The Formula One motor-racing series has announced that this year’s pre-season tests will receive coverage on its F1 TV Pro over-the-top streaming service.
The first of six days of pre-season testing will take place in Barcelona on February 19, with this year marking the first time that pre-season tests will be an official F1 event.
F1 TV Pro will broadcast testing from 9am to 1pm (CET) and from 2pm to 6pm.
After trials in recent years of selected broadcast coverage of testing, the teams have agreed to afford greater access to broadcasters this season.
Subscribers to the OTT service will also be able to watch UK pay-television broadcaster Sky’s coverage, as well as the F1 round-up show.
Sky F1 viewers in the UK and Italy will also receive live coverage of testing, with Sky to serve as the co-exclusive broadcaster alongside F1 TV. Daily highlights and exclusive news content will also be made available on F1 Insight, which is accessible to all F1 media rights-holders.
The coverage will still be behind a paywall on F1 TV Pro, which costs £19.99 per year in the UK or £2.29 per month.
As the testing coverage is introduced, a number of new countries have been added to F1 TV Pro’s distribution reach, bringing the total to 77.
The new countries are Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. A new lower price will also be offered in France.
Given the restrictions on live coverage in the UK, the trimmed down F1 TV Access service costs just £2.29 per month (or £19.99 per year). In the US market, F1 TV Pro service is priced at $9.99 per month (or $79.99 per year). In France, F1 TV Pro costs €7.99 per month (or €64.99 per year).