Home

F1

F1 Announces Huge News in Big Boost to Asian Fans Amidst Recent Broadcasting Changes

Published 10/07/2021, 6:12 AM EDT

Follow Us

via Reuters

With the season being as thrilling as it is this year, it would be a shame to miss out on it. After SkyCable announced that fans relying on Fox Sports will have to find a new way to watch the races, fans were anxious. Fox channels were the source of the action for many fans in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and other Southeast Asia countries. As people looked for alternatives, F1 has solved their problems.

In a recent statement, F1 can today confirm that it has agreed on deals with multiple broadcast partners in Asia till the end of the next season. Fans were worried about missing out on the recent races; the statement would ease their worries.

via Reuters

The Head of Media Rights in F1, Michaella Snoeck, reassured the sports’ Asian fans. “Following the closure of the Fox Sports channels in Asia, we’re very pleased to be entering these new partnerships in order to ensure that we can continue to bring the F1 action to our fans there.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Snoeck added, “The action so far has been intense, and with the battle for both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles potentially heading for the final race of the season, we’re delighted that our fans in Asia can continue to follow all of the drama and excitement that is Formula 1.”

Why Fox Sports stopped broadcasting F1

The Walt Disney Company owns Fox channels. As Disney switches to online streaming services, fans would have to subscribe to Disney+ to watch the race. However, the platform isn’t available in the Philippines and its surrounding countries.

Further, as the reliance on cable tv dies down, the F1 fans would have found it difficult to watch the race legally. The only option was subscribing to F1 TV Pro, which would require the F1 fans to have a foreign credit card or VPN to work.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest F1 stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

The hurdles would have drastically impacted the sport, whose fanbase has been increasing over the last few years. Luckily, the new deals will look to bring back the excitement of F1.

The new deals

F1 has now made agreements with the local sports channels in these countries, allowing fans to not only watch the remaining seven rounds of this season, but also the entire 2022 season as well.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Formula 1 has made new deals with companies like PCCW in Hong Kong, Singtel in Singapore, Astro in Malaysia, and Canal + in Myanmar. Similarly, Disney’s existing commitments with Fuji TV and DAZN in Japan and Star India have also been extended.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

These agreements would also allow streaming F1’s feeder series, F2 and F3. F1 continues to attract fans from all over with its incredibly magnetic championship battle. Now, as the Turkish GP weekend inches closer, it would be a safe bet to say that everyone will tune in to a thrilling race ahead.

Watch this story: Lewis Hamilton’s Biggest F1 Crashes.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Shreya Sanjeev

795Articles

One take at a time

Shreya Sanjeev is an F1 author at EssentiallySports. Having attained a journalism degree from St Xavier's College, she finds comfort in the sound of her keyboard while typing and excitement in the sound of F1 cars speeding on a track. A street circuit and Daniel Ricciardo fan through and through, Shreya claims the 2018 Monaco GP to be one of her favorite races of all time.
Show More>