For many Formula 1 fans in Germany, this news should be an early Christmas present. The premier motorsport class will return to free TV in 2024. The long-standing Formula 1 broadcaster RTL shows seven Grands Prix as part of a partnership with rights holder Sky. The two broadcasters will also work closely together in football in the future. The information at a glance.
Sky Deutschland and RTL Deutschland today announced a strategic content partnership. The innovative collaboration between the two leading German pay and free TV providers, which is unique in the German TV market, brings Sky Deutschland and RTL Deutschland viewers even more live sport and, as a result, an even greater viewing experience.
The partnership, which is initially set to last for two years, includes, among other things, RTL broadcasting seven Formula 1 races per season live on free TV, and there is also a Premier League game every week on RTL+ as well as three conference calls from the 2nd football league. Bundesliga per season on RTL.
As part of the agreement, Sky Deutschland receives the rights to two Europa League or Europa Conference League games per game week and can therefore offer its subscribers premium class live sport every Thursday. The partnership also includes selected highlight rights, sky fiction blockbusters and close collaboration between the productions and editorial teams of the two companies.
Highlights of the co-exclusive partnership between Sky and RTL
- Seven Formula 1 races per season on RTL as well as all qualifying sessions on RTL+, the first race of the season on all RTL platforms
- Three conference calls from the 2nd Bundesliga per season on RTL
- One Premier League game per game week on RTL+
- Selected highlights and new clips
- Two Europa League or Europa Conference League games per game week on Sky
- High-class fiction formats from Sky such as Der Pass or Das Boot non-exclusively on RTL+.
The partnership will launch in 2024. Details of individual races and games will be determined prior to their respective broadcast dates. Live sport and content are just the beginning of a more extensive partnership between RTL Deutschland and Sky Deutschland – with the aim of sharing even more content in the future.
Formula 1 and football partnership: That’s what the broadcaster bosses say
Barny Mills, CEO of Sky Germany: “With its first-class programming offering, Sky Sport is known by all sports fans as the leading pay-TV provider of live sport. The innovative partnership with RTL now enables us to show even more viewers some of the exciting sports experiences that the brilliant team at Sky Sport has in store for them. This gives you an insight into the complete offering of a subscription. Consumer habits change over time. Our job is to anticipate these developments and offer solutions that make their lives easier. The partnership underlines this , which is why we are very much looking forward to working with RTL.”
Stephan Schmitter, Chief Content Officer and soon to be CEO of RTL Deutschland: “RTL Germany is the home for fantastic live sport and magical sports moments on free TV and streaming. As the free TV market leader in Germany, we want to offer our viewers the best content – both on RTL and on our streaming offer RTL+. The The new content partnership with Sky is the next big step towards our promise of ‘All Inclusive Entertainment’, as it perfectly complements our fiction and sports offerings around football, American football and motorsports. At the same time, we are providing the highly attractive Sky sports rights maximum reach also on free TV and streaming, produced by great teams on both sides.”