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- F1 reportedly still in talks with China Telecom
- No rights deal in China has been agreed for 2022 as of yet
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has reportedly finalised a multi-year agreement to broadcast Formula One in China, according to Lanxiong Sports.
Currently, the series is only shown in Shanghai and Guangdong through Five Star Sports and Guangdong Sports, respectively. This is because no national Chinese broadcaster could sign off on a deal in time for the start of the 2022 season.
It had been previously reported that China Telecom was in advanced talks with Formula One, although this is currently being held up.
While CCTV has shown previous seasons of Formula One, China Telecom has not been a player in the sports broadcasting market before.
Interest in the series in China has increased substantially since Zhou Guanyu secured a drive with the Alfa Romeo team. The Chinese driver also recently agreed a brand ambassador deal with HSBC China.