Formula One: ESPN and Sky Sports team up for 2018 season
By Asher Fair
ESPN and Sky Sports have teamed up with Formula One to bring United States viewers Sky Sports’ coverage of the 2018 Formula One season.
The 2017 Formula One season featured the final race, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, November 26th, that was broadcast in the United States on NBC Sports.
This race took place nearly two months after the announcement was made that NBC Sports would no longer be broadcasting Formula One races in the United States following five seasons of doing so dating back to the 2013 season.
Following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which served as the season finale for the 2017 Formula One season and was won by Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Valtteri Bottas, the NBC Sports broadcast team of Leigh Diffey, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett and Will Buxton had officially broadcasted their final Formula One race on the network.
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When it was announced that NBC Sports would no longer be broadcasting Formula One races in the 2018 season in early October of last year, it was also announced that ESPN and ABC would be airing each and every one of the 21 races on the 2018 Formula One schedule on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC under a multi-year linear and digital partnership between ESPN and Formula One.
It has now been announced that ESPN and Sky Sports will be teaming up with Formula One to bring Sky Sports’ coverage of each and every one of the 2018 Formula One season’s 21 races to viewers in the United States.
The Sky Sports Formula One broadcast team consists of David Croft, Martin Brundle, Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert, Paul di Resta and Anthony Davidson.
Here is what ESPN motorsports coordinating producer Kate Jackson had to say about this deal, according to ESPN.
"“We are excited to work with the Sky Sports team. Their coverage of F1 is second to none and we look forward to bringing their expertise and authenticity to our audiences.”"
Here is what Sky Sports Head of Formula One Scott Young had to say about the deal, according to ESPN.
"“We are delighted to be working with ESPN and ABC, and with this partnership extend Sky Sports F1’s award-winning coverage overseas. Each season we look to find new ways to improve the broadcast and entertain our viewers and this year will be no different.”"
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Are you excited for all 21 of the 2018 Formula One season’s races to be broadcast live either on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC with coverage from Sky Sports? The season is set to get underway in a little over a month on Sunday, March 25th with the Australian Grand Prix, a race that was won by Sebastian Vettel last year.