Netflix set to enter race for F1 broadcast rights in the United States

Netflix is rising because the potential new house for Method 1 within the US as a bidding course of for the dwell broadcast rights from the 2026 season onwards is because of start.

The streaming service already performs a key function in rising the championship, with its seventh sequence of the Drive to Survive documentary sequence airing within the close to future.

However Autosport understands Netflix is now strongly contemplating a bid to safe dwell streaming rights to F1, with present holder ESPN’s exclusivity interval to debate recent phrases now expired.

As reported by Autosport Business in October, there was early mummering inside ESPN {that a} new deal wouldn’t be struck with Liberty Media, with the 2026 deal anticipated to eclipse the $90million a-year at present being paid.

Drive to Survive grew to become a success for each Netflix and F1 when the primary season dropped in 2019 and solely grew its viewers in the course of the lockdowns that adopted within the wake of the outbreak of COVID.

It’s understood that, as issues stand, the most recent sequence – more likely to drop within the coming weeks – is at present the final for which Netflix has a contract to provide, whereas a brand new docuseries primarily based across the all-female F1 Academy will land on the service later this yr.

In November, Netflix employed Kate Jackson to run their dwell sports activities output having beforehand led ESPN’s protection of F1 in her function as vp of manufacturing.

Since then, it has made strikes to have dwell sports activities content material accessible to subscribers with the Mike Tyson v Jake Paul boxing bout breaking data in November for the most-streamed sports activities occasion of all time.

That was adopted up with two NFL fixtures streamed on Christmas Day earlier than a $5billion 10-year deal to globally stream WWE (World Wrestling Leisure) programming started in January.

Added to profitable the US broadcasting rights to the 2027 and 2031 Girls’s World Cup and it’s clear {that a} dwell sport technique has grow to be a key ambition for Netflix.

That would now lengthen to Method 1, which has grow to be extra well-liked than ever within the American market, particularly among the many youthful, feminine demographic.

A earlier house of F1 in America, ESPN returned with a brand new broadcasting deal for the 2018 season – paying no conventional payment for the rights, with Liberty eager to get F1 into as many dwelling rooms throughout the nation as doable.

Burke Magnus ESPN, President, Programming & unique content material, Stefano Domenicali, CEO

Picture by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Pictures

The subsequent deal then noticed ESPN pay $5million a yr between 2019-2022 earlier than a brand new settlement was signed in 2022 working by means of 2025, with at the least 16 races airing on ABC and ESPN.

Though, following the groundswell of curiosity from American audiences, the Disney-owned broadcaster needed to pay far more for the privilege – a reported $90m yearly.

ESPN had a record-setting 2022 with the most-viewed F1 championship ever broadcast on US tv and from 2023 onwards screened all 23 races – 18 throughout ABC or ESPN and the remaining 5 on ESPN2.

Final yr, the triple-header throughout the Americas was given the best-in-class therapy by ESPN, with GameDay on the bottom alongside the community’s common group in Austin, Mexico Metropolis and Sao Paulo.

Elsewhere, ESPN utilises the Sky Sports activities F1 protection, however it’s believed a continuation of such settlement is unlikely to proceed ought to Netflix in the end win the rights.

Any new deal for the US rights won’t have a right away affect in the UK, the place Sky has an settlement in place till 2029.