MOTOR RACING: F1 and Sky agree five-year extensions to UK and Italy broadcast deals

LONDON – Formula One, owned by Liberty Media, announced on Wednesday five-year extensions to its broadcast partnerships with Sky in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Italy.

The deal covering the UK and Ireland will now run through the 2034 season, while Sky Italia’s agreement has been extended through 2032, according to a statement from the sport.

No financial details were disclosed. However, sources estimated the UK and Ireland extension to be worth around £200 million ($271.96 million) per year, bringing the total value of the contract to approximately £1 billion.

The previous agreement with Sky, which is owned by Comcast Corporation, was set to run until 2029 in the UK and Ireland, while the Italian rights were previously secured through 2027.

Sky Deutschland, which previously held Formula One broadcasting rights in Germany until 2027, was taken over by RTL last year.

Despite the continued pay-TV coverage, live broadcasts of the British Grand Prix will remain available on free-to-air television in the UK, with similar free coverage maintained for the Italian Grand Prix in Italy.

Formula One reported strong growth in its audience, stating that total viewership in the UK and Ireland has increased by 90%. Female viewership has more than doubled, while audiences under 35 have risen by 120%.

Sky, which has held the broadcasting rights since 2019, said the 2025 season has been its most-watched to date, generating 162 million viewer hours.

On the track, McLaren’s British driver Lando Norris is the reigning world champion. His compatriot George Russell of Mercedes began the season as a title favorite, while seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has moved to Ferrari.

Rookie Arvid Lindblad competes for Racing Bulls, Oliver Bearman races for Haas, and London-born Alex Albon, who competes under a Thai license, drives for Williams, adding to a strong British presence on the grid. All but three of the 11 teams are based in England.

In Italy, Formula One said Sky has recorded a 25% increase in viewership this year, boosted by the rise of 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who has won three of the first four races and became the youngest-ever championship leader.

Sky’s Formula One coverage, broadcast on a dedicated channel in the UK, is also distributed through international partners and reaches more than 100 markets worldwide.

“This new agreement secures Sky as the home of Formula One for years to come, as the sport enters an exciting era with more British talent on the grid and rising stars like Kimi Antonelli,” said Sky Group CEO Dana Strong.

($1 = 0.7354 pounds) -Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters