Formula 1 set to remain on free to air with Channel 4 in 2019

A late deal giving British broadcaster Channel 4 the rights to continue showing highlights of every Formula 1 race beyond 2019 is said to be in the making, according to the BBC’s reporting during the 2018 British Grand Prix weekend.

British F1 fans have been worried for the past few years since it was announced that Sky Sports would have full and exclusive rights to broadcast Formula 1 in the UK in 2019 and beyond, meaning most of the people who watch the sport who don’t have a subscription to the pay-tv provider feared they would have to go without any coverage at all.

The deal was done in the Bernie Ecclestone era, much to the contempt of British fans and since then the sport’s TV viewers have continued to fall, with little on the horizon to halt the rapid decline.

BBC’s chief F1 writer, Andrew Benson, reported after Qualifying at Silverstone that a secret deal was being done to give Channel 4 the rights to show highlights of each Formula 1 race, effectively continuing the existing agreement from 2012 but without the live programmes.

Channel 4 F1 boss, Stephen Lyle, has so far not made any comment, but the BBC believes a deal is to be done in the next few weeks.