Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko cannot understand at all what is happening on the German TV market in terms of Formula 1 broadcasting when RTL lost its rights to pay broadcaster Sky two years ago, although the latter agreed a deal to allow RTL to broadcast four live grands prix until last season, for 2023 there will now be no free to air coverage. Marko makes his demands to Mercedes.
It is believed Sky was open to continuing the existing deal in 2023 but for RTL, the price was too high. “We have decided not to broadcast individual Formula 1 races in 2023,” a spokesperson for RTL told Bild newspaper.
“We are concentrating on football and our newly acquired NFL rights on free TV.”
It is the first time since 1991 in which not a single Formula 1 race will be shown on free-to-air television in Germany.
However, it is believed Sky is now offering an RTL-like sub-licensing deal to other broadcasters, with ProSiebenSat.1 the apparent front runner. But for Marko, the prospect of there being no free to air races is crazy.
“It’s unbelievable what’s happening in Germany,” Marko told reporters on Sport1.
“In Austria it’s exactly the opposite. Formula 1 is booming there more than ever before.”
“The Red Bull team is seen as the Austrian national team and accordingly the whole country is cheering along!”
Marko demands Mercedes wins again
ServusTV and ORF share the broadcasts in Austria and both enjoyed strong ratings of up to 800,000 viewers per race in 2022.
Formula 1 on German free TV is history after RTL is no longer interested in a sub-licence and still cannot find a buyer. Pay TV broadcaster Sky holds the exclusive rights to F1 broadcasting in Germany until 2027, at a cost of around 55 million euros per season. Four sub-licence races would be available for ten million euros.
“That’s why I even hope that Mercedes will be strong again, so that the Germans identify with them and want to watch Formula 1 again,” Marko unusually even crosses his fingers for the competition.
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The days of crymilton winning are long gone…
Crymilton didn’t deserve a single title
Glad to see some others having a healthy viewpoint, as compared to some rabid Shemilton fans flying off the handle if you don’t toe their line of silly fandom, verging on sycophancy.