Formula E Expands Existing Partnership with CBS Sports, Strikes U.S. Streaming Rights Deal with Roku

Expanded partnership with CBS Sports will mean more races available on U.S. TV than ever before

Roku lands its first-ever live sports rights package, becoming the streaming home of Formula E in the U.S. with both live and on-demand replays of races available on America’s #1 TV streaming platform* starting next season

Major U.S. TV announcement follows the first-ever ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race in Portland, Ore.

LONDON & PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Formula E, the world’s first all-electric FIA World Championship motorsports series, today announced ground-breaking new broadcast distribution partnerships in the U.S. that will see long-standing partner CBS air more live races than ever before and introduce Roku, America’s #1 TV streaming platform, as the streaming home of Formula E.

Beginning in January 2024, five races will air live on CBS Television Network and simulcast on Paramount+, with both channels already featured and integrated prominently on Roku’s platform. Roku users who subscribe to Paramount+ can easily enjoy the races airing on the service through the Paramount+ app on Roku’s Sports Experience. CBS Sports Network will also show one highlights programme per round.

The new partnerships, which mark Roku’s first-ever live sports rights acquisition, reflect growing interest in all-electric motorsport racing in the United States. Starting next season, 11 races in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will be available on The Roku Channel, a leader in free ad-supported streaming, and will also be easily accessible through the Sports Experience on Roku’s Home Screen.

Roku’s Sports Experience makes discovering and accessing live, upcoming, and on-demand sports content easier than ever, driving engagement and awareness for Roku’s content partners and creating a personalized viewing experience for audiences. In addition to offering streamers the live races, Roku will also bring its audience a robust offering of Formula E library content, including Formula E’s docu-follow series “Unplugged,” as well as race previews, highlights, replays of all races, and more.

Formula E, CBS Sports, and Roku announced the pioneering multi-year broadcast deal for the U.S. market following the first ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race at the Portland International Raceway in Oregon. Last week, Formula E confirmed that the series will return to Portland in season 10 when the new broadcast partnership will be active.

Aarti Dabas, Chief Media Officer, Formula E, said:

“This is a powerful new partnership with CBS and Roku that will dramatically increase Formula E’s audience reach and maximise discoverability of our programming in the U.S. We value the strength of our ongoing relationship with CBS and are delighted to join forces with Roku and supercharge Formula E content on their market-leading platform.”

David Eilenberg, Head of Content, Roku Media, said:

“It’s an honor to partner with Formula E on Roku’s first-ever live sports partnership, making it easier for millions of TV streamers to discover the thrill of Formula E races through the unique integrated viewing experiences only available on Roku. We look forward to working together with Formula E, as well as our long-standing partners at CBS and Paramount+, to drive viewership to this programming and to connect new audiences with the exhilarating world of Formula E.”

Billy Stone, Programming, CBS Sports, said:

“Formula E is innovative and exciting racing, and we’re thrilled to expand our partnership and broadcast more live races across CBS and Paramount+.”

*based on hours streamed, December 2022, Hypothesis Group

ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – Season 10 Provisional Calendar:

*subject to ASN confirmation

About Formula E and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship

As the world’s first all-electric FIA World Championship and the only sport certified net zero carbon since inception, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings dramatic racing to the heart of some of the world’s most iconic cities providing an elite motorsport platform for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to accelerate electric vehicle innovation.

The Formula E network of teams, manufacturers, partners, broadcasters, and host cities are united by a passion for the sport and belief in its potential to accelerate sustainable human progress and create a better future for people and planet.

www.FIAFormulaE.com

For Formula E media enquiries, please contact media@fiaformulae.com

About ABB

ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s ~105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation.

About CBS Sports

CBS Sports, a year-round leader in cross-platform sports coverage, broadcasts a portfolio of events on the CBS Television Network, including THE NFL ON CBS; college football, including the SEC ON CBS and BIG TEN ON CBS; college basketball, including the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship; golf, including The Masters®, PGA Championship and PGA TOUR; soccer, including the UEFA Champions League and NWSL; and CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR. In addition, the division includes CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour cable home of CBS Sports which televises live sports programming throughout the year, including college football and basketball games, soccer matches from UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, Concacaf and NWSL, as well as a full slate of original programming and studio coverage. CBS Sports also delivers an extensive lineup of global soccer coverage on Paramount+, including every UEFA club competition match, all Serie A matches as well as Concacaf national team competitions. CBS Sports’ multi-platform offerings include CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports apps for mobile and connected TV devices; the 24/7 streaming sports news network CBS SPORTS HQ; the free 24-hour soccer streaming network CBS SPORTS GOLAZO NETWORK; 247Sports; MaxPreps; CBS Sports fantasy games; and SportsLine.

About Roku

Roku pioneered streaming on TV. We connect users to the content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. Roku TV™ models, Roku streaming players, and TV-related audio devices are available in various countries around the world through direct retail sales and/or licensing arrangements with TV OEM brands. Roku-branded TVs and Roku Smart Home products are sold exclusively in the United States. Roku also operates The Roku Channel, the home of free and premium entertainment with exclusive access to Roku Originals. The Roku Channel is available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., U.S.A.

Roku is a registered trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. Trade names, trademarks, and service marks of other companies appearing in this press release are the property of their respective holders.

Contacts

Roku U.S. Media Contact
Sophia Economou

seconomou@roku.com

Formula E U.S. Media Contact
Robert Zimmerman

Zimmerman Strategic Communications

rob@zimstrategies.com