Sky secures F1 rights through 2034

Formula 1 just made a very long bet on traditional TV — or at least on the premium version of it. On May 6, F1 and Sky announced a new rights deal that keeps Sky Sports the exclusive live home of the series in the UK and Ireland through 2034, while Sky Italia stays in place through 2032. That is a big extension, and it tells you something important: for all the noise around streaming, F1 still thinks a bundled, high-priced, all-weekend broadcast partner is worth locking down for years. ### What actually changed? The new agreement extends Sky’s existing UK and Ireland deal by another five years, taking it from 2029 to 2034. In Italy, Sky’s rights now run to 2032. F1 framed it as a multi-year partnership across the UK, Ireland, and Italy, with Sky continuing to carry every race weekend live — practice, qualifying, Sprint sessions, and Grands Prix. ### Why are the UK and Ireland the biggest piece? Because that is one of F1’s richest media markets and one of Sky’s most valuable sports packages. Sky has carried F1 in the UK since 2012, and exclusive live rights there have been central to how the sport monetizes a fan base that is large, affluent, and willing to pay for deep coverage. This deal keeps that setup intact for the rest of the decade and then some. ### What does “exclusive” mean for fans? Basically, if you want every session live in the UK or Ireland, Sky and NOW remain the route. Sky’s announcement says those platforms will continue to show every practice, qualifying, Sprint, and Grand Prix live. The catch is that long-term exclusivity usually means fewer chances for rival broadcasters to bid for partial packages or cheaper alternatives in those markets. ### Why include Italy in the same announcement? Because Italy is one of F1’s symbolic heartlands. Ferrari sits at the center of the sport’s identity there, and Italian audiences still matter commercially even when the title fight shifts elsewhere. Keeping Sky Italia locked in through 2032 gives F1 continuity in a market where brand, heritage, and sponsor visibility all carry unusual weight. ### Is this just about TV channels? Not really. It is about production, packaging, and control. Sky doesn’t just buy races and stick them on a screen — it builds a full-time F1 product around them, with dedicated channels, shoulder programming, analysis teams, and subscription upsell. For F1, that kind of partner is useful because it keeps the sport feeling premium between races, not just on Sundays. ### What does this say about streaming? Turns out the story is not “streaming replaces broadcasters.” It is more like “streaming and broadcasters get sorted market by market.” F1 still runs F1 TV in many territories, but its own broadcast information page shows that rights remain highly fragmented by country, with local partners still doing a lot of the heavy lifting. This Sky deal says Europe’s biggest pay-TV relationships are still core to the business. ### Why lock this in so early? Because rights certainty is valuable on both sides. Sky gets a flagship motorsport property secured well into the 2030s. F1 gets guaranteed distribution and a proven revenue partner in major markets. And by announcing it now, F1 removes one of the bigger medium-term questions hanging over its European media map. ### So what is the real takeaway? F1 is still growing as a global entertainment brand, but this deal shows the business model has not been reinvented. The sport still wants big, dependable broadcasters in core markets — and Sky just made sure it stays one of the most important ones.