There are many reasons for the increased global popularity of Formula 1, but near the top of that list remains the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive. Debuting in 2019, the first season of Drive to Survive focused heavily on Daniel Ricciardo and his decision to leave Red Bull for Renault, and subsequent seasons have covered every major storyline on and off the track.
Now, the streaming service is considering live coverage of the sport.
According to multiple reports, Netflix is making a push for F1 broadcast rights in the United States. As reported by Luke Smith in The Athletic, among others, ESPN’s exclusivity period to bid on F1 broadcast rights beyond 2025 has expired, opening up interest from broadcasters in securing rights for the sport in the United States.
Smith also reported that Ian Holmes, F1’s Director of Media Rights, has been in the United States this week for “exploratory” meetings with potential broadcasters.
The news comes as Netflix continues to expand its book of live sports. The streaming service paid $150 million to have exclusive rights to a pair of NFL games on Christmas Day, one between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the other between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans. Netflix went all out for the pair of games, with a team of 20 analysts both in the studio and in the booth for the two games, including talent from other networks such as ESPN’s Mina Kimes.
In addition, the game between the Ravens and the Texans featured a halftime performance from none other than Beyoncé.
That was not the only major sporting event Netflix streamed live last season, as the streaming service also hosted the exhibition fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. However, that broadcast was criticized by many for the buffering issues during the night of coverage.
Netflix has also secured the rights for WWE Rad on a ten-year deal which begins this year.
In addition, the streaming service’s first foray into live sports came ahead of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, when Netflix broadcast the “Netflix Cup.” This exhibition golf event paired PGA Tour pros with F1 drivers such as Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr.
The streaming service might not be the only party interested in F1 rights. Amazon Prime, which previously expressed interest in F1 broadcast rights, is considered to be another candidate. That streaming services has also made a push for more live sports coverage in recent years, including adding the UEFA Champions League in the United Kingdom this season, as well as the NFL’s Thursday Night Football package.
This year Amazon Prime also had exclusive rights for an NFL playoff game on Wild Card Weekend between the Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Then there is the potential for Apple to make a play for F1 broadcast rights in the states. Apple has broadcast Major League Soccer in the United States on Apple TV+ since 2022, a move that paid off handsomely when Lionel Messi moved to the league, prompting even more coverage options for this season. Apple also has a deal with Major League Baseball.
Then there is the upcoming F1 movie starring Brad Pitt, which is an Apple Original film.
This news comes as the motorsport landscape shifts in the United States. FOX Sports acquired the rights for IndyCar starting with this season, and recently announced that Will Buxton — who has been part of Drive to Survive since its inception — will be part of their IndyCar broadcast team. The network has rolled out a series of commercials in advance of the IndyCar season promoting the move, and with the upcoming Super Bowl set to air on FOX, there is every belief that one of the Super Bowl ads will promote the upcoming IndyCar season.
Of course, ESPN could still renew the broadcast rights for F1 in the United States, even though the period of exclusivity has come to an end. According to this November report from Sports Business Journal, the network “wants to renew its rights deal with the motorsports property and believes it’s still getting a good ROI because it also considers things like the cool factor around the series.”
In that report it was noted that Tim Bunnell, senior vice president of programming for ESPN, was at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November and “confirmed that ESPN is interested in a renewal for 2026 and beyond, and that talks have started.”
“This is a long-term play for us, and the ratings are one thing, but you look at the client-entertainment possibilities, the marketing opportunities, just the cachet of being associated with Formula 1, it pays us back in droves,” said Bunnell. “We’ve been thrilled with the entire relationship with F1 from the get-go. They’re terrific to work with and we benefit in so many ways. I mean, F1 has just become cool. And a big emphasis for us, for ESPN, is audience expansion.”
Broadcast rights here in the United States may carry even more interest as 2026 looms. Not only is F1 set to introduce a major series of regulations in 2026 that will shake up the sport, but that year will see Cadillac join the grid as the 11th team.
Adding an American team to the grid for 2026 might see even more viewers in the United States, something Netflix and others might be looking to capitalize upon in securing F1 broadcast rights in America.
