30/09/2022
NEWS STORY
Formula 1 has announced a new multi-year extension of its broadcast partnership with Sky UK & Ireland, Germany and Italy.
Sky UK & Ireland will remain the exclusive home of F1 until 2029, having first entered partnership with the sport in 2012, while Sky Germany and Italy will retain rights until 2027 with greater exclusivity, with all race weekends exclusively live and home nation races simultaneously live on free-to-air.
Through the partnership, Sky's platforms are helping Formula 1 reach new audiences with its coverage, with more women tuning in than ever before this season and with audiences skewing younger than previous seasons across the majority of Sky markets.
Average viewership for the 2022 season is 1.7m, up 60% since the UK exclusive deal began in 2019, including 4.3m new viewers to Sky Sports F1. Of all 4.3m new viewers since 2019, 1.7m were women. Of five of the most watched races ever in Sky Sports F1 history, four have taken place this year.
In Italy, average viewership so far this season is 1.5 million, up 20% compared to 2021, while the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March was the most watched GP in Italian pay-TV history, recording 1.937 million viewers
In Germany, 2022 is on track to be the most successful season ever with a 24% increase in viewing compared to 2021. Half of new viewers this season are under the age of 35 and 40% of new viewers overall are women. Again, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix achieved a new Sky record for any F1 race in Germany as 1.38 million tuned in.
"We are incredibly proud of our long-term partnership with Sky, and we are delighted to announce that we will continue working together until 2029, a very important commitment from Sky," said Stefano Domenicali. "Since the beginning of our relationship in 2012 we have both strived to bring the excitement, emotion, and drama of Formula 1 to our traditional fans while engaging 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. 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."
"Since Sky joined Formula 1 in 2012 the scale and the quality of their F1 content has continually increased," added Ian Holmes, Director of Media Rights and Content Creation, Formula 1. "This new agreement with Sky reflects our long-term partnership and shared ambition to grow Formula 1 to new audiences and markets. In recent years we have returned to historic venues such as Zandvoort, and brought in new and exciting races such as Miami and of course Las Vegas next year. I am delighted that Sky will continue to be with us through this exciting era of our sport."
"Every race. Every moment. Every twist and turn. All exclusively live on Sky for years to come!", said Stephen van Rooyen, Executive Vice President & CEO, Sky UK & Europe. "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. More than 80 countries will continue to enjoy our world class analysis and content of one of the most exhilarating sports in the world."
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