Formula 1 is the highest category in motorsport when it comes to individual seats. F1 has been a beloved sport to watch for decades. Formula 1 is more popular than ever in the Netherlands. This is mainly due to the successes of his compatriot Max Verstappen with Red Bull Racing in recent seasons, taking the world title last season as the ultimate reward as a great result. At least 108.7 million people around the world watched the thrilling finale in Abu Dhabi, as Verstappen snatched the title against rival Lewis Hamilton on the last lap. In the Netherlands, the last Grand Prix of the 2021 season attracted nearly 5 million spectators. This is the national record for F1 viewing numbers.
broadcast
Television rights are a major source of revenue for Formula 1. They contribute significantly to the more than €2 billion (!) Turnover generated by the Formula 1 competition in a year. Most of the live broadcasts nowadays are done through commercial entities. In the Netherlands, it was through Ziggo until this season. From this season, Viaplay will be the one who has the right to broadcast Formula 1 live. You can still contact Ziggo Sport for summaries. Studio Sport is also broadcasting a summary via the open channel NPO 1.
Watch abroad
Due to broadcast rights, you cannot watch Formula 1 matches everywhere. With the zone blocking application, the view from the outside is limited. This way you can view the same thing within the European Union as you can see it in the Netherlands. There is a “but” to it. Swedish streaming service Viaplay recently started battling VPNs. This makes it difficult for anyone using a VPN to start Viaplay and watch Formula 1.
Sometimes, Viaplay blocks even if you are not using the VPN yourself. For example, I was recently in the French city of Strasbourg. Viaplay should only work there. However, I got a message that the app could not be opened because I was using a VPN. It appears that the hotel’s Wi-Fi was on or off via VPN. I ended up watching the match over my mobile network data connection.
F1 TV Pro
In addition to Viaplay, the Formula 1 live streaming service also offers live matches. With F1 TV Pro you can broadcast F1 races not only in the Netherlands, but in many other countries. Think Aruba, Kenya, Mexico, and the United States. For ardent F1 fans, a subscription to F1 TV Pro is probably the best option for watching Formula 1 abroad.
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