How to Watch Formula 1 in 2026 in the US
The biggest change for American F1 fans in years: Formula 1 left ESPN and moved to Apple TV for 2026. If you're used to flipping to ESPN on a Sunday morning, that option is gone. Here's exactly where every session lives now, what it costs, and how to watch without paying a cent for a big chunk of the season.
The short answer
In the United States, F1 is now exclusive to Apple TV under a five-year deal that runs through 2030. Every practice session, qualifying, Sprint and Grand Prix streams there — there is no cable, satellite or ESPN alternative anymore. An Apple TV subscription costs $12.99/month or $99/year, with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers, and it is not a separate "F1 package" — F1 is simply included with the standard subscription.
Wait — some of it is actually free
This is the part most fans miss. Per Apple's own announcement, all practice sessions and a selection of races are available for free in the Apple TV app, with no subscription and no login required. The free races are announced closer to each round rather than listed a year in advance, but if you only dip in occasionally, you can follow a meaningful slice of the season for $0. For every qualifying session and the majority of races, you'll need the subscription.
What happened to F1 TV?
If you paid for F1 TV Premium in the past, here's the good news: all of that premium content is now bundled into the Apple TV subscription at no extra cost — onboard cameras, live timing and telemetry, team radio, the Driver Tracker, and Multiview with up to four live feeds at once. F1 TV Premium is no longer sold as a standalone product in the US; the direct annual and monthly plans were phased out at the end of 2025. The F1 TV app still exists, but US fans sign into it using their Apple TV subscription.
How to watch F2, F3 and F1 Academy
The support series — Formula 2, Formula 3, F1 Academy and the Porsche Supercup — are watched through the F1 TV app, signed in with your Apple TV subscription, again at no additional charge. They aren't broken out onto Apple's main sporting-event pages the way the F1 sessions are, so the F1 TV app is the place to find them. You'll need the paid subscription for these.
Everything is in one place
Unlike the old setup, where practice, qualifying and the race could land on different ESPN channels, every 2026 F1 session is on Apple TV — nothing is split across broadcasters. Each Grand Prix carries English and Spanish commentary, and you can switch to the Sky Sports feed as an alternate broadcast. Apple's separate Sports app gives you live timing, standings and widgets alongside it.
Devices you can use
The Apple TV app runs far beyond Apple hardware. You can watch on:
- Apple devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro
- Smart TVs: Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO and TCL
- Streaming boxes & consoles: Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox
- The web at tv.apple.com
One note for power users: Multiview (up to four feeds) works best on an Apple TV 4K box, iPad or Vision Pro — it's limited on some smart-TV apps.
Quick reference
| US broadcaster | Apple TV (exclusive, through 2030) |
| Price | $12.99/mo or $99/yr, 7-day free trial |
| Separate F1 package? | No — included with Apple TV |
| Free content | All practice + select races (no login) |
| F1 TV Premium | Bundled free; no longer sold standalone in US |
| F2 / F3 / F1 Academy | F1 TV app, signed in with Apple TV |
| Cable / ESPN option | None — Apple TV only |
Want the exact dates and start times, converted to your local time zone? See our full F1 2026 schedule, or check what's racing this week across every series.
Last verified July 2026. Streaming prices and free-race selections can change during the season — confirm current pricing at tv.apple.com. Sources include Apple's newsroom and Formula1.com.
