LONDON, May 6 (Reuters) - Liberty Media-owned Formula One announced on Wednesday five-year extensions to broadcast partnerships with Sky television in Britain, Ireland and Italy.
The UK and Ireland deal will now run through the 2034 season while Sky Italia's contract has been extended to 2032, it said in a statement.
No financial details were given but sources indicated a figure in the region of 200 million pounds ($271.96 million) a year for the UK and Ireland extension, making it a 1 billion pound deal.
The previous contract with Sky, owned by Comcast Corporation, in the UK and Ireland ran to 2029 while the Italian deal was to 2027.
Sky Deutschland, which had the rights in Germany until 2027, was taken over by RTL last year.
Live coverage of the British Grand Prix will remain available free-to-air in Britain with the same applying to the Italian Grand Prix in Italy.
Formula One said total viewing in the UK and Ireland has increased by 90%, with female viewership more than doubling and under-35s up 120%.
Sky, who took over the rights in 2019, said the 2025 season was their most-watched yet with 162 million viewer hours.
McLaren's British driver Lando Norris is the reigning world champion, with compatriot George Russell starting the season as title favourite for Mercedes while seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton is at Ferrari.
Rookie Arvid Lindblad is with Racing Bulls while Oliver Bearman races for Haas and London-born Alex Albon, who races under a Thai licence, is at Williams in a strong British contingent on the starting grid. All but three of the 11 teams are based in England.
In Italy, Formula One said Sky had seen a 25% rise in the viewing figures so far this year with Italian Kimi Antonelli winning three of four races for Mercedes and, at 19, becoming the youngest-ever championship leader.
Sky's coverage, aired on a dedicated channel in Britain, is also shared with international broadcast partners and reaches more than 100 markets worldwide.
"This new agreement secures Sky as the home of Formula One for years to come, as the sport enters an exciting era with more British talent on the grid and rising stars like Kimi Antonelli," said Sky Group CEO Dana Strong.
($1 = 0.7354 pounds)
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
