German broadcaster RTL has decided to end its association with F1 after the 2020 season as the media group’s focus switches to football.
Fans in Germany receives a further blow as longtime free-to-air broadcaster, RTL, is to end its association with F1. The 2020 season will be its last as focus of the media group will shift towards football and the UEFA league.
Jorg Graf, Managing Director of RTL said: “The competition for TV rights has changed, the market has overheated in some cases and thus left the very ambitious, yet economically justifiable framework that we have set ourselves.
“We are now going with all our strength and passion and focus on football as the number 1 TV sport and our recently acquired rights package.” At the same time, Manfred Loppe, Head of RTL Sports stated: “We have transmitted F1 over three decades with great love and passion, as well as a courageous willingness to innovate and invest.
“The greatest-reaching and most emotional, unforgettable moments of the premier class in racing remain forever connected to RTL.” The journey of the broadcaster in F1 started in 1991 when Michael Schumacher wave only kicked-off.
It rode through the highs of Schumacher and even Sebastian Vettel as numbers only grew then. But with Vettel’s drop and Nico Rosberg bidding goodbye to F1 along with several other German racers, the viewers game is not the same as before.
Even though it is stable as opposed to other players in Europe but with the broadcasting landscape changing over the years, RTL sees better business with UEFA. It remains to be seen if Sky Germany will become the sole player or F1 has another FTA channel in place.
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