Italian pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia has acquired the rights for the Formula One motor-racing series in a deal beginning next year.
As reported in the TV Sports Markets newsletter last Friday, the deal represents another step by Formula One away from its traditional focus on obtaining free-to-air coverage of all races in major European markets.
Sky will show live coverage of all events from next season, but about half of the races – nine if there are 20 races next season – will also be shown live by a free-to-air broadcaster. The free-to-air broadcaster will show delayed coverage of the rest of the races.
Sky will work with Formula One Management, which controls the commercial rights for the series, to find a broadcaster to acquire the free-to-air rights on offer.
The deal is similar to that agreed by Formula One last year in the UK, for the 2012 to 2018 seasons, with public-service broadcaster the BBC and pay-television broadcaster BSkyB. BSkyB shows all races, qualifying and practice sessions live, while the BBC shows live coverage of half of the races each season and their corresponding qualifying and practice sessions, and delayed highlights coverage of the rest of the races, qualifying and practices.