After Sky Sports lost the broadcasting rights to Formula 1 in late 2018, there was plenty of speculation on where the wings-and-slicks series would pop up — whether Kiwis would have to use the category's own streaming service (not an entirely bad thing), or whether another local company would pick it up.
Eventually, telco-and-more Spark were confirmed as the category's new keepers. And this morning they've confirmed pricing and roll-out for the Spark Sport app that will house Formula 1 — while simultaneously confirming a traditional televised service for the Melbourne Grand Prix.
The app launches in early March, prior to the Melbourne GP on March 14–17. You don't need to be an existing Spark customer, either, simply download the app and go. The Australian event will also be broadcast live on Duke simultaneously.
The catch is that the service will cost users $19.99 per month — not too bad given the volume of people who have been chasing a reliable sport-only streaming service in New Zealand. The app will also cover Formula 2, the GP3 Series, the Porsche Super Cup Series (shout out to Kiwi Jaxon Evans), and the World Rally Championship — plus inferior sports like the NBA, football, the Rugby World Cup, and more. Check out the full line-up below.
Users will be able to watch coverage through their mobile device of choice, or on their televisions via a Google Chromecast, Apple Airplay, or similar wireless device. Speaking to NZ Herald, Spark Sport head Jeff Latch said there are plans in time for the app to buddy up with certain smart TV manufacturers to offer integrated support.
Ironically, the announcement comes on the same day that Sky TV confirmed a 19.7 per cent half-year profit drop — the company $66.7million south in profits from where they were a year prior, with subscriber count down by 28,455.
Spark Sport's March line-up
• FIH Hockey Pro League
• NBA matches, highlights and analysis
• FIA World Rally Championships
• Formula 1 Championships
• Heineken Cup Rugby
• Manchester United TV
• Liverpool FC matches and ancillary content
Spark Sport's line-up so far
Rugby
• Rugby World Cup 2019
• Women's Rugby World Cup 2021
• World Rugby U20 Championships 2019
• Heineken Champions Cup
Football
• Premier League
• Manchester United TV
• Liverpool TV
Motorsport
• Formula 1 World Championships
• Formula 2 Championship
• GP3 Series
• 2019 Porsche Super Cup Series
• FIA World Rally Championships
Basketball
• NBA TV
Hockey
• Hockey World Cup
• FIH Hockey Pro League
• Olympic Qualification
• National Hockey League