby is also poor.

          Really looking forward to more years of several separate Horner interviews per programme, not just per weekend

          My Sky subscription is up for renewal next year. If next season’s offering is better, I’ll renew. If more of the same-old, staleness I’m leaving after 22 years

      2. (IMO) Kravitz is only ‘good’ if compared with, and relative to, Croft.

  3. This is NOT good news.

    I don’t mind Sky’s coverage but it keeps the sport behind a very expensive paywall in the UK.

    It would’ve been far better to share coverage with Prime Video, Netflix or another similar platform.

  4. 46 bucks a month? That’s ridiculous.

    1. $48? That’s about £100 I think

  5. Terrible news. Cannot stand Croft who shouts, gets things wrong each race and repeats the same thing week in week out.

    1. In my 35 years watching F1, Croft is easily the worst commentator I have ever had the displeasure of watching (on ALL languages) I turn the volume off and listen to BBC 5 Live.

      1. You haven’t forgotten about Jonathan Legard have you?!

        I’m no Crofty fan but personally I’d put him above Legard, James Allen and Jonathan Palmer.

        1. @unicron2002 Palmer wasn’t play-by-play as far as I remember. Legard was only there for 2 years. Allen was pretty good, if a bit biased (‘Get out and push the car Jenson, get out and push the car my boy!!!’).

  6. Absolutely awful news.

    What’s the point of the F1 TV streaming service that they keep shoving in our faces when we’ll never be able to use it to watch live race weekends?

    Honestly disgusted by this announcement.

  7. Oh goody – we get to continue subsidising football coverage.

  8. I assume that means another 5 years of not being able to access F1TV? That’s a shame if so as I’d love to finally be able to pay someone to watch F1. Don’t get me wrong, watching for free has it’s benefits but I do sometimes feel bad about it….

    1. I’ve been watching it “free” since F1 went Sky exclusive back in 2019. I’m not paying a fee (at least of all to Sky) for something that was – and should still be – free to air. I feel no guilt whatsoever. It looks like I’ll be doing so for many years to come.

  9. £46 a month for a minimum 18-month

    what?

    1. In standard definition too. HD will cost more and 4k even more than that

  10. Nooooooooooooo

  11. What have we done to deserve this?!?! We’ve had this mediocrity since 2012 and they’re giving us MORE?! Haha GREAT BANTER, guys. I don’t think.

    After Monza I mentally checked out of this season so I’d already decided to jump ship to Channel 4 highlights. I might never go back…

  12. I have the same feeling I did when they last extended the contract:
    Great… a longer wait until we can get F1TV in the UK.

    I have been paying Sky for F1 since it was introduced (still on the F1 channel as part of the HD pack deal) but from what I have seen the F1TV app offers a lot more than Sky do or will do over the rest of this contract.
    I do like Skys coverage, although since COVID it has been less consistent with changing team, but having a family I appreciate the ease of apps to be able to catch up or watch content and sky don’t offer that affordably. I do for example watch some of the coverage on youtube, because it is available on any device anywhere.

  13. Another 8 years of Crofty and Ted’s passive aggressive stand-offs.

  14. Not surprised but still really disappointed.

    Just wish they would let us have F1TV as I’d be happier paying £10 or so a month just for F1 rather than having to pay way more than that for a TV package featuring a load of stuff i have no interest in watching.

    Wouldn’t even be too bad if the Sky F1 channel was available as a stand alone thing via Now TV or something rather than been bundled with the other sports channels for £33 a month on Now TV.

  15. I really like the WEC app and would much prefer something like that for F1 compared to Sky. I was hoping for F1TV to be available in the UK. Never subscribed to Sky before but I would prefer watching extended highlights on Channel four with decent commentary compared to that guy shouting on Sky.

  16. I really enjoy sky’s coverage, but I won’t pay sky’s prices anymore. It’s actually much cheaper to get a VPN subscription AND an F1tv subscription than it is to have Sky Sports. Even if you just have Sky Sports on Now TV.

    I didn’t mind when you could just buy sky sports F1, but I have no interest in the other sports sky covers and don’t see why I should have to pay crazy amounts to not watch it when F1 TV is £7 a month. I can even listen to the international (read: Sky) feed to get the same commentary.

    I do miss seeing Brundle’s Grid Walks, though.

  17. From the comments here I hope they can see how popular this new deal is.

    And we should remember that this isn’t actually Sky’s fault – they are simply throwing obscenely large sacks of money around.

    The fault is all Liberty/F1 and Stefano Domenicali for selling us out.

    Thanks very much F1, I watched live coverage since 1996 but this will be my final year of paying for these smug buffoons.

    1. Absolutely Craig. It’s like everything else in F1 these days. MONEY is the overriding factor and it’s all Liberty really care about. And yet still we all follow it.

      I think we get quite a poor deal with coverage in the U.K. I just hope the C4 highlights prog. continues. If not I may have to stop watching the sport after many years.

  18. I’m glad last year I paid for a lifetime vpn and F1tv. It is so much better and on the plus side I save a ton of money!

  19. Despite the cacophony of complaints in the comments, Sky has clearly been satisfied with the viewership numbers as well as the price of the rights package. Not sure people who were never going to pay for their service factor into their decisions when submitting a bid.

  20. A few years back NOW TV offered just F1, 2 years of expensive Sports package and I am leaving and have the blackout challenge on radio and TV to avoid hearing anything until after watching hi-lights on Channel 4. Shame I have followed F1 since 1975 to end up with less coverage now than then…..

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