7 FEB 2025

Netflix to race for F1 rights in the United States

 The streaming service already plays a key role in growing the championship, with its seventh series of the "Drive to Survive" documentary series airing on 7 March.

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Netflix is emerging as the potential new home for Formula 1 in the United States as a bidding process for the live broadcast rights from the 2026 season onwards is due to begin. The streaming service already plays a key role in growing the championship, with its seventh series of the "Drive to Survive" documentary series airing on 7 March.

As reported by several sports trade publications, Netflix is now strongly considering a bid to secure live-streaming rights to F1. Current holder ESPN’s exclusivity period to discuss fresh terms has expired. As reported by Autosport Business in October, there were early rumors within ESPN that a new deal would not be struck with Liberty Media, with the 2026 deal expected to eclipse the $90 million a year currently being paid. "Drive to Survive" became a hit for both Netflix and F1 when the first season dropped in 2019 and only grew its audience during the lockdowns that followed the outbreak of COVID-19.

It is understood that, as things stand, the latest series is currently the last that Netflix has a contract to produce, while a new docuseries based around the all-female F1 Academy will land on the service later this year. In November, Netflix hired Kate Jackson to run their live sports output, having previously led ESPN’s coverage of F1 in her role as vice president of production. Since then, it has made moves to have live sports content available to subscribers, with the Mike Tyson v Jake Paul boxing bout breaking records in November for the most-streamed sports event of all time. That was followed up with two NFL fixtures streamed on Christmas Day before a $5 billion 10-year deal to stream WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) programming globally began in January. Moreover, Netflix won the US broadcasting rights to the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cup, and it is clear that a live sports strategy has become a key ambition for Netflix.

That could now extend to Formula 1, which has become more popular than ever in the American market, especially among the younger female demographic. ESPN, the previous home of F1 in America, returned with a new broadcasting deal for the 2018 season. Liberty is keen to get F1 into as many living rooms across the country as possible, paying no traditional fee for the rights.

The next deal saw ESPN pay $5 million a year between 2019 and 2022 before a new agreement was signed in 2022 and ran through 2025. At least 16 races would air on ABC and ESPN. Following the groundswell of interest from American audiences, the Disney-owned broadcaster had to pay much more for the privilege—a reported $90m annually. ESPN set a record in 2022 with the most-viewed F1 championship ever broadcast on US television. From 2023 onwards, it screened all 23 races—18 across ABC or ESPN and the remaining five on ESPN2.

Last year, ESPN treated the triple-header across the Americas with the best-in-class treatment, with GameDay on the ground alongside the network’s regular team in Austin, Mexico City, and Sao Paulo. Elsewhere, ESPN utilizes Sky Sports F1 coverage, but it is believed a continuation of such an agreement is unlikely should Netflix ultimately win the rights. Any new deal for US rights will not immediately impact the United Kingdom, where Sky has an agreement in place until 2029.

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