Formula 1 to remain on Sky Sports until 2034

Jonathan Victoria • 07 May 2026 News

No change of home for motorsport’s premier series.

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Sky Sports has been the home of Formula 1 since 2012, a fact which will not be changing as they have secured a five-year extension to retain the rights as the exclusive broadcaster of the series in the UK and Ireland until 2034.

The broadcaster will continue to show every Formula 1 race weekend live across Sky Sports and NOW, including practice sessions, qualifying, Sprint events and Grands Prix. Coverage of Formula 2, Formula 3, F1 Academy and the Porsche Supercup is also included in the deal. 

As part of the agreement, free-to-air coverage in the UK will remain available through highlights packages and live coverage of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. 

New deal after 2025 success

The extension comes after Britain’s Lando Norris’ triumphant Drivers’ Championship last season in what was the most-watched F1 season ever on Sky Sports.

Sky says Formula 1 audiences have continued to grow significantly since it became the exclusive live broadcaster in 2012. Total viewing has increased by 90%, the younger demographic of under-35s has risen 120%, and female viewership has also grown exponentially, more than doubling since Sky took over.

In the past three seasons alone viewing numbers have grown by 14%, showing that Sky’s efforts over the past 14 years have been successful in contributing to the rise of F1 as a mainstream sport.

This fact is recognised by those at the top of the category as well, with Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali describing Sky as a “trusted and passionate partner”, praising its live coverage and analysis for helping expand the sport’s popularity across key markets.

Continuing to push boundaries

Sky’s innovative coverage has seen them bring more interactive elements such as the SkyPad and the Ghost Car feature, both of which gives viewers better insights and remarkable detail into key battles and interesting points that they may have missed.

As well as that comes award-winning analysis from experts and many respectable top figures formerly in the team garages, including 2009 World Champion Jenson Button, 1990s veteran Martin Brundle, and former McLaren and Aston Martin performance and senior strategy engineer Bernie Collins.

One of the most popular recent editions is the onboard driver feeds, which allows viewers to choose to watch any of the 22 drivers during the session, viewing the events from the perspective of the onboard camera.

Future advancements

F1’s popularity continues to grow year on year, as shown by 2025s major milestone. The success of Lando Norris led to more viewers in the UK, and the same is being seen in Italy for 2026.

Along with the UK and Ireland’s extension, Sky Italia also secured a five-year extension to keep their coverage until 2032.

Italy is experiencing an unusual sporting boom at the moment, in the sense that their biggest stars aren’t in their typical sports.

Jannik Sinner, ranked number one in the ATP rankings, is setting the tennis world alight, while Kimi Antonelli at just 19 years old is currently leading the 2026 F1 Drivers’ Championship, the youngest driver to ever do so.

His success, like Norris’ in the UK, will no doubt lead to increased viewership in his home nation, more than justifying the extension.

The next race up on the calendar will be the Canadian Grand Prix on 22nd-24th May. Watch all the action from the weekend, including practice, qualifying, the Grand Prix and all Sprint sessions.