Formula One, the highest class of open-wheel, single-seater formula race cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), can be seen live or tape delayed on television in almost every country and territory around the world. Formula One attracts one of the largest global TV audiences after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games, with a total global audience of about 352 million people for the 2017 season.
This is a list of Formula One broadcasters and 'World Feed' producers.
History of Formula One on television
Television and other media broadcasters all take what is known as the World Feed, the live broadcast of a Formula 1 Grand Prix, which, since the first TV rights were sold in the 1970s, has been produced by a host broadcaster from each nation for their home race. Such examples include TF1 for the French Grand Prix, the BBC for the British Grand Prix, RAI for the Italian Grand Prix, and so on.
Starting with select races in the 2004 Formula One World Championship, the World Feed has been gradually produced by FOM (Formula One Management) television production, the in-house media company of Formula One Group (now owned by Liberty Media), for every round of the F1 World Championship.
F1 Digital+
Originally, FOM started producing an enhanced digital version of the World Feed from the 1996 season, when the F1 Digital+ service (also known as Bernie Vision) was launched via satellite on a subscription base. The service offered additional features to the standard, single analogue television feed of the sport, which digital broadcasters had the option of taking up and broadcasting on their own digital interactive television platforms (at a higher price than the standard television feed, which often necessitated the broadcasters charging viewers for), such as channels dedicated to onboard cameras, cameras in the pit area, additional cameras focusing on action involving cars lower down the running order and live timing data.
This led to a two-tier system between 1996 through 2002, which was unique in the sports' industry, where F1 races could be watched simultaneously for free via the World Feed produced by the local broadcaster and on pay-per-view or subscription base via the enhanced digital satellite World Feed produced by FOM for F1 Digital+.
The race coverage shown on regular terrestrial TV was produced by a local broadcaster (the host broadcaster) and provided to all other broadcasters around the world. By comparison, the majority of the coverage shown on the F1 Digital+ service was produced on-site at each Grand Prix venue by Formula One Management. The operation involved transporting around 200 tons of equipment to each race. To transport the equipment required 18 trucks for European rounds or two Boeing 747 jumbo jets for fly-away races. At the race venue, a 1200 sq m air-conditioned tent was set up containing the majority of the equipment. The service was run by Eddie Baker, and the tent was colloquially referred to as Bakersville.
Modernising the broadcast When the F1 Digital+ pay-per-view service was shut down by Ecclestone at the end of the 2002 season, due to financial failure, FOM gradually started taking over the production of the World Feed in select races where the local broadcaster could not guarantee a consistent production on international level.
In 2004 new television overlays were introduced which closely reflected those of F1 Digital+, reintroducing elements such as the lap counter, track status indicators and rev counters. Team Radio was broadcast at the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix and was available at every race from the 2006 season onwards.
The biggest innovation of pay per view was a permanent production team at every Grand Prix, establishing consistent quality over the variable nature of host broadcasters. The success of F1 Digital+ in this area resulted in Formula One Management gradually taking control of the World Feed in the subsequent seasons. From the 2007 season Formula One Management directed the TV coverage of all but three races, and for the 2008 season this number was reduced to two: the Monaco Grand Prix, produced by Télé Monte Carlo, and the Japanese Grand Prix, produced by Fuji Television. From 2023 onwards, FOM started producing coverage of the Monaco Grand Prix, thus completing the World Feed production takeover of all F1 races started with select races in 2004.
Technical information From a technical standpoint, the World Feed has been produced in 16:9 widescreen since the 2007 Australian Grand Prix. Host Broadcasters trialled widescreen broadcasts for local viewers sporadically prior to the 2007 season – FujiTV and Australia are some of the broadcasters who did.
From 2006, Fuji Television filmed and broadcast the Japanese Grand Prix in high definition for their domestic audience.ZAKZAK For the 2011 season, FOM released a high definition feed to broadcasters for the first time, and for 2012, the footage was filmed with 5.1 channel Dolby Digital surround sound audio. From 2017, footage began being broadcast in 4K ultra-high definition.
Alongside the main World Feed, formerly known as Super-Signal Feed during the F1 Digital+ era, FOM also produce a Pit-lane channel, showing shots from the pitlane and alternative camera angles, along with detailed weather and tyre information, and extra team radio. FOM also produce Onboard channels, showing live video from cameras installed on the drivers' cars. The channels switch between different cars throughout the session. FOM also make available a Driver tracker channel, showing live positions of all the cars on the track during a session, as well as a timing screen showing live lap-times and circuit sector information. In addition to the 20 driver onboard streams, viewers will also be able to experience the Battle Channel, a split-screen co-produced by FOM and Sky Sports UK, focusing on a battle between up to three cars. Furthermore, FOM produce a Data Channel, giving live timing and live data relating to pit-stops, tyres status, weather updates, FIA statements and other information about the session, as well as a Highlights Channel, rolling highlights up to the current point in the race.
