Observed Signal · Feb 27, 2026 · Partnership · Source: techcrunch · Impact: 4/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Apple and Netflix Join Forces for F1 Canadian Grand Prix
Apple and Netflix announced a partnership to co-broadcast the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, enabling U.S. viewers to watch the live race simultaneously on Apple TV and Netflix. Netflix will stream the full race weekend — practice, qualifying and the Grand Prix on May 24 — live on its platform. The deal includes cross-promotion of Netflix’s Drive to Survive: Season 8 (eight episodes covering the 2025 Formula One World Championship), which premieres February 27 and will be available to Apple TV subscribers in the U.S. and Netflix users globally. The collaboration is part of Apple’s new multi-year rights agreement with Formula 1 under which Apple TV replaced ESPN as the exclusive U.S. broadcaster for all 24 races this season; the rights deal is reportedly valued at about $150 million per season, compared with roughly $85 million under ESPN’s prior deal.
Major streaming platforms (Apple, Netflix) collaborating on live sports and Apple replacing ESPN as exclusive U.S. F1 broadcaster reshapes CTV distribution, expands live-sports inventory, and has implications for advertising, rights economics and audience reach.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Apple and Netflix entered a partnership to co-broadcast the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix; announcement made by Eddy Cue.
- U.S. viewers can watch the live race simultaneously on Apple TV and Netflix; Netflix will stream the full race weekend including practice, qualifying, and the Grand Prix on May 24.
- Drive to Survive Season 8 (eight episodes covering the 2025 Formula One World Championship) premieres February 27 and will be available to Apple TV subscribers in the U.S. and Netflix users globally.
- Apple has a multi-year deal with Formula 1; Apple TV replaced ESPN as the exclusive U.S. broadcaster for all 24 races beginning this season, with the deal reportedly valued at around $150 million per season versus roughly $85 million previously paid by ESPN.
- All races are available to Apple TV subscribers at no extra charge; the prior ESPN partnership averaged about 1.3 million viewers in its final year.
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Apple and Netflix Partner on U.S. Formula 1 Coverage
Apple and Netflix have agreed to a content partnership around Formula 1 in the United States. Netflix will make its docuseries Drive to Survive available on Apple TV, while Netflix will simulcast Apple’s live coverage of the Canadian Grand Prix. The collaboration supports Apple’s role as F1’s exclusive U.S. rights holder—an agreement reported to be worth up to $150 million annually—and forms part of Apple’s broader strategy to integrate F1 across its ecosystem (3D track visuals in Maps, live audio in Music, selectable commentary in 4K broadcasts). F1 executives highlighted the sport’s younger, increasingly female-skewed U.S. audience. The deal also complements plans to bring select races to IMAX theaters.
Apple TV Becomes U.S. Home for Formula 1
Apple TV will become the exclusive U.S. home for Formula 1 beginning in 2026 under a five-year rights deal that moves live races, qualifying and practice sessions from ESPN to Apple’s subscription streaming service. Reports indicate Apple is paying roughly $150 million per year, up from the approximately $90 million ESPN paid. All F1 content, including the F1 TV Premium service, will be bundled into a standard Apple TV subscription. The deal follows the commercial success of the Apple Original film "F1 The Movie" starring Brad Pitt and is part of a broader industry trend of major sports migrating from linear cable to streaming platforms. The article notes the global rights landscape remains fragmented and that existing Netflix series like "Drive to Survive" are not affected.
Apple TV Offers Free F1 Austrian Grand Prix Weekend
Apple TV will temporarily drop its paywall for the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix weekend, making practice sessions, qualifying and the race free to anyone with an Apple ID and the Apple TV app. The move is part of Apple’s broader five-year exclusive U.S. media-rights deal for Formula 1 (which replaced ESPN) and is intended to grow the sport’s audience and convert viewers into subscribers. Apple has also expanded F1 distribution and visibility through partnerships and integrations — including marketing tie-ins, a content partnership with Netflix and distribution inside the DIRECTV app for certain subscribers.
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