(Motorsport-Total.com) – Formula 1 will remain available on Austrian free TV until 2029 inclusive: The motorsport “king class” and the private broadcaster ServusTV have extended their existing contract by three years.
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Matthias Brügelmann, as content director of ServusTV, evaluates the contract extension as “great news for motorsport fans in Austria. They can continue to watch their favorite sport free of charge on free TV and in the best quality on ServusTV as well as on ServusTV On.”
This is based on the “strong and successful partnership” with Formula 1, said Brügelmann – a compliment that Ian Holmes, head of media rights at the famous racing series, gladly returns: “ServusTV has provided our passionate fans in Austria with first-class coverage over the past six years.”
“The commitment to high-quality free TV broadcasting ensures that fans across the country can continue to experience the drama and excitement of Formula 1,” said Holmes. The goal of the new agreement is to “further grow the sport.”
What does the new contract mean for ORF?
However, it is unclear what the new agreement between Formula 1 and ServusTV means for the public broadcaster ORF. The broadcaster has not yet commented on the future rights distribution and was not mentioned in the current press release either.
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In response to an inquiry from Motorsport-Total.com, a spokesperson gave the following statement: “ORF is in talks regarding this and optimistic about continuing the cooperation [with ServusTV].”
ServusTV was awarded the TV rights for the Formula 1 season 2021 in Austria, but left half of the race weekends to ORF as a sublicensee for broadcasting. Since then, the two Austrian broadcasters have alternated coverage. (More on this in our current TV overview for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix!)
Will the previous 50:50 distribution remain?
According to a report by oe24.at, this could soon come to an end: For cost reasons, ORF might be forced to reduce its Formula 1 coverage, so ServusTV would show more Grands Prix. ORF has not commented on this so far.
ServusTV, on the other hand, consolidates its position as a motorsport broadcaster with the recent agreement: The Red Bull broadcaster shows, among other things, the motorcycle world championship (MotoGP) in Austria alongside Formula 1.
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