Netflix Lands First-Ever Live F1 Race This Weekend — But Only US Fans Can Watch
Streaming giant simulcasts the Canadian Grand Prix alongside Apple TV from May 22–24, marking a historic first for the platform.
By GrandPrixWire Staff
After eight seasons of taking viewers behind the paddock walls with Drive to Survive, Netflix is finally about to broadcast Formula 1 the way fans have always wanted: live. The streamer will simulcast the entire 2026 Canadian Grand Prix weekend from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, May 22 through 24 — the first time in its history that Netflix carries a live F1 race anywhere in the world.
There is, however, a major catch for international fans: the live stream is available exclusively to Netflix subscribers in the United States. No other country will receive the race feed through Netflix.
Which Countries Get the Race on Netflix?
According to confirmations from Netflix and Apple, the live broadcast deal applies only to the U.S. market. Fans in Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Japan, and every other Netflix territory will not see the Canadian Grand Prix on the platform.
Coverage outside the U.S. continues through the traditional rights holders — Sky Sports F1 in the UK, Bandsports and Band in Brazil, RTBF in Belgium, ORF and Servus TV in Austria, Sky in Germany and Italy, Canal+ in France, and F1 TV Pro in the markets where it’s available.
There is one global piece of the deal, though: Drive to Survive Season 8, which premiered earlier this year, is now available on both Netflix worldwide and Apple TV in the United States — a cross-platform first for the documentary that helped turn Formula 1 into a North American obsession.
Why the Canadian GP?
Apple TV became the exclusive U.S. home of Formula 1 in 2026 after closing a deal worth approximately $150 million per year. As part of an unusual collaboration announced in February, Apple agreed to share the Canadian Grand Prix weekend with Netflix — a one-off arrangement designed to maximize the new season’s reach in the American market.
Netflix and Apple haven’t publicly explained the choice of Montreal, but the logic is straightforward. The race runs on a favorable North American time zone, it’s a Sprint weekend (meaning two races and two qualifying sessions on a single program), and the Canadian Grand Prix is historically one of the most action-packed events on the calendar. For Netflix’s debut as a live F1 broadcaster, it’s the sport’s most marketable U.S.-friendly package short of the Miami or Las Vegas GPs.
Full U.S. Schedule on Netflix (ET)
The full race weekend is included for every Netflix subscriber in the U.S. — no additional sports tier, no add-on, no extra charge.
- Sprint Race — Saturday, May 23, 11:15 a.m. ET
- Qualifying — Saturday, May 23, 3:25 p.m. ET
- Grand Prix — Sunday, May 24, 2:50 p.m. ET
One important note: Netflix is picking up Apple’s clean broadcast feed and has confirmed it will not produce a pre-race or post-race show of its own. The streams go live just 5 to 10 minutes before each session begins, so fans tuning in late will miss the lights going out.
The Bigger Picture
The Canadian Grand Prix marks a turning point in how Formula 1 reaches audiences in the United States, and possibly a signal of how live sport will be distributed in the streaming era. Apple paid record money for exclusivity, then immediately turned around and shared its biggest weekend of the spring with a direct competitor — a move that would have been unthinkable in the cable television model.
For Netflix, the experiment is a stress test. The platform has been ramping up live programming, from MLB games to boxing to the WWE deal that reshaped its sports ambitions in January. F1’s Canadian Grand Prix is the most technically demanding live event Netflix has ever attempted, with multiple sessions across three days, real-time graphics, and an audience that does not forgive buffering.
If it works, expect more F1 weekends to appear on Netflix in the years ahead — and possibly in more countries than just the United States.