Tata Communications has teamed up with Formula 1 again, this time bringing live action to fans in a new way. They will be powering the new F1 TV mobile app to enhance engagement with the sport.
F1 TV lets you watch Grand Prix racing any way that you choose. The app features commercial-free live streams and 20 on-board driver cameras to go along with multi-language commentary of every race. Fans will be able to go well beyond the actual competition as well. Coverage includes pre and post-race press conferences, even live views of practices.
F1 will be taking advantage of Tata’s Ultra Live Video Delivery Network (VDN) to make the new mobile app go.
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“People don’t want to just passively watch TV anymore,” Mehul Kapadia, Tata’s F1 Business Managing Director, said in a statement. “A single global OTT video platform, with multiple live feeds and hundreds of hours of past highlights, gives fans the power to create their own unique, immersive motorsports experiences. It’s a way to keep existing audiences hooked and attract new fans to the world of F1 too. I expect other sports to follow Formula 1’s lead and re-imagine through mobile platforms how they bring the action from the stadium, pitch or track to millions of people worldwide.”
The OTT platform is available in a “light” or premium package ($70-$120 per year, depending on the market). The latter version will be made available in a handful of markets, including many countries across Europe where F1 is most popular.
“Our objective with F1 TV is simple: provide these fans with the best available service to watch live Grands Prix and provide them with the best sports OTT customer experience in the world,” Frank Arthofer, Director of Digital and New Business for Formula 1 said in a statement. “Our team and our partners are singularly focused on delivering on that vision: not just for launch but over the long-term. Live streaming video is an exciting space changing almost daily.”