Formula 1 has recently seen a fall in popularity amongst its German audience. While it is being discussed in the paddock as well as the F1 community in general, as per a report by GPFans, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes that this downfall can be attributed to the people who do not want to pay $257 a year for a Sky Sports subscription to watch F1 on TV.
Back in 2020, F1 signed a long-term deal with Sky Deutschland making them the exclusive rights holder to broadcast the sport in Germany. As per the deal, which is valid till 2027, Sky broadcasts four races free-to-air, but, to get full access to the F1 season, one needs to pay $257 a year.
Sky Sports F1 held responsible by Guenther Steiner
While many people have held many factors responsible for the downfall in F1’s popularity in Germany, Guenther Steiner believes that the main reason lies behind the fact that not many people in Germany are willing to pay the subscription fee to Sky Sports needed to watch F1 on TV.
Formula 1 and Sky Deutschland agree long term exclusive rights agreement from 2021https://t.co/h8yLDcDWkc
— F1 Media (@F1Media) June 22, 2020
Steiner said, “The people who don’t want to pay for Sky are the problem. I would put it this way: it is certainly a problem, because the German viewer is not used to paying for television.” He emphasized on the fact that not many people in Germany are used to the idea of paying to watch television.
Steiner explained that in Germany, the content on free TV is so good that people do not really want to pay for content. He said, “That’s why [people say] ‘Why should I pay when the free stuff I get is also good?'”
Steiner wants a race held in Germany
The other reason why F1 is slowly losing it’s charm in the European country is because despite having a rich history in the sport, there has been no German Grand Prix since 2019. However, there is one German driver on the grid, and that is incidentally Nico Hulkenberg of Haas.
The old and new Hockenheimring from the air…
Unfortunately, most of the old circuit is now covered in forestry. @frentzen_hh @NickHeidfeld#GermanGP #GermanyGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/uize0CksmI
— Paul McGinnes 🏁 (@PaulMcG92) September 11, 2023
Steiner is quite proud of the fact and said, “I do contribute to it! I bring the driver [Hulkenberg].” However, as for a race in the country, Steiner commented, “A race would be nice, though. But you have to talk to German industry and politics about that, not me”
The only other option that people in Germany have is F1TV, but even that is extremely complicated because F1TV is not available in the country. The only two ways to make it work is by a VPN, which has a cost of its own, or to use an account made in another EU country where F1TV is available.
