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The 2023 F1 season got officially underway with the first qualifying session of the Bahrain GP on Saturday (March 4). Twenty drivers of ten teams tested out their new cars for the first time in all their glory ahead of the main race on Sunday (March 5).
The pinnacle of motorsport has really taken off since the debut of Netflix's series 'Drive to Survive' in 2019. That has brought in new fans and new sponsorships into the sport, making it one of the most sought-after in the world. Before the end of the 2022 season, Hotstar had the rights to broadcast the sport on the streaming platform. However, for the first time since 1993, fans in India were unable to watch the sport, as the deal between Star and F1 wasn't renewed.
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With no racing on Hotstar as of now, fans in the country can continue to see the fastest cars in the world race on the sport's official streaming platform, F1 TV Pro. The sport has been pushing forward the platform for quite some time now, and amidst the broadcasting rights fiasco, they quietly launched the streaming platform in India.
First-time subscribers will get a free seven-day trial, but the deal will only be available for a limited period. Following that, F1 TV Pro will be available for Rs 399 ($3.99) a month or Rs 2,999 ($29.99) annually.
“We have many new markets for F1 TV this year, but India is the biggest" - Ian Holmes
Ian Holmes, director of media rights and content creation at Formula 1, said that the sport isn't happy with the valuation done by Indian broadcasters. Speaking to Campaign India, he said:
“We looked at the more traditional channels and platforms. Star was one of them. We had discussions with Zee and one or two others too. I want to be candid about this – we felt that the valuation of many of those parties placed on our property wasn’t similar to what we felt it was worth."
He continued:
“We have many new markets for F1 TV this year, but India is the biggest. It’s not the biggest in terms of population alone, but it’s the most important new market we’re launching in. I’m fascinated with how we go because we don’t have the traditional license agreement at this moment. So it is right up there in terms of importance, and it’s not an experimental market."
Hopefully, the sport and Indian broadcasters can strike a deal during the year so that fans can enjoy watching the races on television.
