F1 Broadcasters

UK F1 Broadcasters

Formula 1 on BBC TV Sport

2009 saw the return of F1 to BBC Television, after an absence of 12 years, when F1 races were covered by ITV.

The new-look coverage promises to be the most comprehensive in the history of the sport, with all on-track sessions brought live through TV, Radio, Red Button, broadband and of course BBC iPlayer for any of those missed moments.

Formula 1 on BBC TV Sport 2009-2015

From the 2012 season, the UK TV broadcasting rights for Formula One were shared between the “free to air” BBC and the Sky Sports subscription service.

Although the BBC’s F1 contract ran until the end of the 2018 season, it decided to “reluctantly” end its Formula 1 television contract three years early as part of savings across the corporation.

Formula 1 on Channel Four

Channel 4 will take on the BBC’s F1 broadcast rights from the 2016 season.

Channel 4 will broadcast 10 live Formula 1 races, including practice and qualifying sessions, in each of the three FIA Formula One World Championship seasons from 2016 to 2018. It will also broadcast comprehensive highlights of all 21 Grands Prix and qualifying sessions – including those shown live by Sky Sports F1. All of the live coverage and highlights will be broadcast free-to-air and in high definition.

In a first for a UK terrestrial commercial broadcaster, no advertising breaks will be taken through the duration of the live races.

Here is the full list of Channel 4’s live races for the 2017 F1 Season:

16 April: Bahrain – Live and free-to-air on Channel 4
30 April: Russia – Live and free-to-air on Channel 4
28 May: Monaco – Live and free-to-air on Channel 4
25 June: Azerbaijan- Live and free-to-air on Channel 4
16 July: Great Britain- Live and free-to-air on Channel 4
27 August: Belgium – Live and free-to-air on Channel 4
17 September: Singapore – Live and free-to-air on Channel 4
1 October: Malaysia – Live and free-to-air on Channel 4
22 October: USA – Live and free-to-air on Channel 4
26 November: Abu Dhabi – Live and free-to-air on Channel 4

Formula 1 on Channel Four 2015-2018

Formula 1 on Sky Sports F1

The BBC initially had exclusive UK rights from 2009 until the end of the 2013 season. But because of the licence fee freeze and resultant review of cost constraints, were expected to leave F1 after the 2011 season.

A new broadcast rights deal was announced on 29 July 2011, that Sky Sports would cover all race sessions, including practice, qualifying and the races, live and in High Definition.

In November 2011, Sky Sports announced that a new dedicated F1 channel which will launch in March 2012.

Sky Sports HD F1 will air coverage of all practice sessions, qualifying and the race. Their race coverage will be commercial free.

Formula 1 on Sky Sports F1

Other F1 Broadcasters

This is a list of other F1 Broadcasters around the world that will be broadcasting Formula One races in 2016.

On Spanish TV, live Formula One will be available on Movistar+.

In previous years Antenna 3 showed all races live, but from 2016, TVE and Teledeporte will be sowing highlights of races, with only the Spanish Grand Prix being shown live.

Live Formula One is also available on BeIN Sports (Mena).

In most countries there are multiple F1 Broadcasters. Some F1 Broadcasters are free to air, and other F1 Broadcasters are pay TV services.