Apple and Netflix Partner for Canadian Grand Prix Broadcast

Formula 1 fans in the United States will gain a new way to watch live racing following a landmark agreement between Apple and Netflix. Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, confirmed on Thursday that the companies will co-broadcast the Canadian Grand Prix.

This collaboration allows viewers to stream the race simultaneously on both Apple TV and Netflix. The coverage extends beyond the main event on May 24, as Netflix subscribers will have access to the entire race weekend, including practice sessions and qualifying rounds.

Expanding the F1 Ecosystem

The deal reinforces the growing integration of F1 into American media. Beyond live broadcasts, the partnership facilitates a cross-platform promotion of the docuseries Drive to Survive. The eighth season, which tracks the 2025 Formula One World Championship across eight episodes, premieres today, February 27. It will be available to Netflix users globally and, for the first time, to Apple TV subscribers in the U.S.

Apple’s broader strategy involves embedding F1 content across its various services:

• Apple News: Curated coverage of race updates.
• Apple Maps: Geographic highlighting of global F1 circuits.
• Apple Music & Fitness+: Integrated sports-themed content.
• Retail Presence: Promotional activities within physical Apple Stores.

A Shift in Sports Broadcasting

This joint effort arrives as Apple enters a new multi-year agreement with Formula 1, effectively replacing ESPN as the exclusive U.S. broadcaster for the sport’s 24-race calendar. Reports value this deal at approximately $150 million per season, a notable increase over the $85 million previously paid by ESPN, which concluded its final season with an average viewership of 1.3 million.

For Netflix, the move represents a continued expansion into live sports. After long maintaining a stance against live sports programming, the platform has recently secured rights for high-profile events, including WWE Raw, MLB games, and NFL contests. This interest in F1 media rights is not entirely new for the streamer, which had been linked to potential U.S. broadcasting deals as far back as 2022.

The cultural footprint of the sport in the U.S. remains at an all-time high, bolstered by the partnership and the mainstream success of projects like the F1 film starring Brad Pitt, which is currently an Academy Award nominee for Best Picture.