Key Points
- Formula One will remain on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland until 2034 after a five-year extension to its broadcast partnership.
- The deal is understood to be worth about £1bn in total, or roughly £200m a season.
- Sky moved to secure the rights early, staving off possible interest from Apple.
- The British Grand Prix will stay free-to-air, and highlights of every other grand prix will also remain available free-to-air.
- Channel 4’s previous highlights deal had been due to expire at the end of the season.
- The agreement comes less than seven months after F1 announced a $150m-a-season US streaming deal with Apple.
- Sky said its previous contract, signed in 2022, was worth £900m and covered the sport beyond 2025.
- Sky said viewing figures for F1 had risen sharply, with audiences up 90%, under-35 viewing up 120%, and female viewership more than doubling.
- Stefano Domenicali praised Sky as a “dedicated, trusted and passionate partner”.
- Dana Strong said the new agreement secures Sky as the home of Formula One for years to come.
Will F1 stay on Sky Sports until 2034?
LONDON (Britain Today News) May 6, 2026– Formula One will remain on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland until 2034 after both sides agreed a five-year extension that strengthens the broadcaster’s grip on live coverage of the sport and keeps Apple from landing a UK rights breakthrough.
The announcement is significant because it confirms that Britain’s most prominent F1 broadcaster has locked in the rights well beyond the previous 2029 expiry point, while also preserving a public-access element for the British Grand Prix and post-race highlights. The new agreement, which is understood to be worth around £1bn, extends a long-running relationship between the broadcaster and the championship at a time when global media competition for major sports rights remains intense.
Why did Sky move early?
Sky’s decision to secure the contract ahead of the original deadline appears designed to prevent rivals from entering the race, with Apple widely seen as the most serious outside threat. The broadcaster has effectively bought certainty for its F1 offering through the end of the 2034 season, ensuring continuity for subscribers and protecting one of its most valuable live sports properties.
The timing also matters because F1 has already deepened its relationship with Apple elsewhere, signing a landmark US deal reported to be worth $150m a season. That made the UK market a key battleground, and Sky’s move signals that linear television still has major influence in Europe even as streaming companies expand their sports portfolios.
What did F1 say?
As reported by the broadcaster’s own coverage, Stefano Domenicali said Sky has
“always been a dedicated, trusted and passionate partner since we began our relationship many years ago.”
He added that the broadcaster’s live coverage, content creation and behind-the-scenes analysis had played a central role in helping the sport grow in the UK.
Domenicali has also argued that the European market is not yet as mature in streaming habits as the United States, which helps explain why F1 has taken a different approach on each side of the Atlantic. In the UK, that has translated into a renewed partnership with an established pay-TV home, rather than a major shift to a streaming-first model.
What did Sky say?
Dana Strong, Sky Group chief executive, said the company was proud of its role in F1’s growth and said the agreement secures Sky as the sport’s home for years to come. She described the partnership as one built on
“world-class storytelling, innovation and long-term investment”,
while thanking Domenicali and the F1 team for the continued relationship.
Strong also pointed to the changing shape of the grid, saying the sport enters “an exciting era” with more British talent and rising stars such as Kimi Antonelli. That comment underlines Sky’s belief that the championship remains commercially attractive in the UK, especially as British fans continue to follow home drivers and high-profile rivalries closely.
How much is the deal worth?
The contract is understood to be worth about £200m a season, taking the total value to roughly £1bn over the new term. That would make it one of the biggest domestic broadcast arrangements in British sport, reflecting F1’s enduring appeal and Sky’s determination to protect premium live content.
The new package is also said to represent a rise of more than 50% on the £900m deal Sky agreed in 2022 to keep F1 beyond 2025. In commercial terms, that suggests the sport’s valuation has climbed substantially, even in a market where streaming and traditional broadcasters continue to compete for audience attention and rights inventory.
How has F1’s audience changed?
Sky has pointed to strong growth in the audience for its F1 coverage, claiming viewing figures rose by 90% over the previous season. The broadcaster also said under-35 viewing increased by 120%, while female viewership more than doubled.
Those numbers matter because they suggest F1 has broadened its audience beyond a traditional motorsport core, helped by the popularity of the Drive to Survive series and the wider cultural momentum around the sport. The broadcaster believes that blend of live racing, storytelling and behind-the-scenes access has helped convert casual viewers into regular followers.
What remains free-to-air?
The British Grand Prix will continue to be shown free-to-air under the new arrangement, preserving one of the sport’s biggest annual events for the widest possible audience in the UK and Ireland. Highlights of every other grand prix will also stay free-to-air, ensuring that viewers who do not subscribe to Sky can still access major moments from the season.
That point is especially relevant because Channel 4’s existing highlights agreement had been due to end at the close of the current season. By keeping at least part of the sport on free television, F1 maintains a balance between commercial exclusivity and public visibility, which has long been a feature of its UK broadcasting model.
Why does this matter for F1?
This deal gives F1 stability in one of its most important markets at a time when the sport is trying to expand commercially without alienating established fans. It also shows that the championship is comfortable using different distribution strategies in different territories, with Apple in the United States and Sky in Britain and Ireland.
The broader media implication is that premium sport still commands major long-term spending from traditional broadcasters when the rights package is strong enough. For Sky, keeping F1 protects a flagship property that supports subscriber retention, brand identity and live-sport relevance in an increasingly fragmented television market.
How should the story be framed?
As reported by Formula One’s announcement and Sky’s subsequent coverage, the key development is not simply the extension itself, but the signal it sends about the continuing value of live motorsport in the UK. The agreement also suggests that Apple’s global expansion into sport does not automatically translate into every major rights market.
In practical terms, the new contract means UK and Irish F1 fans will keep watching through Sky and NOW for the foreseeable future, with the most significant free-to-air access points preserved. The deal also strengthens the broadcaster’s hand as F1 enters a phase of commercial growth and changing audience demographics.
