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FOX Sports nabs Formula 1 rights from TEN

TEN is left with just the Australian Grand Prix as FOX Sports deal upstages Free to Air.

FOX Sports has swooped on the Formula 1 broadcasting rights, previously held by TEN, starting with the 2017 Formula 1 Malaysia Grand Prix this weekend.

Remaining Formula 1 races for 2017 will be broadcast exclusively Live on FOX Sports 506, leaving only the Australian Grand Prix with TEN, which will be simulcast ad-free on FOX Sports.

From next season, Foxtel will be the only place to watch every practice, qualifying and race from 2018 Live, ad break free during racing and in High Definition.

FOX Sports CEO Patrick Delany said: “FOX Sports will ensure Formula 1 fans in Australia can continue to watch every practice, qualifying and race live.

“And from next season, we will be able to deliver even better coverage with no ad-breaks during racing for every race on the F1 calendar including the Australian Grand Prix.

“The Malaysia Grand Prix is underway and with Foxtel Now, fans can sign up and be streaming the action live within minutes and with a free two-week trial, it’s the perfect time to try. FOX Sports will be the only place to see the Malaysia Grand Prix Live.”

Only this week a News Corp article tipped TEN’s motorsport agreements for Formula One and V8 Supercars as not being renewed. TEN described that as “just plain wrong.”

Broadcast Schedule

Sept 29 – Oct 1: Malaysian GP
Saturday (September 30), Live coverage from 3.30p AEST on FOX Sports 506
Sunday (October 1), Live coverage from 4.30pm AEST on FOX Sports 506

October 6-8: Japanese GP
October 20-22: USA GP Austin
October 27-29: Mexican GP
November 10-12: Brazilian GP
November 24-26: Abu Dhabi GP

28 Responses

  1. I wondered what happened with Malaysia…it was supposed to be the full race…on FTA…
    ..and also wondered why TENs list was suddenly cut short…now I understand….
    Sadly…I will not be getting Foxtel…but as one ages…you learn to deal with disappointment.

  2. To an outsider without blinkers, this looks like the old bitter TEN management selling off anything decent of sporting value off to their major interests (Fox Sports) before TEN is bought out by CBS, thus forcing CBS to renegotiate at a higher price

    pretty dog act

  3. So I gather TEN won’t even be showing the 1 hour highlights package they used to for some rounds for the others? This is gonna piss off a lot of F1 fans without Foxtel. I just hope Foxtel doesn’t have to have ad breaks for the AU round like they have in the past.

      1. It appears that this week the F1 highlights has taken the spot of Last Man on Earth, which is now out (next week is now TBA at 10.30 on One). Next week, the F1 highlights are back to their usual Mon 9.30.

          1. So using 2018 races and 2017 prices. Thats a gamble in itself. And is that SD or HD?
            Even with 21 races it’s still over $20 a race too……

    1. @Craig – The articles says every race will be ad-free including the Australian Grand Prix.

      Now hopefully they will do the same for the V8.
      Best news of the weekend

  4. The only surprise is that it’s happened now rather than next season.

    I predict that it’ll be the same for the Supercars next year with only Bathurst being retained.

    From Ten’s media release on this: “Network Ten remains the free-to-air television home of motorsport.”
    A home with broken windows and rising damp that has been burgled several times.

    1. The case for keeping any of the motor racing – apart from Bathurst, the PI Moto GP, & Australian F1 GP – on FTA is squirrelly (if you’ll pardon the term!) at best.

      FTA has consistently shot themselves in the foot by having all other races carved out of the anti-siphoning list year after year after year, to the point where it looked very much like an abuse of the anti-siphoning regulations…

      (It’s not the only sport they’re doing that with either. I’d expect cricket to be next, though Nine has deeper pockets & could play along with the spirit of the regulations for a while just so they don’t look like they’re abusing it…)

      1. Yeah, I understand the economics of it from Ten’s perspective. I just object to them continuing to refer to themselves as the “home” of motorsport whatever qualifiers they tack on.

    2. @Secret Squirrel – actually the 6 events will still continue to be on FTA.
      This is from Supercars:
      Warburton says the category’s current six-year media rights deal with Fox Sports that began in 2015 guarantees six events will be broadcast on free-to-air for the life of the agreement.

      “There are strong protections in place to ensure those events remains on free-to-air television,” Warburton said. “It is business as usual.”

      1. For true fans TEN is not the place to be fore V8s or the F1, its like the AFL only showing delayed highlights of all the rounds then picks up the grand final to make fans happy.

      2. The agreement with F1 was also “locked in” but was renegotiated to allow Ten to only broadcast every second race live (and stop showing qualifying at all), and now renegotiated again to permit Ten to further abrogate its responsibility to FTA F1 fans.

        I think your love for Ten often blinds you to the realities. There is nothing to stop Ten from renegotiating the Supercars deal, especially once they have new owners.

        1. then why did James Warburton say that then and this is when Ten was in voluntary administration.Its a deal between Ten, Fox and Supercars. I for one hope they keep the 6 events and just let Foxtel have the rest. No highlights, no nothing of the other events. The reason why those 6 events are live is to keep the state governments happy.

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