Sky Sports and Formula 1 agree massive new broadcast extension

Sky Sports has signed a fresh long-term deal with Formula 1, securing the sport’s broadcast future through a multi-year agreement across key markets including the UK, Ireland, and Italy.

The new arrangement will see Sky Sports retain exclusive F1 broadcasting rights in the UK and Ireland until the end of the 2034 season, while Sky Italia’s extension runs through to the end of 2032.

Sky Sports will continue its comprehensive coverage, showing every practice session, qualifying, Sprint, and Grand Prix live through its dedicated channels, as well as via streaming service NOW.

In terms of free-to-air coverage, highlights of every Grand Prix and live coverage of the British Grand Prix will remain available in the UK. In Italy, a similar arrangement exists with free-to-air broadcaster TV8, including live coverage of the Italian Grand Prix.

“Sky has always been a dedicated, trusted, and passionate partner since we began our relationship many years ago,” F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said.

“Their world-leading approach to live broadcasting, content creation, and behind-the-scenes analysis led by a truly amazing group of on-screen talent has made the difference in continuing to grow our sport in the UK, Ireland, and Italy and I am delighted we will be taking our partnership into the next decade.

“I want to thank Dana [Strong, Group CEO Sky] and all the team at Sky for their determination to get this deal in place and to continue to bring the excitement of Formula 1 to our passionate fans.”

Dana Strong added: “We’re proud of the role we’ve played in supporting the sport’s growth through world-class storytelling, innovation and long-term investment. This new agreement secures Sky as the home of Formula 1 for years to come, as the sport enters an exciting era with more British talent on the grid and rising stars like Kimi Antonelli.

“I want to thank Stefano and the F1 team for our continued partnership, which we’re excited to build on in the years ahead.”

Sky has seen significant growth in its UK and Ireland markets since becoming the exclusive home of F1 in 2019. Several other English-speaking markets, including Australia, have also adopted Sky Sports’ broadcast feed.

Key metrics indicate that total viewership in the UK and Ireland has risen by 90% during that period, while under-35 viewership has surged by 120%. Female viewership has also more than doubled. Altogether, this culminated in a record-breaking 2025 season that delivered 162 million viewer hours.

Meanwhile, Italy has seen a 25% increase in viewership since the start of the 2026 campaign, boosted significantly by the success of 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli, who currently leads the championship. Antonelli’s maiden F1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix attracted 1.2 million viewers on Sky Italia and a further 1.4 million on free-to-air partner TV8.

The broadcaster will also continue its extensive coverage of F1’s support categories, with Formula 2, Formula 3, F1 Academy, and Porsche Supercup remaining part of the package. F1 Kids—the sport’s innovative product aimed at younger audiences—will also continue as part of Sky Sports F1’s offering.

Want more F1Chronicle.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for the best F1 news and analysis on the internet.

Written by

Jawad Yaqub

An eCommerce Specialist by day and reporting on F1 by night. Jawad is passionate about motorsport, having provided accredited F1 coverage for more than a decade and is a member of the AIPS (International Sports Press Association). Live blogging (almost) every grand prix too since 2014, as well as articles on the Supercars Championship. Also keen on sustainability, photography, collecting vinyl, (trying to) expertly barbeque and learning to Dad.

More articles by Jawad Yaqub →