Apple will begin streaming Formula 1 races to US viewers inside the Apple TV app, starting with the Australian Grand Prix — a shift that could change how fans follow the sport by folding live coverage into an existing streaming subscription. The rollout arrives alongside Apple’s March event and brings new viewing tools that aim to make races more interactive and accessible.
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Apple says every race will be available to subscribers at no extra fee, with a production designed around choice and flexibility rather than a single linear feed. The company previewed a suite of camera angles and on-screen layouts intended to put viewers in control of what they watch and how they watch it.
What to expect
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- Multiple angles: Up to 30 unique viewpoints per race, including track-fixed cameras and cockpit or driver perspectives.
- Custom layouts: Build-your-own screens or select preset arrangements focused on teams or on-track action.
- High quality: Live streams up to 4K with 5.1 audio on supported devices.
- Cross-service integration: F1 content will appear across Apple Maps, Apple News, Apple Music and Podcasts.
- Device reach: Available on Apple TV 4K and supported third‑party platforms; special support planned for Apple Vision Pro.
How the new broadcast experience works
On race day the app will promote live coverage directly from the Apple TV home screen, similar to how major sporting events have been surfaced before. Instead of a single produced feed, viewers can pick from a large array of live cameras and pin several to the screen at once.
The interface is built to be simple to navigate: a persistent sidebar leads to the F1 hub, and preset multi-view templates make it easy to follow a particular team or driver without manually arranging windows.
Apple also confirmed enhancements for spatial computing. On the Apple Vision Pro, multi-view has been extended to support up to five simultaneous streams, while the standard living-room Apple TV experience will permit three or four panes depending on layout. The company has not yet said whether any races will be delivered in its Apple Immersive Video format, but earlier NBA experiments suggest that could arrive for at least one event.
| First US Apple TV race | Australian Grand Prix — live on Apple TV (US) |
| Resolution & audio | Up to 4K video, 5.1 surround sound |
| Viewpoint options | Up to 30 live camera angles; multi-view layouts on big screens and Vision Pro |
| Cost | Included with Apple TV+ subscription — no separate F1 fee in the US |
| Key dates | Drive to Survive S8: Feb 27, 2026; Australian GP: Mar 7, 2026; Canadian GP dual-stream: May 22, 2026 |
Netflix tie-in and content distribution
In a notable cross-platform move, Apple has arranged for Netflix’s new season of Drive to Survive to be accessible directly within the Apple TV app. Season 8 will still debut on Netflix, but viewers in the US will also find the season available natively inside Apple’s platform when it drops.
Apple executives credited Netflix with helping broaden F1’s global profile and framed the partnership as a way to reach more fans across both services. The arrangement also extends to some race weekends: the Canadian Grand Prix will stream on Netflix and inside Apple TV in May.
That combination — live race coverage plus documentary-style storytelling — could deepen engagement for casual viewers while giving die-hard fans additional ways to follow teams and drivers.
Why this matters now
Bundling live F1 without an extra fee instantly increases the sport’s exposure to millions of existing subscribers in the US. For rights-holders and teams, wider reach can mean bigger sponsorship and advertising potential; for fans it removes a subscription barrier and offers new viewing tools that change the live-watching experience.
Apple’s track record with other sports shows a pattern: launch a base experience, then iterate rapidly with new camera feeds and platform ties. That suggests the first race is likely the starting point rather than the final form of Apple’s F1 coverage.
On the technology side, Apple’s work on specialized camera systems for a planned F1 film raises the prospect that novel capture rigs — possibly even iPhone-based setups — could influence future live broadcasts. Any such cross-pollination would blur lines between cinematic production and sports telecasts.
Apple’s F1 hub goes live this month. If you already subscribe to Apple TV+, the Australian Grand Prix on March 7 will be the first chance to judge how these new features change race viewing in practice.
Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.