Formula 1 adds pre-1981 archives to F1 TV

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Formula 1 fans will soon be offered unparalleled access to the sport's history thanks to the acquisition of a huge resource of film footage from the 1970s and early 1980s.

Subscribers to Formula 1's OTT streaming service F1 TV currently enjoy an archive of races dating back to 1981, when events were filmed by a local broadcaster or, from 2001, by FOM's own TV production crews.

Formula 1 will add to its growing collection an impressive pre-1981 archive acquired from well-known production company Brunswick.

"We have long wanted to take direct ownership of the content history of our sport, especially moving images," explained Ian Holmes, F1’s Director of Media Rights.

"In this context, the biggest library of pre-1981 material was the Brunswick archive, as it holds a wealth of material, predominantly from the 1970s, though it does go further back.

"The enlargement of our archive will allow us to make available a lot more content, so that our fans can access whenever and wherever they want to," he added.

"Our focus is to put our fans at the centre of the Formula 1 action and allow them to access and share our history."

Footage will be added to Formula 1's OTT platform progressively over the coming months, providing fans an opportunity to revisit many thrilling and heroic moments from Grand Prix racing's past.

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