The Foxtel Group has announced a multi-year rights extension with Formula 1 that will see Foxtel and Kayo remain the exclusive home of Formula 1 in Australia with live broadcast rights to every practice, qualifying session, and race.
The new deal will continue to provide coverage for Foxtel and Kayo plus additional F1 bonus action including live feeds, special supporting content, and every race in 4K UHD on Foxtel.
Formula 1 in Australia has one of the fastest-growing fan bases driven by the rapid growth of younger audiences streaming on Kayo. The 2021 season saw a 31% increase in audiences watching on Foxtel and streaming on Foxtel Now, Foxtel GO, and Kayo with eight of the top ten the most viewed F1 races in subscription television history in 2021. Highlights included the Italian Grand Prix at Monza won by Daniel Riccardo with an average audience of 467,000 viewers and the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi with an average audience of 437,000.
Foxtel will integrate the F1TV app into its set top boxes as part of an Australian-first initiative. The F1TV app will give F1 fans access to multiple live in-race feeds, live timing data, highlights, and exclusive programming on and off the track. It will be available to Foxtel subscribers free of charge from early 2023 and will also include;
• Entertainment shows including Technical Analysis and Paddock Live, F1 documentaries, and short-form features
• Past event highlights and interstitials and archives of races.
Patrick Delaney and Fox Sports’ Jess Yates
Patrick Delany, Foxtel Group CEO, said: “This new partnership with Formula 1 takes our coverage to the next level for fans and together with Supercars and MotoGP, confirms Foxtel and Kayo as the home of the very best in Australian and international motorsport.
“Australian fans are embracing F1 like never before with F1 delivering the fastest audience growth of any sport across Foxtel and Kayo. Kayo, in particular, has absolutely super-charged audience growth with younger audiences and each Grand Prix now regularly sees in excess of 200,000 fans streaming on Kayo. This is a very exciting moment for us ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend.
“It’s a great story for Foxtel too. Every race in 4K UHD is incredible, and integrating the F1TV app onto Foxtel set top boxes offers subscribers even more access to all the F1 action they love, all in one place.”
Ian Holmes, director of media rights and content creation, Formula 1, said:
“We’re delighted to be extending and expanding our partnership with the Foxtel Group so that our fans in Australia can continue to enjoy comprehensive Formula 1 coverage, and the integration of the F1TV app for subscribers will provide even more access to the sport than ever before. Foxtel are a great partner for Formula 1, as we share the same passion to innovate and deliver spectacular racing to our fanbase. F1 is exciting and dramatic, and it’s fantastic that our sport continues to grow thanks to an incredible 2021 season and dedicated, top-quality broadcasting.
“Fans are becoming increasingly engaged with F1 and such audience growth, in particular among younger fans, shows that the appetite for Formula 1 in Australia is huge. This is not just a testament to the thrilling nature of Formula 1 as a sport, but also a result of the Foxtel Group’s efforts in delivering that excitement to viewers. We look forward to seeing such dedicated coverage continue and cannot wait for the highly anticipated return of Formula 1 to Australia ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.”
The 2022 Formula 1 season continues this weekend in Saudi Arabia with all of the action broadcast live and exclusive on Foxtel and Kayo.