OFFICIAL: Viaplay Group extends Formula 1 rights until the end of 2029 for the Netherlands and all Scandinavian countries

Viaplay Group has renewed its agreement with Formula One Management for a historically long period of five years. This means Formula 1 fans in the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland can continue to enjoy every second of one of the most popular sports in the world until the end of 2029. All races, qualifications and training can be followed live on Viaplay, including local commentary, as well as extensive previews and afterthoughts, talk shows, summaries, documentaries and everything about three-time world champion Max Verstappen. In addition to the extension of the rights package, the collaboration with F1 TV Pro will also be continued in the Netherlands.

With more than 700 million fans, Formula 1 continues to evolve as one of the world’s most popular and exciting sports. After a record number of visitors of 6 million in 2023, Formula 1 is now in the longest season in history.

Formula 1 has around 5 million fans in the Netherlands, 50% of whom have started following the sport in the past 5 years. In 2023, the number of viewers in the Netherlands increased to 12 million, 35% more than in 2022.

Each Formula 1 weekend attracts an average of 70 million viewers. In 2023, a total of 1.5 billion people worldwide were watching. The sport’s fan base is becoming increasingly younger and more diverse: 40% of fans are women, one in three TV viewers is under the age of 35 and one in three fans have started following the sport in the past four years. In 2023, Formula 1 was the fastest growing sport in the world on social media for the fourth year in a row.

Peter Nrrelund, Viaplay Group EVP and Chief Sports & Business Development Officer: We have been the home base for Formula 1 for many years. Just like the racing teams, we are always looking for that extra advantage to stay at the top as a company. We will always continue to challenge and innovate so that we can serve the viewer optimally. Every race weekend we are in the paddock, pit lane and on the track to let the expert and passionate fans in the Netherlands and Scandinavia enjoy the most breathtaking show in the world: Formula 1.

Roger Lodewick, CEO Viaplay Netherlands: We are very proud that Formula 1 will also be part of our Viaplay offering for the next five years. The sport was an important part of the launch of Viaplay in the Netherlands. Now, two and a half years later, we have a great team, a varied and high-quality product and a bright future ahead. With our new local organizational structure, we are now even better able to respond to the needs of the Dutch public and to anchor Viaplay even better in the Dutch media landscape.