Formula One boosts TV revenues in Eastern Europe

The incumbents were ousted in both territories. Media group Polsat took over the rights in Poland from Warsaw-based agency Turning Point in a direct deal with Formula One Management (FOM), the series’ commercial rights-holder. Turning Point has held Formula One rights in Poland since 2004 and currently sublicenses the rights to Polsat.

In Romania, cable-television operator RCS-RDS outbid public-service broadcaster TVR, the incumbent, and rival cable-television provider Romtelecom. It is understood FOM was prepared to accept an offer from TVR that matched its current fee, despite much higher offers from RCS and Romtelecom, but the broadcaster is short of money and could only offer half. Romania becomes one of the few territories in Europe where there is no Formula One coverage on free-to-air terrestrial television. RCS-RDS’s coverage will be on its cheap, basic-tier sports channel Digisport, which has a particularly high penetration in wealthy, urban areas, where the demographic is attractive to Formula One sponsors.

For the full story, see the latest issue of TV Sports Markets.