With the start of the 2019 Formula 1 auto racing season March 17 in Melbourne, Australia, corporate parent Liberty Media says the series’ over-the-top video subscription service is ready for its close-up.
Speaking on the Feb. 28 fiscal call, Chase Carey, CEO of the Formula One Group, said the F1 TV service survived its beta test in 2018, which included a delayed start to mid-April and assorted technical glitches.
“2019 will, in many ways, be a true commercial launch of the product,” Carey said. “F1 TV is a long-term strategic priority. We will continue to evolve the platform, enhance the content and build on distribution opportunities in the coming years.”
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Carey, who previously served as president of 2oth Century Fox, said the $8 to $12 monthly SVOD service now has distribution in Germany and Holland. It will also be carried by Comcast’s Sky satellite TV service in the United Kingdom.
Notably, Vietnam will host its first F1 race in 2020. Separately, Formula 1’s licensed docu-series, “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” begins streaming on Netflix March 8.