Netflix to stream live Canadian GP in broadcast pact with Apple TV

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Formula 1’s accelerating push into the American mainstream is shifting into a higher gear this year, as its new US broadcast partner, Apple TV, and streaming powerhouse Netflix join forces in a landmark cross-platform agreement.

The arrangement, confirmed ahead of the 2026 season, will see the latest instalment of F1’s blockbuster docuseries carried on Apple’s subscription service, while Netflix will, for the first time, stream a Formula 1 Grand Prix live in the United States.

The move signals not only a rare collaboration between two streaming rivals, but also a bold new distribution model for the championship’s American audience.

Apple assumed Formula 1’s US rights from ESPN under a five-year agreement understood to be worth just under $150 million per season, beginning in 2026.

The scale of that investment underlines both the sport’s surging Stateside popularity and the premium now attached to live sports in the streaming era.

A Strategic Streaming Alliance

Under the reciprocal deal, Netflix subscribers in the United States will be able to watch every session of next May’s Canadian Grand Prix live on the platform.

In exchange, Apple TV customers will gain access to season eight of Drive to Survive as part of their subscription when it premieres on Friday, February 27 — just one week before the lights go out on the 2026 Formula 1 campaign.

The agreement ensures that Formula 1 will enjoy a commanding presence across two of the largest streaming ecosystems in the United States, broadening its reach beyond traditional motorsport audiences and deepening engagement with newer fans drawn in by behind-the-scenes storytelling.

The timing of the deal is deliberate. Since its debut, Drive to Survive has been widely credited with turbocharging F1’s popularity in North America, transforming drivers into household names and race weekends into cultural events.

By placing the new season directly into Apple’s ecosystem while simultaneously offering a live race on Netflix, Formula 1 is effectively bridging narrative and spectacle across platforms.

Read also: F1 boss Domenicali on why Apple TV will shatter ESPN’s records

Industry analysts view the collaboration as a pragmatic recognition that growth in the US will depend less on exclusivity and more on ubiquity. Rather than fragmenting audiences, the temporary content swap could function as a funnel – converting documentary viewers into live race fans, and vice versa.

Ahead of this year’s highly anticipated season, Formula 1 appears intent on ensuring that American viewers won’t have to choose between storylines and speed.

Instead, through a carefully calibrated partnership between two streaming titans, they will be offered both – live, on-demand, and everywhere.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.