Formula 1 Won’t Be on Star Sports This Season: Here’s How You Can Watch F1 2023

F1 2023: To watch live races from the 2023 season, Indian Formula 1 fans will have to subscribe to 'F1 TV Pro.'

Formula 1 will not broadcasted by Star Sports this season, but by their own OTT platform, F1 TV Pro.

(Photo: Twitter/F1)

We are all but a couple of days away from the first ‘lights out and away we go’ of the season, as the 2023 instalment of the pinnacle of motorsport, Formula 1 commences on Sunday, 5 March, in Bahrain. Amid the plethora of personnel changes, both in terms of drivers and team principals, there is another major change pertaining to the Indian audience – broadcasting rights.

Until last season, the F1 broadcasting rights for India were owned by Star, with the races being televised on Star Sports, and streamed on Disney+ Hotstar. There will, however, be a deviation this year, with the sport’s own over-the-top platform broadcasting races.

To watch live races in the 2023 season, Formula 1 enthusiasts will have to subscribe to an OTT platform called F1 TV Pro. Initially priced at Rs 2,999, the organisers are now offering a subscription at a discounted price of Rs 2,499, whilst also offering a seven-day free trial with the same package.

Barring live streaming of the races, the membership will also provide fans with live onboard camera angles and team radio. Races from the junior series – Formula 2 and Formula 3 – alongside Porsche Supercup, can also be viewed with the F1 TV Pro membership. Alongside the yearly plan, there are a couple of monthly membership plans on offer, priced at Rs 239 and Rs 299.

F1 have introduced another subscription model, known as the F1 TV Access, which provides a member with live data from the races alongside replays, albeit without the live streaming facility. The subscription of F1 TV Access has been priced at Rs 1,649.

Formula 1 2023 streaming – All you need to know

• Formula 1 will not be broadcasted on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar in the 2023 season.

• To watch live races in India, fans will have to subscribe to the OTT platform called 'F1 TV Pro.'

• The annual subscription is priced at Rs 2,499, alongside a seven-day free trial.

• There are also a couple of monthly subscription models available at Rs 239 and Rs 299.

• Besides live races from F1; Formula 2, Formula 3 and Porsche Supercup can also be viewed using the same subscription.

• F1 has launched an alternative plan, known as 'F1 TV Access,' which has been priced at Rs 1,649.

• Subscription of F1 TV Access will provide fans with live data and delayed replays, but not the live streaming facility.

India Is the Biggest New Market for F1: Formula 1’s Media Director

The director of media rights and content creation of F1, Ian Holmes mentioned the growing trend of digital sports consumption by the Indian audience as one of the reasons behind launching the platform in India.

“I’m not throwing a parallel between F1 and cricket, but we felt it was fascinating to see the valuation of the digital rights of the IPL versus the traditional rights. People are used to consuming sports digitally. That factored into our thinking while we were looking at different options and thought it was a good time to push our product into the Indian market,” Holmes said, in a conversation with campaignasia.com.

“We have many new markets for F1 TV this year, but India is the biggest. It’s not the biggest in terms of population alone, but it’s the most important new market we’re launching in. I’m fascinated with how we go because we don’t have the traditional license agreement at this moment,” he further added.