Formula One will remain on Sky Sports until 2034 in a £1bn deal after extending its UK broadcast rights for another five years.
Sky moved to tie up rights it previously held until 2029 – and stave off any potential bid from Apple – by signing a new contract understood to be worth about £200m a season to continue showing the sport.
F1 also confirmed the British Grand Prix will remain free-to-air under the new deal, as will highlights of every other grand prix. Channel 4’s contract for those rights had previously been due to expire at the end of the season.
Sky’s new contract was confirmed less than seven months after F1 announced a landmark $150m-a-season deal with Apple to show the sport live in the United States.
That followed the worldwide success of F1: The Movie, starring Brad Pitt, produced by Apple Original Films, and the Netflix Drive to Survive series that released its eighth season earlier this year.
Sky’s contract was said to be an increase of more than 50 per cent on a £900m deal it signed in 2022 to maintain its status as the home of F1 beyond 2025.
That season, which ended with Britain’s Lando Norris being crowned world champion, brought record viewing figures for Sky, the broadcaster claiming audiences had grown by 90 per cent.
Last season, when Lando Norris became world champion, was Sky F1’s most-watched ever – Amr Alfiky/Reuters
Fuelled by the Drive to Survive phenomenon, it said that included a 120 per cent increase in under-35s and the more than doubling of female viewership.
Stefano Domenicali, Formula One president, said: “Sky has always been a dedicated, trusted and passionate partner since we began our relationship many years ago.
“Their world-leading approach to live broadcasting, content creation, behind-the-scenes analysis led by a truly amazing group of on-screen talent has made the difference in continuing to grow our sport in the UK.”
Domenicali explained earlier this year that the European broadcast market is not yet as familiar with streaming services like US audiences are. “We do believe that the partner that we have chosen in the world of streaming is the right one, if you consider that the American market in terms of streaming is one of the most mature ones, if you compare with others like Europe or other ones,” he said of the move to Apple in February that replaced their existing US rights deal with ESPN.
Dana Strong, Sky Group chief executive, said: “We’re proud of the role we’ve played in supporting the sport’s growth through world-class storytelling, innovation and long-term investment.
“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. I want to thank Stefano and the F1 team for our continued partnership, which we’re excited to build on in the years ahead.”
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