UK commercial broadcaster Channel 4 will replace public-service broadcaster the BBC as the free-to-air rights-holder of the Formula One motor-racing world championship from the start of next season, it was announced this (Monday) morning.
Channel 4 has agreed a three-year rights deal, from 2016 to 2018. The broadcaster will show live coverage of 10 races per season as well as highlights of all 21 races.
The live race coverage will be shown without advertising breaks, Channel 4 added.
The broadcaster agreed the deal directly with Formula One World Championship Limited, with the series’ chief executive, Bernie Ecclestone, saying that the BBC “could not comply with their contract.” It is unknown whether the BBC has paid a termination fee.
Last week, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that Channel 4’s UK commercial rival ITV was poised to replace the BBC for the remaining three years of the public-service broadcaster’s F1 rights contract. UK pay-television broadcaster Sky shows live coverage of all F1 races.
The BBC reportedly paid £12m ($16.5m/€17.9m) per year for F1 rights, but the broadcaster has been looking at trimming its sports-rights portfolio due to a squeeze on its sports-rights budget. Last month, Ecclestone said that he had rejected a request from the BBC to renegotiate the deal.
Channel 4 will provide coverage of practice and qualifying sessions, as well as the races. Details of the 2016 races to be broadcast live by Channel 4 will be agreed in early 2016, and further information about Channel 4’s production and presenting teams will also be announced in due course.
Channel 4 added that the acquisition of F1 rights “will not affect the level of spend on peak time, UK-originated content.”
Ecclestone added: “I am sorry that the BBC could not comply with their contract but I am happy that we now have a broadcaster that can broadcast Formula 1 events without commercial intervals during the race. I am confident that Channel 4 will achieve not only how the BBC carried out the broadcast in the past but also with a new approach as the world and Formula 1 have moved on.”