Sky F1 Channel Temporarily Replaced by Darts Coverage for World Championship

Sky Sports F1, the UK's dedicated Formula 1 channel, has been temporarily taken off air and replaced by a specialist darts channel to broadcast the 2026 World Darts Championship. The move comes just days after Lando Norris clinched his first F1 world title in Abu Dhabi, marking a post-season shift in the broadcaster's programming lineup.

Why it matters:

This annual programming switch highlights the significant viewership and commercial draw of the World Darts Championship, which now rivals traditional winter sports in the UK broadcasting schedule. For F1 fans, it signals the official start of the off-season break, with the channel's usual replay and review content making way for another major sporting event.

The details:

• Sky Sports has held the exclusive live F1 broadcast rights in the UK and Ireland since 2012. The 2025 season was its 14th year of coverage.
• The channel's post-F1 season schedule typically consists of year-in-review shows, race replays, and pre-filmed features during the winter break.
• This is the second consecutive year Sky has replaced the F1 channel with Sky Sports Darts ahead of the Christmas period.
• The change coincides with the pinnacle of the darts calendar at London's Alexandra Palace, fueled by the popularity of teenage sensation Luke Littler.

The big picture:

The temporary channel swap underscores a broader trend in sports broadcasting, where niche sports like darts can command dedicated channel space traditionally reserved for major global sports like Formula 1. The World Darts Championship's rise as a mainstream television event has been accelerated by the emergence of stars like Littler, who won his first world title in 2025 at age 17 and is now defending his crown.

What's next:

The Sky F1 channel is expected to return to its regular programming shortly after the World Darts Championship concludes on January 3, 2026. In the meantime, the sporting connection continues off-screen, with both Lando Norris and Luke Littler nominated for the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, with the winner to be announced on December 18.