Short answer: in the US, every Formula 1 session is now on Apple TV, which took over from ESPN in 2026 and includes F1 TV Premium at no extra cost. The catch is that there is no cable fallback any more: if you don't have Apple TV, the only live options are the practice sessions and the handful of full race weekends Apple makes free, and the subscription itself rose to $14.99 a month in August 2026.
At a glance
Formula 1 in the USA
| US broadcaster | Apple TV, exclusive from 2026 |
| Price | $14.99/month or $119/year |
| F1 TV Premium | Included for US subscribers |
| Free to watch | Practice, plus selected race weekends |
| Cable or ESPN | No longer shows F1 |
What changed in 2026
ESPN's run as the American home of Formula 1 ended with the 2025 season. From 2026, Apple holds exclusive US rights on a multi-year deal, and it has moved the sport entirely to streaming.
For long-time viewers, three things are different.
No cable channel. A cable or YouTube TV subscription no longer gives you F1. It is inside the Apple TV app, and nowhere else live in full.
F1 TV Premium is folded in. F1's own streaming service, with onboard cameras, team radio and live timing, previously cost extra in the US. It now comes with Apple TV.
No separate sports add-on. Unlike Apple's former MLS Season Pass, F1 is part of the standard Apple TV subscription.
Our main Formula 1 viewing guide covers how rights work in other countries; this page is about the practical side for US viewers.
What you pay, and what you get
Apple raised Apple TV's price in late August 2026. Existing subscribers are told about a month before the new rate applies to them.
| Option | Price (Sept 2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple TV, monthly | $14.99 | Was $12.99 before August 2026 |
| Apple TV, annual | $119 | Was $99; cheaper than 12 monthly payments |
| Apple One Individual | $21.95 | Bundles Apple TV with Music, iCloud+ and Arcade |
| Free tier | $0 | Practice sessions and selected weekends only |
Monthly or annual? The F1 season runs from March to early December, about nine or ten months. Paying monthly only for those months costs roughly the same as the annual plan, so annual makes sense mainly if you also watch Apple's other programming.
Check Apple One. If you already pay for Apple Music and iCloud storage, the bundle may cost less than adding Apple TV on its own.
Activating F1 TV Premium
The F1 TV Premium inclusion is one of the best parts of the deal, but it isn't automatic everywhere.
Inside the Apple TV app, the main broadcast and several of F1 TV's extra feeds are integrated, including onboard cameras and multiview on supported Apple devices.
For the separate F1 TV app or website, you link your Apple TV subscription to an F1 account. Apple's and F1's help pages walk through it, and it takes a few minutes. Once linked, F1 TV Premium works as it did when sold on its own, including the archive and live timing.
The inclusion applies to US subscriptions. It doesn't turn into a worldwide F1 TV Premium account when you travel.
The free sessions
Apple has kept some F1 free in the US, which is useful for newcomers and for anyone who only wants the big races.
Practice: all practice sessions have been free to watch in the Apple TV app during the 2026 season.
Selected full weekends: a small number of complete race weekends, race included, are made free. Apple announces which ones; check the app before each race rather than assuming.
Audio: live race audio has been available on Apple Music radio, which suits a drive or a garden.
You need an Apple Account to watch the free sessions, but not a paid subscription.
Watching on your TV
You don't need Apple hardware. The Apple TV app runs on most streaming devices and smart TVs.
| Device | Apple TV app |
|---|---|
| Apple TV box, iPhone, iPad, Mac | Yes, with the fullest feature set, including multiview |
| Roku | Yes |
| Fire TV | Yes |
| Google TV and Android TV | Yes |
| Samsung, LG and other smart TVs | On most recent models |
| PlayStation, Xbox, web browser | Yes |
The richest experience is on Apple's own box, which is where Apple has concentrated features such as multiview. For choosing one, see our Apple TV device guide.
A wired connection, or a strong 5 GHz Wi-Fi signal, matters more than the device for a smooth race start.
Race times across US time zones
Where a race is held decides whether you watch it over breakfast or in the middle of the night.
