It is the end of the 2018 Formula One season this weekend, and with it marks the end of one broadcasting era for fans in the United Kingdom.
Outside of the British Grand Prix, this weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi is the last F1 race live on free-to-air television for UK fans until at least 2025. From 2019, Sky Sports will air every race exclusively live, the exception being Britain which, for 2019 at least, will also air live on Channel 4.
Channel 4 will air highlights of the remaining races in 2019, but their future beyond next season is currently unknown. With only one race live next year, this weekend is likely the last covering Formula 1 for several of their team.
Lee McKenzie is one name who definitely will not be part of Channel 4’s F1 team in 2019, having covered Formula 1 for ten seasons, McKenzie having initially joined the BBC at the start of the 2009 season. The rest of Channel 4’s team, and Sky’s for that matter, for 2019 will no doubt become clear over the coming weeks.
Channel 4 F1
Sessions
23/11 – 08:55 to 10:35 – Practice 1
23/11 – 12:55 to 15:00 – Practice 2
24/11 – 09:55 to 11:25 – Practice 3
24/11 – 11:55 to 14:45 – Qualifying
25/11 – 12:00 to 16:35 – Race
=> 12:00 – Build-Up
=> 12:45 – Race
=> 15:25 – Reaction
Supplementary Programming
24/11 – 11:25 to 11:55 – Hamilton vs Vettel: The Fight for Five
Sky Sports F1
Sessions
23/11 – 08:45 to 10:50 – Practice 1
23/11 – 12:45 to 14:55 – Practice 2 (also Sky Sports Main Event)
24/11 – 09:45 to 11:15 – Practice 3
24/11 – 12:00 to 14:30 – Qualifying (also Sky One)
=> 12:00 – Pre-Show
=> 12:55 – Qualifying
25/11 – 11:30 to 17:10 – Race
=> 11:30 – Pit Lane Live (also Sky One)
=> 12:30 – On the Grid (also Sky One)
=> 13:05 – Race (also Sky One)
=> 15:30 – Paddock Live
Supplementary Programming
22/11 – 11:00 to 11:30 – Driver Press Conference
22/11 – 14:00 to 14:30 – Welcome to the Weekend
24/11 – 15:30 to 16:05 – The F1 Show
BBC Radio F1
22/11 – 20:30 to 21:00 – Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)
23/11 – 12:55 to 14:35 – Practice 2 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
24/11 – 09:55 to 11:05 – Practice 3 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
24/11 – 12:55 to 14:05 – Qualifying (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
25/11 – 13:00 to 15:00 – Race (BBC Radio 5 Live)
Formula Two – Abu Dhabi (Sky Sports F1)
23/11 – 07:25 to 08:15 – Practice
23/11 – 14:55 to 15:35 – Qualifying
24/11 – 14:30 to 15:30 – Race 1
25/11 – 09:30 to 10:30 – Race 2
GP3 Series – Abu Dhabi (Sky Sports F1)
23/11 – 11:05 to 11:45 – Qualifying
24/11 – 08:25 to 09:15 – Race 1
25/11 – 08:05 to 08:50 – Race 2
The schedule above will be updated if anything changes.
Motorsport Broadcasting 
How is it come to this? Only 1 live race on free-to-air television in 2019? The current deal doesn’t look that bad now. F1 viewing figures for live races will plummet next year, Sky don’t get over 1 million. Who negotiated this? Was it Liberty? I do worry for the future of F1 broadcasting in the UK. My only hope is that Sky get bored of low viewing figures and give it up.
Blame Berine for that before Liberty got thier hands on F1
Yes, Bernie emphasized money over viewer numbers. IOW, if he could get the same or more money from pay services that he got from free to air contracts, he would go for it, even if the total viewers were less.
Unfortunately, Liberty is also now continuing in that direction: they’re emphasizing their own F1 TV Pro service and other cable satellite contracts while it appears that they aren’t making any moves to expand free to air. The obvious problem with that is that the pay services appeal to the current F1 fans while it’s free to air that would be more likely to develop new fans – something that F1 desperately needs, IMO
One thing to note about F1 TV Pro: it currently requires a PC/ or laptop or mobile device. It is NOT available directly on a TV via smart tv app. Yes, you can hook up one of those devices via HDMI or Chromecast but you’d be surprised how many people don’t bother to do that for any kind of viewing or simply don’t know how to do it. Result: same as above. Less viewers. IMO, Liberty are not going to attract significant number of new young viewers to F1 racing via small mobile screens. It’s just not compelling compared to watching it on large TV.