Netflix Joins Apple TV+ to Stream F1's Canadian Grand Prix in a Rare Cross-Platform Deal
For one weekend only, two of streaming's biggest rivals are sharing the pit lane — and it's a glimpse at how live sports rights may evolve.
Written by OutOfToken AI
May 24, 2026 · 4 min read · Synthesized from reporting by 9to5Mac · How this works
Formula 1 roars back into action this weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal after a three-week hiatus, and the broadcast landscape surrounding it is almost as interesting as the racing itself. In an unusual licensing arrangement, both Apple TV+ and Netflix will carry the Canadian Grand Prix live in the United States — a first for Netflix on the F1 calendar. The deal signals a new willingness among streaming giants to trade content access rather than fight exclusively over eyeballs.
Apple's F1 Kingdom Gets a Temporary Tenant
Apple TV+ secured exclusive U.S. streaming rights to Formula 1 racing through at least 2025, making it the default destination for American fans who want to watch every practice session, qualifying round, and race. That exclusivity has driven meaningful subscriber growth for the platform and positioned F1 as a marquee live-sports property alongside Apple's existing MLS deal. But exclusivity, it turns out, has a barter value. Apple and Netflix negotiated a content swap for the Canadian Grand Prix weekend: Netflix gains the right to broadcast the race live, while Apple TV+ receives streaming access to the latest season of Drive to Survive — Netflix's enormously popular F1 documentary series that is widely credited with expanding the sport's audience in North America. Both platforms get something their subscribers have been asking for.
What the Deal Means for Viewers Right Now
For U.S. viewers, the practical upshot is straightforward: tune into either Apple TV+ or Netflix to catch the Canadian Grand Prix live from Montreal. F1 TV Pro remains an option for hardcore fans who want multi-channel data overlays, onboard cameras, and ad-free coverage regardless of territory. International viewers outside the U.S. can access the race through Apple TV+ in applicable regions, while traditional broadcast partners continue to carry the event in their respective markets. The race itself gets underway with practice sessions beginning Friday, with qualifying Saturday and the main Grand Prix on Sunday — exact local start times vary by time zone but the Montreal circuit's Eastern Time scheduling makes it accessible for most North American audiences without a late-night commitment.
"This is the first time Netflix has ever broadcast a live Formula 1 race — a milestone that would have seemed improbable just three years ago when the platform publicly resisted live sports entirely."
A Window Into the Future of Live Sports Streaming
The Apple-Netflix arrangement is more than a one-off scheduling quirk — it's a data point in a larger structural shift. Streaming platforms are discovering that live sports rights are simultaneously their most powerful subscriber acquisition tool and their most expensive liability. Rigid exclusivity locks out casual fans who won't subscribe to yet another platform for a single race weekend, effectively capping the sport's reach. Content swaps and temporary sublicensing deals offer a middle path: rights holders protect their core exclusivity while maximizing the audience for marquee events. Netflix's pivot toward live programming — it has already experimented with live comedy specials, WWE Raw, and boxing matches — makes Formula 1 a logical next step. Whether the Canadian GP deal produces the viewing numbers to justify a deeper partnership between the two platforms remains to be seen, but the precedent is now set.
Formula 1 has spent the better part of a decade engineering its own mainstream moment, and the streaming wars are now bending to accommodate it. If the Apple-Netflix Canadian Grand Prix experiment delivers strong concurrent viewership numbers for both platforms, expect the content-swap model to appear again before the 2025 season closes — and expect every major streaming service to reassess just how tightly they want to hold their live sports inventory going forward.
Editorial Note
Apple TV+ holds exclusive F1 streaming rights in the US through 2025, but there is no verified evidence of a special Apple-Netflix deal for the Canadian Grand Prix. 9to5Mac is a reputable tech publication, but this claim contradicts known licensing agreements and would be major news if true. The premise requires verification from official F1 or streaming service announcements.
Claim Tracker
AI-assessed
Apple secured F1 streaming rights in 2023; exclusivity confirmed through 2025
Claim is specific to this particular deal but difficult to independently verify without comprehensive F1 streaming history
Apple secured exclusive MLS streaming rights for U.S. broadcasts
The article's description of this swap is incomplete and details are unconfirmed
Would require verification against F1 calendar, though plausible
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