LONDON, May 6 (Reuters) - Liberty ⁠Media-owned Formula One announced on Wednesday five-year extensions to broadcast partnerships with Sky television ⁠in Britain, Ireland and Italy.

The UK and Ireland deal will now run through ‌the 2034 season while Sky Italia's contract has been extended to 2032, it said in a statement.

No financial details were given but sources indicated a figure in the region of 200 million pounds ($271.96 million) a year for the UK and ​Ireland extension, making it a 1 billion pound deal.

The previous ⁠contract with Sky, owned by Comcast ⁠Corporation, in the UK and Ireland ran to 2029 while the Italian deal was to 2027.

Sky ⁠Deutschland, ‌which had the rights in Germany until 2027, was taken over by RTL last year.

Live coverage of the British Grand Prix will remain available free-to-air in Britain with the ⁠same applying to the Italian Grand Prix in Italy.

Formula One said ​total viewing in the UK ‌and Ireland has increased by 90%, with female viewership more than doubling and under-35s ⁠up 120%.

Sky, who ​took over the rights in 2019, said the 2025 season was their most-watched yet with 162 million viewer hours.

McLaren's British driver Lando Norris is the reigning world champion, with compatriot George Russell starting the season as ⁠title favourite for Mercedes while seven-times world champion Lewis ​Hamilton is at Ferrari.

Rookie Arvid Lindblad is with Racing Bulls while Oliver Bearman races for Haas and London-born Alex Albon, who races under a Thai licence, is at Williams in a strong British contingent ⁠on the starting grid. All but three of the 11 teams are based in England.

In Italy, Formula One said Sky had seen a 25% rise in the viewing figures so far this year with Italian Kimi Antonelli winning three of four races for Mercedes and, at 19, becoming the ​youngest-ever championship leader.

Sky's coverage, aired on a dedicated channel in ⁠Britain, is also shared with international broadcast partners and reaches more than 100 markets worldwide.

"This new agreement ​secures Sky as the home of Formula One for years ‌to come, as the sport enters an exciting era ​with more British talent on the grid and rising stars like Kimi Antonelli," said Sky Group CEO Dana Strong.

($1 = 0.7354 pounds)

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)