Foxtel lands TV rights to F1 pre-season testing

F1 fans in Australia have been given some good news with Foxtel confirming it has secured the rights to broadcast pre-season testing.

Speedcafe.com has received confirmation from the subscription television provider that it has managed to secure live coverage of the three days of running in Bahrain.

It comes after discussions between Foxtel and Formula 1 hit a stalemate leaving fans limited to coverage via F1TV.

While Foxtel held rights to broadcast the season proper, it did not have them to show pre-season testing.

That was despite strong interest from the subscription television provider to broadcast running from Bahrain.

However, sources have revealed that media interest, led by Speedcafe.com, has seen the parties reach an agreement.

The last-minute deal means viewers will be able to see coverage of all three days, starting Thursday, with full commentary provided by Sky Sports, on both Foxtel and Kayo.

Formula 1 has been enjoying a boom in popularity in recent years, arguably triggered by Liberty Media’s more open approach to the media, but also the interest generated by the Drive to Survive Netflix series.

The next series of Drive to Survive, which follows the 2022 season, is set to premiere on Friday.

Pre-season testing comes in addition to Foxtel having broadcast rights to show every F1 session live throughout the year.

It means fans will have the greatest level of coverage ever available on Australian television, coinciding with the debut of Oscar Piastri.

Testing in Bahrain gets underway on Thursday, with coverage set to start at 17:50 AEDT on all three days.