Aug 11 (Reuters) - Disney said on Tuesday it had signed a multi-year deal to stream all-electric Formula E races globally across 144 territories on Disney+, with races also available on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S.
Demand for live sports programming is seen as key for the media industry as it draws young fans in and helps keep streaming subscribers engaged for months with regular events.
• The new 2026-27 season will feature 21 rounds across 13 events, taking Formula E to cities including Jeddah, Austin, Miami, Monaco and Mexico City. The campaign begins on December 18 in Jeddah and concludes with the final round in Tokyo on July 25 next year.
• The new agreements add to Disney's sports portfolio that includes select LALIGA football rights, NBA games and the UEFA Women's Champions League.
• Majority-owned by Liberty Global, Formula E is planning to debut its next-generation electric vehicle, GEN4, which the league describes as "the debut of the fastest and most technologically advanced electric racing car ever built."
• The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
• The league said it will maintain its broadcast TV partnerships.
• Formula E previously partnered with CBS Sports, with races airing across CBS, Paramount+ and The Roku Channel in the United States.
(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)
