The Formula One motor-racing championship has opted to delay the launch of its new OTT subscription service as it carries out further testing of the platform.
F1 TV had been scheduled to launch in time for this weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, but this has now been delayed with no official date set for start of operations.
“We will do a stress test/beta test session during the Melbourne weekend with the aim to be fully operational as soon as possible,” an F1 spokesperson told the Autosport website.
“It's a normal process when you develop a new product. It won't be a public test, it will be an internal test. We will have people spread in various locations in the world, testing the system and functionalities.”
Asked about when F1 TV is now likely to be introduced, the spokesperson added: “As soon as possible. There is not a set deadline.”
Formula One officially unveiled F1 TV last month. It will provide commercial-free live streams of each race, as well as qualifying and practice sessions with multi-language commentary, starting with English, French, German and Spanish. The platform will offer exclusive access to all 20 on-board driver cameras.
At launch, F1 TV will appear in nearly two dozen markets, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary and Mexico, as well as much of Latin America.
Access will initially be available through desktop and web platforms, with mobile apps and smart-television apps being phased in on Amazon, Apple and Android devices. Pricing for the F1 TV Pro service, which will offer unique feeds, will be offered on a monthly basis of between $8 (€6.50) and $12, with annual rates varying between markets.
Formula One is also planning to reintroduce a portable device for fans attending races. Known as FanVision when it was last used in 2012, F1 Vision is scheduled for the Spanish GP in Barcelona on the weekend of May 13.
“We should launch it by the start of the European season,” the spokesperson confirmed.