RTL Germany says farewell to Formula 1 after 30 years

In more and more countries Formula 1 is disappearing from free to air television in recent years. In the Netherlands, this has already been the case since 2012 and in Great Britain people have had to get used to the lack of live coverage over the past few years as well. Now 'free' watching Formula 1 also seems to be in jeopardy in Germany.

RTL Germany has announced that it will not renew their contract with Formula 1 after this season. It marks the end of an era. RTL has been broadcasting all races live on since 1991 and together with analyst Niki Lauda and reporter Kai Ebel they were a TV station that literally coloured the paddock.

"The competition for TV rights has changed, the market has in some cases overheated and therefore falls outside the ambitious economically sound framework we have set ourselves," RTL director Jörg Graf explains about the station's decision to withdraw.

From now on, RTL will focus on football, with broadcasting rights for the Europa League and international matches. This decision shows the difficult position of Formula 1 in Germany. RTL entered the sport at the same time as Michael Schumacher, experienced his heyday, but saw the interest in Formula 1 continue to decline after his departure.