Broadcasters Currently, broadcasters offering the enhanced coverage of these FOM-produced extra channels include Sky Sports F1 (UK), Fox Sports (Australia), Sky Sport F1 (Italy), Movistar F1 (Spain), Sky Sport (Germany), Play Sports (Belgium) and Art Sport (Kosovo), thus reaching a total of twelve countries (United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, Spain, Kosovo Australia). Out of the 9 on board channels, Fox Sports Australia only shows the Master onboard channel to its viewers, whereas Sky Sports F1 makes all the on board channels available. The Pit lane, Driver Tracker and Live Timing channels are available to Sky viewers in the United Kingdom.
In 2018, FOM launched an over-the-top streaming platform known as F1 TV, providing live commercial-free coverage of all races including access to all on-board cameras. The service launched initially in Germany, France, the United States, Mexico, Belgium, Austria, Hungary and parts of Latin America.
United Kingdom and Ireland In 2011, Sky Sports signed a seven-year deal with the BBC (who had already had broadcasting rights for several years), to show live Formula One on Sky in the United Kingdom for the first time. The deal which ran between 2012 and 2015 saw Sky Sports show live coverage of every session of the season on their own F1 dedicated channel, Sky Sports F1. Sky Sports F1 show all races and qualifying sessions live. In 2016, Sky extended their contract to 2024, and will be the exclusive live rights holders in the UK and Ireland from 2019; the British Grand Prix and highlights of all other races will be shown free-to-air, on a channel which has "90% technical availability". At the same time it was announced that Sky will broadcast all events in ultra-high-definition (UHD) from 2017. Sky Sports F1 have broadcast every practice, qualifying and race since 2017 in 4K Ultra-HD, exclusively for Sky Q 2TB customers.
The BBC had shown Formula One until 1996, after which the rights moved to ITV. In 2009 they returned to the BBC after ITV decided to exit Formula One. The BBC showed all races live for the next three seasons until the commencement of their deal with Sky which saw the BBC broadcast live coverage of half the races and all 20 races had "extended highlights". They also showed live coverage of practice and qualifying sessions from their live races. The deal set that the British Grand Prix and the final race had to be shown live on the BBC.
For each Grand Prix (even if live) the BBC showed "extended highlights" of the race just a few hours after it had been broadcast. Late afternoon for early hours races and/or early evening. Late evening races were shown on the day and repeated on Monday evening. The BBC Radio 5 Live coverage was unaffected.
Due to financial pressures, the BBC ended their television contract early after the 2015 season, transferring their rights to Channel 4 until the end of the 2018 season. Sky Sports F1 remained unaffected and BBC Radio 5 Live and Sports Extra's coverage was extended until 2021.
Channel 4, like the BBC before them, always shows the British Grand Prix and the final race live. Non-live races have "extended highlights" of the race shown a few hours after it has taken place. Highlights of races held early morning are broadcast mid-afternoon, with afternoon races shown early evening and late evening races shown later in the evening. Their live broadcasts for until were Bahrain, Spain, Europe, Britain, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico and Abu Dhabi. In July 2018, it was understood that Channel 4 were in final negotiations with Sky and Liberty Media to continue with the free-to-air rights. Channel 4 shows sprint qualifying and races; Grand Prix qualifying and races as extended highlights. From 2019 to 2022 Channel 4 airs the British Grand Prix live plus the remaining races as highlights. In 2021, Sky Sports F1 partnered with Channel 4 to broadcast the season-concluding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix live and free-to-air. In 2022, Sky recently extended their contract to 2029, and Channel 4 until 2023. In July 2023, Channel 4 extended their contract to 2026. In May 2026, Sky signed a £1bn deal to secure their Formula 1 rights to 2034.
United States Cable television network ESPN aired Formula One races in the United States between 1984 and 1997.How ESPN Saved $4 Million On Its Formula One Broadcast Deal - Christian Sylt, 26 March 2018 From 1998 to 2000, coverage was split between Speedvision (full live coverage) and Fox Sports Net (usually taped delayed).Formula 1 to Return to ESPN in 2018 - Phil Allaway, Frontstrech, 4 October 2017 From 2001 to 2012, Speedvision (later renamed Speed) had full coverage of the championship, with select races also airing on broadcast networks (ABC in early years, CBS in 2005, Fox from 2007 to 2012).
On 14 October 2012, NBC Sports signed a four-year deal to broadcast Formula One races in the United States. The majority of its coverage (including most races, and all practice/qualifying sessions) was broadcast by the pay channel NBCSN (with CNBC as an overflow channel), while four races were aired by the free-to-air NBC network per-season. The network also streamed additional camera feeds through its digital platforms.