Rai 1 are to show nine out of the nineteen Grand Prix’s live in Italy, according to SportsPro Media. The deal with Sky Italia was first announced last June, but it is only now that Rai have been confirmed as the free to air broadcaster that will air those races live.
As with the BBC and Sky deal here in the UK, the other ten races will air as highlights. The article from SportsPro says that the deal between Sky Italia and Formula One Management is $80 million, which is £53 million over 5 years.
This post from JackFoley over on Digital Spy Forums suggests that Rai viewers will end up better off than the equivalent BBC viewers in the UK, with Rai viewers getting 75 minutes highlights from practice on Friday’s regardless of the race weekend, and Rai viewers will be getting the final two races of the season live.
Motorsport Broadcasting 