RTL and Sky vie for German Formula 1 TV audience in 2026 season

After withdrawing from free‑TV coverage in 2020, RTL returned to broadcast Formula 1 in 2024 and will air selected races again in 2026 following a joint venture with Sky after RTL’s acquisition of Sky Deutschland. The 2026 calendar features 24 Grand Prix events, a new Cadillac team, Audi taking over Sauber, and technical changes such as active aerodynamics and higher‑share sustainable fuels.

In Germany, RTL aired the Monaco Grand Prix live on free‑to‑air TV, attracting an average of 1.49 million viewers (13.3 % market share) and 0.39 million viewers aged 14‑49 (18.9 % share). Parallelly, Sky’s pay‑TV broadcast of the same race drew 0.59 million viewers (5.4 % share) with 0.27 million in the 14‑49 demographic (13 % share). Together the two channels reached over 30 % of the audience watching the sport. A ZDF "Fernsehgarten" Mallorca special aired the same day, drawing 1.71 million viewers but did not set new rating records.