F1 secures new US contract with ESPN

Formula 1 will remain on ESPN and ABC in the United States for the foreseeable future after a new three year deal was announced on the weekend of the US Grand Prix.

It was announced on Friday that F1 would stay on the network until 2022 after first being shown in 2018. There were rumours that the sport would return to its previous broadcaster NBC, but these turned out to be quite wide of the mark.

The new and improved agreement will mean that F1 is also shown on ESPN Deportes, a Spanish speaking channel. Every race will be shown live and uninterrupted, with their partnership with Sky Sports F1 still in place to bring their coverage to American viewers.

The executive vice president of ESPN, Burke Magnus said: “When we brought Formula 1 back to ESPN two years ago, we had faith that Formula 1 fans in the United States would support the coverage.

“That faith has been rewarded many times over, and we greatly appreciate how fans have responded in record numbers.

“We’re also delighted to add Spanish-language rights to this new deal,” he said. “This provides us with a unique opportunity to serve Hispanic Formula 1 fans across ESPN platforms in English and Spanish.

“We look forward to continuing the relationship with Formula 1 and working together to build the sport in America.”