Formula 1 has its television coverage in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The second pre-season test at Bahrain International Circuit was the first live televised broadcast of the the 2022 F1 season. However it has emerged F1 has cut off its broadcasts in Russia.F1 was previously broadcast in the country by Match TV. The series signed a new deal in 2020 for it to continue screening F1 races and other sessions until the end of next year.
That deal also paved the way for the introduction of F1’s streaming service F1 TV to be offered in the country for the first time. This has also been withdrawn from the Russian market.
The decision follows F1’s cancellation of its Russian Grand Prix, which was due to take place in Sochi on September 25th. It subsequently terminated the contract for the race, which was due to take place at the new Igora Drive track near St Petersburg next year.
F1 has joined other sports which have withdrawn their broadcasts from the Russian market. England’s Premier League football division confirmed two days ago it will no longer provide broadcasts to Russia, which were also screened on Match TV.
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Jere (@jerejj)
10th March 2022, 18:33
Terminating a race-hosting contract is one thing & perfectly justified, but a mere TV broadcasting contract I feel is redundant. All other possible country-related ties getting cut, nothing wrong, but I don’t really see anything wrong in showing sports events on TV. Fortunately, I’m unaffected as I don’t live in Russia but this sucks for those who do.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
10th March 2022, 20:45
On the other hand, Match TV is owned by Gazprombank, which is currently being sanctioned. Thus, Liberty could not legally get paid for providing legal access to F1 in Russia. This terminates the contract through frustration.
BasCB (@bascb)
10th March 2022, 21:54
I think they are too large and public to be able to do deals with Russian subjects, I think @jerejj.
PT (@pt)
11th March 2022, 17:26
I just wonder how far this is gonna go. Cut off the oxygen supply to Russia? It just gets madder by the day.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
10th March 2022, 19:23
First sentence might need an edit. @keithcollantine :-)
AlexS
10th March 2022, 19:29
Be careful to not be on the other side of the mob. You will be un-personed.
Anyway this reminds me of the quote from Ennio Flaiano, an Italian screenwriter, novelist.
“There are 2 kinds of Fascists: Fascists and Anti-Fascists”
Another quote from him perhaps applicable to the resulting increase of social contact due to technology…
“If the peoples knew each other better, they would hate each other more.”
Kerry Maxwell (@kerrymaxwell)
10th March 2022, 19:53
Are you calling the people standing up to the slaughter of Ukrainian citizens a *mob*?
OOliver
10th March 2022, 20:03
He is just speaking in methaphors.
J3d89
10th March 2022, 21:29
Ukraine killing people since 2014 in donetsk and luhansk
cduk_mugello (@cduk_mugello)
10th March 2022, 23:18
@j3d89 do wrap up, must be cold in Moscow tonight. Shame you won’t get F1 on your TV this season.
J3d89
10th March 2022, 23:20
Not from russia… not even in europe.. i just cant stand hypocrisy… funny how suddenly you all care.. but since 2014 nobody have cared
neiana
11th March 2022, 9:41
You mean Russians who occupied those places to try and take more land for Russia?
Graham (@guitargraham)
10th March 2022, 19:41
and in about a week im guessing the worlds biggest free streaming site will be launched in russia! they wont care about copyright laws now. going to be the wild west
petebaldwin (@)
10th March 2022, 20:56
F1 is already exceptionally easy to stream for free. There’s no need to create a new site.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
11th March 2022, 1:25
Now do it in ukraine as well. By the way also do it in the U.S. turkey, saudi arabia, israel etc.
On the Marbles
11th March 2022, 9:51
I expect people living in large areas of Ukraine are….
A: too busy trying not to die from indiscriminate Russian missiles, bombs and shells
B: or too busy fleeing the destruction of their homes, towns and cites
C: or too busy fighting or preparing defences against an overwhelmingly armed and callous aggressor
D: or now in Poland or Hungary
E: or too dead
…..to care about F1 tv coverage, don’t you?
Just a thought.
cduk_mugello (@cduk_mugello)
11th March 2022, 10:41
@peartree Another poor darling sad that you won’t be receiving F1 on your TV this season. It’s the least of your worries.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
11th March 2022, 13:40
@cduk_mugello by the way f1tv pro is 20% off until the 13th. 39 euros for me, sorry rubles.
Illusive (@illusive)
11th March 2022, 5:57
Different rules apply to different countries.
RomTrain (@romtrain)
11th March 2022, 7:40
Just overlay the stream for russia with a semi-transparent slightly randomly moving ‘stop the war in ukraine’.
Sergey Martyn
11th March 2022, 8:43
Phew! Russian hackers elected US president Trump back in 2016, so in 2022 it will not be difficult to ensure the broadcast everything people want.
Husseyn Razaq (@husseynrazaq)
11th March 2022, 9:55
Hypocrites! Where is the ban on Saudi Arabia? Abu Dhabi? Or does it not matter when brown people are the ones being victimised by oppressive foreign regimes.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
11th March 2022, 13:41
@husseynrazaq you don’t know math. Whites have an exponent.
PT (@pt)
11th March 2022, 17:40
Because these nations aren’t anti-US. No one who is pro US will ever get punished despite what they do.