Netflix grabs Formula 1, will stream grand prix live in 2026
Formula 1’s relationship with streaming services is entering a new phase.
After helping boost the sport’s global popularity through the documentary series Drive to Survive, Netflix is now preparing to stream part of a race weekend live for the first time.
According to the news agency Reuters, the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal from May 22 to May 24, 2026 will be broadcast live on Netflix for viewers in the United States.
New partnership between Apple TV and Netflix
Apple TV has taken over from Disney owned ESPN as the exclusive U.S. broadcaster for the 2026 Formula 1 season, according to Reuters.
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The streaming platform will provide live coverage of all 24 races on the calendar, while Netflix will carry the Canadian Grand Prix in the United States as part of the collaboration.
The agreement also links Netflix’s Formula 1 content more closely with Apple TV’s coverage of the championship.
At the same time, the eighth season of the Netflix series Drive to Survive, which follows the 2025 Formula 1 season, has also been made available on Apple TV.
The new season, featuring behind the scenes coverage of McLaren and Lando Norris winning the 2025 championship, premiered globally earlier this week.
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Streaming boosts Formula 1 popularity
Apple’s senior vice president of services Eddy Cue said the company sees Formula 1 as a long term partnership across its platforms.
“We look at F1 and Apple TV as a true partnership where we're going to amplify this sport across all our Apple services,” Cue told reporters, according to Reuters.
Cue also highlighted the role Netflix has played in expanding the sport’s global audience through the documentary series.
“Netflix, I think, has played a pivotal role in growing F1 since the launch of 'Drive to Survive' and we're thrilled to make F1 content more broadly available to new and existing U.S. fans on both Netflix and Apple TV.”
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Growing U.S. audience shapes media strategy
Formula 1’s chief media rights and broadcast officer Ian Holmes said the sport’s previous agreement with ESPN helped significantly expand its American audience.
He described the new collaboration with Apple as “the next big iteration” for broadcasting the championship, according to Reuters.
Holmes also noted that the sport is seeing a shift in its audience demographics, particularly in the United States.
“I'd say we are probably the only sport in the world whose audience is getting younger and more female skewed,” he said.
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The development highlights how streaming platforms are becoming increasingly important to Formula 1’s strategy as it continues expanding in one of its fastest growing markets.
Sources: Reuters
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