As Australian driver Oscar Piastri continues his meteoric rise in Formula 1, leading the 2025 Drivers’ Championship, a parallel race is unfolding off the track: the competition for Australia’s F1 broadcast rights. With Piastri’s stellar performances and the sport’s surging popularity, major players like Nine Entertainment, Foxtel, Network 10, and Netflix are vying for the coveted rights to bring F1 to Australian audiences.
Foxtel, through Fox Sports and Kayo Sports, currently holds exclusive rights to broadcast all F1 races in Australia, except for the Australian Grand Prix, which is also aired by Network 10. Foxtel’s three-year deal, valued at approximately $45 million annually, is set to expire at the end of the 2025 season.
Piastri’s remarkable season, highlighted by consecutive victories in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Miami, has not only positioned him as a championship frontrunner but also captivated Australian fans. His success marks the first time since Mark Webber in 2010 that an Australian leads the F1 championship, rekindling national enthusiasm for the sport.
“Drive to Survive” has also played a pivotal role in transforming F1’s global appeal, attracting younger audiences and increasing female viewership. In Australia, the series has contributed to record attendance at events like the Australian Grand Prix, which surpassed $100 million in revenue for the first time in its history.
But, with all this increased interest, a rights storm is brewing that could see the F1 moving out of the Foxtel offices and firmly into a new home.
Nine’s Strategic Play
Nine Entertainment is reportedly eyeing the F1 broadcast rights to bolster its Stan Sport platform.
Speaking at the Macquarie Australia Conference this week, Nine’s chief executive, Matt Stanton, confirmed that the network was interested in the rights but did suggest that the growing interest in Piastri may be pushing up the price of the rights.
Nine is also speculated to be in discussions to acquire Optus Sport, which holds rights to the English Premier League, FA Cup, and Women’s Super League. Such a move would further solidify Stan Sport’s position in the competitive streaming market.
According to an article published in the Australian Financial Review, sources close to the discussions confirmed Optus is looking to re-focus on its core telecommunications asses and approached potential buyers for expressions of interest last year.
According to the sources, the discussions commenced in December 2024 and are still ongoing.
A deal with Stan would see the streamer become home to the English Premier League as well after Optus Sport took the rights to the competition off Foxtel back in 2016. The most recent broadcast deal, which is estimated to be worth around $100 million a year, runs until 2028 and also includes the Women’s Super League.
“All companies regularly review their businesses to ensure they are maximising value and realising their full potential,” an Optus spokesman told the AFR.
Nine declined to comment on either matter.
Currently, Stan Sport offers coverage of motorsports like IndyCar, the World Endurance Championship and the World Rally Championship. Stan also currently holds the rights to multiple international tennis tournaments as well as the UEFA Champions League and the Super Rugby. Acquiring F1 rights would significantly enhance its ever-growing sports portfolio.
Can Foxtel Remain In The Game?
With the impending expiration, Foxtel faces the challenge of retaining these rights amid increasing competition.
The company’s recent acquisition by DAZN, a global sports streaming service, may influence its strategy in the upcoming negotiations.
Last month, Foxtel completed its sale to global sports streaming giant DAZN in a deal worth $3.4 billion. As part of the announcement, DAZN was emphatic: Foxtel would continue to operate as a standalone business, and popular brands under its umbrella – including Kayo Sports, BINGE, and Hubbl – would retain their brand identities and continue to deliver the ‘premium content’ Australian audiences expect.
But barely weeks after the ink dried on the deal, questions are already swirling about the future of one of Foxtel’s major projects: Hubbl. In one of its first major moves as Foxtel’s new owner, DAZN has reportedly placed Hubbl under strategic review, with sources indicating a decision on whether to close or dramatically scale back the platform could come before the end of the year.
The news is a sharp turn for a product that had been billed as the next big evolution for the subscription TV giant and raises questions about the future of the broadcaster.
Despite this tumultuous time at Foxtel, it does remain firmly focused on creating a unified global platform for sports streaming, merchandise, and ticketing (a goal that doesn’t necessarily align with managing niche hardware businesses like Hubbl). This, of course, begs the question, is the potential demise of Hubbl a sign of more instability ahead, or is it a strategic business decision in DAZN’s continued mission to become the “Netflix of Sports”.
Assuming things stay stable, a continued investment with F1 is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for the brand attempting to establish a bigger presence in Australia’s sports-mad market.
Foxtel declined to comment on commercial negotiations but confirmed that it does maintain a long-standing partnership with the sport.
Network 10 & Paramount’s Potential Bid
Network 10, owned by Paramount, currently broadcasts the Australian Grand Prix and provides race highlights. The race is currently protected by anti-siphoning laws, which grant free-to-air networks first dibs on broadcast rights for major sporting events.
Given the growing popularity of F1 in Australia, Paramount may consider bidding for the full rights package to expand its sports offerings and capitalise on the sport’s growing momentum.
Network 10 already holds the rights to the A-League along with all Socceroos and Matildas games, spread out across free-to-air and its Paramount+ streaming app.
B&T contacted Network 10, which declined to comment on the matter.
Netflix Enters The Chat
Netflix and F1 have become almost synonymous thanks to its successful docuseries Drive to Survive.
While no official bid has been announced for Australian rights, Netflix’s new interest in live sports broadcasting suggests it could be a contender in future negotiations.
In 2024, the streamer paid around $240 million (AUD) to stream the Christmas Day clashes between the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. This came just a month after 60 million households worldwide tuned in live to watch Jake Paul square off against Mike Tyson live on Netflix.
B&T contacted Netflix for comment but didn’t receive a response prior to publication.
The F1 rights are still firmly up for grabs and, with major players like Nine Entertainment, Foxtel, Network 10, and Netflix in the mix, the outcome of this media race will shape how Australian audiences experience Formula 1 in the years to come.
