How to Watch Formula 1 in 2026: Apple TV in the US, Sky in Britain, and Why It Moved
In the United States, every 2026 Formula 1 session is on Apple TV and nowhere else. ESPN lost the rights and shows no races. In Britain it is still Sky Sports F1. In Australia, Kayo Sports. Apple's agreement runs five years.
If you watched F1 in America last season and cannot find it this season, that is why. Nothing is wrong with your subscription. The rights moved.
What actually changed
Apple and Formula 1 announced a five-year media rights agreement in October 2025, taking effect with the 2026 season. It is exclusive: Apple TV carries every practice session, qualifying session, sprint and Grand Prix in the United States, and ESPN — which had held the rights for the preceding years — shows no races at all.
This is a larger change than a channel swap. F1 in America moved from a cable sports network to a general streaming subscription, which changes who can reach it, what it costs, and how it is watched.
Where the season is carried, country by country
| Country | Broadcaster | Watch on | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Apple TV | Apple TV app | Subscription, from 12.99 USD per month |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports F1 | Sky Go, NOW | Subscription |
| Australia | Kayo Sports | Kayo Sports | Subscription |
| Elsewhere | F1 TV Pro, where available | F1 TV | Subscription |
Britain also gets a highlights package on Channel 4, shown after the race rather than live. Highlights are not a live right, so they are listed separately here rather than as a way to watch the race.
We publish a country only once someone has checked it against the rights holder's own listings. Several markets that certainly do carry F1 are missing from that table because we have not verified them yet, and a plausible guess about a broadcast right is the one mistake this site cannot afford. Canada is a live example: enough people search for a Canadian F1 schedule that we know the demand exists, and we have not confirmed the current holder, so we do not name one.
What the Apple deal includes
Every session, not only the races. Practice, qualifying, sprint sessions and the Grand Prix itself are all part of the package, which is a change from arrangements where practice sessions were scattered across secondary channels or omitted.
Apple has also built the coverage around multiple simultaneous feeds — up to four at once on Apple TV 4K and iPad, and up to five on Vision Pro — which is closer to what F1 TV offered than to a traditional broadcast.
What it costs, and the part that is free
Formula 1 is included in the standard Apple TV subscription at 12.99 USD per month. There is no separate sports tier and no additional fee for F1 specifically, which is unusual: most exclusive sports rights in the US sit behind an add-on.
Some races and all practice sessions are offered free through the Apple TV app during the season. That is worth knowing before paying for a month to watch one Grand Prix — but it is a selection, not the whole calendar, so the season as a whole does require the subscription.
Why the same race is on a different service depending on where you are
Formula 1 does not sell one global television deal. It sells rights market by market, on separate cycles, to whoever bids most in each country. That is why an American viewer's answer changed completely in 2026 while a British viewer's did not change at all — the US cycle ended and the UK cycle did not.
It also means there is no single correct answer to "where is F1 on". There is only an answer per country, per season. We explain the mechanism in more detail in why the same match is on a different channel in every country.
For session times, remember that the published start time is local to the circuit, not to you. A race at Suzuka and a race at Interlagos are not remotely the same time of day for a viewer in London. Reading a fixture list in your own timezone covers the conversion, including the weeks each year when the usual offset is wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Is F1 on ESPN in 2026?
No. Apple holds exclusive United States rights from the 2026 season, and ESPN carries no races.
Do I need anything beyond an Apple TV subscription to watch F1 in the US?
No. Formula 1 is included in the standard Apple TV subscription, currently 12.99 USD per month, with no separate sports add-on.
Can I watch any F1 for free in the United States?
Some races and all practice sessions are made available free in the Apple TV app during the season. It is a selection rather than the full calendar, so following the whole season needs the subscription.
Who shows Formula 1 in the United Kingdom?
Sky Sports F1, streamed through Sky Go or NOW. Channel 4 carries a highlights package after the race, not the live session.
How long does the Apple deal last?
Five years, announced in October 2025 and beginning with the 2026 season.
Where to check next
Our Formula 1 guide carries the race calendar alongside the broadcaster for each country we have verified, and updates when a rights cycle ends rather than when someone remembers to edit it. If you are in the United States, where to watch in the US covers sport, film and television together.
If your question is about football rather than motorsport, Sky Sports versus TNT Sports sets out which competitions each one actually holds in Britain.
Sources: Apple Newsroom, October 2025, Apple Newsroom, March 2026, CNBC, 17 October 2025, Sky Sports F1. Verified 27 August 2026.