F1: Liberty withdraw broadcasting and media services in Russia

Having cancelled the Russian Grand Prix contract in the wake of the country’s military invasion of Ukraine, Formula 1 have now severed all ties with Russia by terminating their contract with Match TV, F1’s regional broadcast rights holder.

All of F1’s subscription services are in the process of being similarly withdrawn.

The move means fans in the country will no longer receive broadcasts of what is known as ‘moving car’ footage, nor will they be able to access F1 TV Pro and its archive services.

Short of stealing the feed using a VPN connection, F1 will not be available at all in Russia. Match TV is Russia’s official sports broadcaster and was founded by a presidential decree in 2015 in conjunction with Gazprom Media.