Spanish telecommunications company Telefónica has agreed a multi-year rights deal with Formula One Management, the commercial rights-holder for the motor racing series, under which it will launch a dedicated F1 channel on its IPTV platform Movistar TV.
The agreement commences with the forthcoming 2014 F1 season and Telefónica said the new channel will provide live coverage of all races, qualifying and practice sessions through any connected device, both inside and outside the home.
Movistar F1 will also include original content and supplementary information about the sport. The new channel will launch in time for the 2014 season-opener in Melbourne, Australia on March 16 and will be free of commercial breaks during live coverage.
Spanish commercial broadcaster Antena 3 and Catalan public-service broadcaster TV3 last month agreed extensions to rights deals for Formula One covering the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
The two broadcasters agreed the deals, which include television and mobile rights, with the Mediapro agency. Mediapro acquired the rights in October after its previous five-year contract expired at the end of the 2013 F1 season.