Formula One’s joint British broadcasters of BBC and Sky Sports have carved up the now agreed 2014 calendar.
The 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship will consist of 19 Grand Prix over the course of the season, with nine of those races receiving live coverage on free-to-air channel BBC, whilst pay-TV channel Sky Sports will show all nineteen races of the season live.
The selection of which races to cover live on the BBC and which receive exclusive live coverage from Sky Sports is reached through a negotiation process between the two broadcasters.
This season the BBC would have had to have kept the World Cup fixtures in mind while selecting races to show as well as their other ‘variety of factors’ to ensure ‘a strong cross-section of the season’ is selected for its viewers.
Despite the loss over over half of the season to free-to-air television in the United Kingdom, the BBC claim that viewing figures actually increased in 2013.
‘It has been another great year for F1 on the BBC. Head of Formula One at the BBC Ben Gallop said.
‘We’re now very much looking forward to 2014 and feel we have a strong package for our TV coverage.
‘This format of both live and highlights is attracting a wide range of viewers and we hope to see even more people tuning in next year to experience the magic of Formula 1.’
Sky Sports Executive Producer Martin Turner added: ‘Only on Sky Sports F1 can viewers enjoy the full story live. From the first corner in Australia to the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi, we’ll be there offering our viewers unrivalled live coverage and analysis.
‘Our ten exclusively live races include several of the season’s key grands prix including three of the first four, two of the final three and of course, Monaco, the most glamorous weekend on the calendar. We can’t wait.’
2014 Formula One Calendar
All races shown live in the UK
March 16th: Australia – Sky
March 30th: Malaysia – BBC & Sky
April 6th: Bahrain – Sky
April 20th: China – Sky
May 11th: Spain – BBC & Sky
May 25th: Monaco – Sky
June 8th: Canada – BBC & Sky
June 22nd: Austria – Sky
July 6th: Great Britain – BBC & Sky
July 20th: Germany – Sky
July 27th: Hungary – Sky
August 24th: Belgium – BBC & Sky
September 7th: Italy – BBC & Sky
September 21st: Singapore – Sky
October 5th: Japan – BBC & Sky
October 12th: Russia – BBC & Sky
November 2nd: USA – Sky
November 9th: Brazil – Sky
November 23rd: Abu Dhabi – BBC & Sky
The current joint deal between the BBC and Sky Sports to share the Formula One broadcast rights runs up to and including the 2018 season.
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