Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone (third from right), "Napoleon" in the British tabs, got his start in facing in 1949.
Jun Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty ImagesROME – Italian News Corp. subsidiary Sky-Italia announced Wednesday that it had acquired exclusive rights to broadcast the 2013 seasons for Formula 1 auto racing in Italy. Terms of the deal, which will start in March 2013, were not disclosed.
Sky-Italia said in a statement that nine of the season’s 20 Formula 1 World Championship races will be broadcast live without charge, with the remainders broadcast with a delay. Paying subscribers will be able to watch all the races on computers, tablets, and smart phones.
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Thanks in part to the historic Formula 1 success of Italian carmaker Ferrari, the sport is a popular one in Italy, by some measures second in popularity only to soccer among Italian viewers.
This agreement with FOM adds to Sky’s already outstanding Sports offer,” Sky-Italia chief executive Andrea Zappia said in a statement. “These investments show how our company is determined to confirm its leading position in the Italian TV market.”
Among Sky-Italia’s other recent sports acquisitions are the next two editions of both the Summer and Winter Olympics and the 2014 World Cup of Soccer in Brazil.
