The Formula One global motorsport series and pay-TV broadcaster BeIN Sports have announced a multi-year agreement to show the sport in ten territories across Asia.
Contract:
- The deal covers Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and the Philippines
- The agreement grants exclusive broadcast rights to all race weekends, covering linear and digital channels
Context: Following the closure of Fox Sports Asia in 2021, the broadcast landscape across the Asia-Pacific region was fractured. Individual deals were scattered across the region, but this exclusive agreement brings it all under one broadcaster. The region currently gets one visit from Formula One per season with the Singapore Grand Prix.
Comment: Ian Holmes, director of media rights and content creation at Formula One, said: “Following a number of years of growing interest across Asia, we are delighted to announce this partnership with BeIN Sports. As Formula One continues to attract new fans around the world, world class broadcasting is key, and this agreement will allow us to find new and innovative ways for our fans in Asia to follow and engage with our sport.”
Consequence: The deal highlights this area as a focus for Formula One, which has given a lot of attention elsewhere up to this point. Having lost the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017, and the lack of racing further north in China since 2019, the region has been severely underserved. This represents the first step towards granting better access to the premier tier of motorsport.