European races usually start mid-morning Eastern, which means early morning on the West Coast.
Asian and Australian races fall overnight or in the very early hours for US viewers. Replays in the Apple TV app are the realistic option for many.
The Americas are the easiest: Miami, Montreal, Austin, Mexico City and São Paulo all start in the afternoon for most of the country.
Las Vegas runs on Saturday night local time, which puts it late on the East Coast.
The Apple TV app lists sessions in your own time zone and lets you follow the sport so that sessions appear in your Up Next row.
Travelling and watching abroad
The Apple TV deal is a US arrangement. Other countries keep their own broadcasters: Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, for example, and Canal+ or other national rightsholders elsewhere.
Your subscription may not show F1 abroad. Live sport is licensed by territory, so a US Apple TV account travelling overseas generally won't show live sessions where another broadcaster holds the rights. The same applies to the included F1 TV Premium.
Use the local option. If you are away for a race, the local broadcaster or a local F1 TV subscription, where F1 sells one, is the licensed route. Using tools to appear to be in the US usually breaks the service's terms and can lead to the account being restricted.
Visitors to the US are in the reverse position: their home service may not work, and Apple TV is the licensed way to watch while they are here.
The rest of the 2026 season
From October onward, the calendar swings through the Americas, which is the best stretch of the season for US viewers.
| Race | Weekend |
|---|---|
| United States (Austin) | 23-25 October |
| Mexico City | 30 October-1 November |
| São Paulo | 6-8 November |
| Las Vegas | 19-21 November |
| Qatar | 27-29 November |
| Abu Dhabi (final round) | 4-6 December |
If you are subscribing only for the run-in, one or two months of Apple TV covers these rounds. Cancel before renewal if you don't want to pay through the winter.
A note on alternatives: "every channel" IPTV packages that carry foreign F1 broadcasts aren't licensed in the US and give you no recourse when they fail. With Apple's price and the free sessions, the licensed route is also a reasonably cheap one.
Getting more from Apple's coverage
The Apple TV presentation differs from what ESPN viewers were used to, and a few features are easy to miss.
Multiview on Apple devices. On an Apple TV box, you can put several feeds on screen at once, such as the main broadcast alongside an onboard camera and the timing screen. This is one of the strongest arguments for Apple's own hardware if you watch every race.
Choose your commentary. Coverage has included more than one commentary option, including the F1 TV team as an alternative to the main broadcast. Look in the audio settings during a session.
Replays and highlights. Full sessions are available on demand after they end, which matters for the overnight Asian and Australian races. Avoid the Apple TV home screen before watching, since results and thumbnails can appear there.
Follow the sport. Following Formula 1 in the Apple TV app adds each session to Up Next, and notifications can remind you before lights out.
Weekend formats vary. Sprint weekends move qualifying to Friday and add a Saturday sprint race, so checking the schedule for each round avoids missing a session you expected later in the weekend.
If your household uses several streaming services, our guide to multiple connections and simultaneous streams explains how device limits typically work.
Quick answers
Where can I watch F1 in the USA? On Apple TV, which is the exclusive US broadcaster from 2026. ESPN no longer shows it.
How much does F1 on Apple TV cost? It's included in a standard Apple TV subscription: $14.99 a month or $119 a year since August 2026.
Is F1 TV Premium included with Apple TV? Yes, for US subscribers. Link your Apple TV subscription to an F1 account to use the separate F1 TV app.
Can I watch F1 for free in the US? Practice sessions and a selection of full race weekends are free in the Apple TV app, with an Apple Account.
Do I need an Apple device? No. The Apple TV app runs on Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, most smart TVs, games consoles and web browsers.
Is F1 on cable or YouTube TV? No. From 2026, F1 is streaming-only in the US, through Apple TV.
When is the US Grand Prix? The 2026 race in Austin is on the weekend of 23-25 October, with Las Vegas on 19-21 November.
Apple's pricing, free-weekend selection and app features can change during a season, and F1 occasionally revises its calendar. Check the Apple TV app before each race. Checked September 2026.