Sport1 renews F1 rights deal

Sport1 has held off competition from rival pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports to renew a rights deal in the Netherlands for the Formula One motor-racing world championship.

The new deal with Formula One Management, which operates the series, will run for three years, from 2016 to 2018.

Sport1 will continue to offer advertisement-free live coverage of practice and qualifying sessions of F1 as well as the GP2 and GP3 support classes.

Formula One Management said last month that Fox Sports was competing with Sport1 to acquire the next cycle of rights.

F1 already has a strong fan base in the Netherlands, but interest is likely to be stoked next season when a Dutch driver returns to the grid. Max Verstappen (pictured) will race for the Toro Rosso team at the age of 17 – becoming the youngest driver in the sport’s history.

“Formula One has a very prominent role in our programming,” Sport1 vice-president Will Moerer said. “The entry of Max Verstappen ensures that Formula One will be alive in the Netherlands like never before.”