Good news for cord cutters: in the US, you no longer need cable to watch Formula 1 at all. From 2026, live F1 streams exclusively on Apple TV, and no cable channel carries live races anymore. This guide explains what changed, what you need to stream every session, which sessions you can watch without paying for a subscription, and when the four remaining 2026 races start in US time.
Apple holds exclusive US rights to Formula 1 from 2026 under a five-year deal. Every session, from practice and qualifying to Sprints and Grands Prix, streams with an Apple TV subscription, and F1 TV Premium is available through Apple in the US. Apple makes all practice sessions and selected race weekends available without a subscription. Check Apple’s official F1 viewing guide for the current details.
For years, American F1 fans who wanted to watch live needed a TV package that included ESPN. That ended after the 2025 season, when ESPN's US coverage finished. Starting in 2026, Apple took over as the exclusive US rights holder, which means two things for anyone searching for how to watch F1 without cable.
Cable will not help you. No cable channel carries live F1 in 2026. A cable subscription, a satellite package or a live TV streaming bundle built around cable channels does not include live Formula 1 sessions in the US.
Streaming is the only live route. Because Apple holds exclusive rights, the Apple TV app is where every live session lives: all three practice sessions, qualifying, Sprint weekends and the Grand Prix itself. For cord cutters this is simpler than the old setup. There is one place to look, and nothing to bundle.
1. Get the Apple TV app on the screen you will watch on. Check Apple's F1 viewing guide for the devices that support the app. If you plan to watch on a big TV, set it up there rather than on a phone you will need to cast from.
2. Sign in ahead of time. Open the app and sign in a day before the session you want, not at lights out, and find the race so it is one click away.
3. Decide whether you need a subscription. Practice sessions and selected race weekends are available without a subscription. For every qualifying session and race across the season, you need an Apple TV subscription. Check current plan terms directly with Apple before you subscribe; WatchF1 does not list prices.
4. Use F1 TV Premium if you want more. US Apple TV subscribers receive F1 TV Premium access through Apple, so you do not need to buy a separate F1 TV plan to get it.
5. Check the start time in your own time zone. Formula 1 publishes times in UTC, and the US races in prime time while most other rounds land in the morning. Our 2026 F1 schedule converts every race, and each race page lists the full weekend.
Apple makes all practice sessions available without a subscription, which makes practice the easiest way to try F1 streaming before you commit. Here are the practice sessions for the four remaining 2026 rounds. Times come from the official 2026 calendar data on our schedule page; Formula 1 can change them, so check again on race week.
| Race | Session | Eastern (ET) | Pacific (PT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Practice 1 | Fri Nov 6, 10:30 AM | Fri Nov 6, 7:30 AM |
| Brazil | Practice 2 | Fri Nov 6, 2 PM | Fri Nov 6, 11 AM |
| Brazil | Practice 3 | Sat Nov 7, 9:30 AM | Sat Nov 7, 6:30 AM |
| Las Vegas | Practice 1 | Thu Nov 19, 7:30 PM | Thu Nov 19, 4:30 PM |
| Las Vegas | Practice 2 | Thu Nov 19, 11 PM | Thu Nov 19, 8 PM |
| Las Vegas | Practice 3 | Fri Nov 20, 7:30 PM | Fri Nov 20, 4:30 PM |
| Qatar | Practice 1 | Fri Nov 27, 8:30 AM | Fri Nov 27, 5:30 AM |
| Qatar | Practice 2 | Fri Nov 27, 12 PM | Fri Nov 27, 9 AM |
| Qatar | Practice 3 | Sat Nov 28, 9:30 AM | Sat Nov 28, 6:30 AM |
| Abu Dhabi | Practice 1 | Fri Dec 4, 4:30 AM | Fri Dec 4, 1:30 AM |
| Abu Dhabi | Practice 2 | Fri Dec 4, 8 AM | Fri Dec 4, 5 AM |
| Abu Dhabi | Practice 3 | Sat Dec 5, 5:30 AM | Sat Dec 5, 2:30 AM |
US clocks are on standard time for all four weekends. Central time is one hour behind Eastern and Mountain time is two hours behind. Which race weekends are fully free is set by Apple; check its viewing guide for each round.
Qualifying and the Grand Prix stream with an Apple TV subscription, plus any selected weekends Apple opens up without one. These are the remaining start times from the same calendar data.
| Race | Qualifying (ET / PT) | Race (ET / PT) |
|---|---|---|
| Brazilian Grand Prix | Sat Nov 7, 1 PM / 10 AM | Sun Nov 8, 12 PM / 9 AM |
| Las Vegas Grand Prix | Fri Nov 20, 11 PM / 8 PM | Sat Nov 21, 11 PM / 8 PM |
| Qatar Grand Prix | Sat Nov 28, 1 PM / 10 AM | Sun Nov 29, 11 AM / 8 AM |
| Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | Sat Dec 5, 9 AM / 6 AM | Sun Dec 6, 8 AM / 5 AM |
The Las Vegas Grand Prix runs on Saturday night in the US, which is Sunday in UTC. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 6 is round 23 of 23, the season finale.
Apple's exclusive deal covers the United States. In other countries, the rights sit with local broadcasters. In Canada, Formula 1's official broadcast directory lists TSN, RDS, RDS 2 and Noovo as the main broadcasters. If you want to watch F1 in Canada without cable, check each broadcaster's own streaming options, which sessions are included and the current plan price before subscribing.
F1 TV live plans are available in selected territories, but a broadcaster listing alone does not tell you whether F1 TV is offered where you live. Our full 2026 viewing guide lists the main broadcaster in 29 countries, with links to check local coverage.
Test the stream at practice. Since practice is available without a subscription, use Friday's first session to check your app, sign-in, picture and sound before the race.
Check your connection. A race is a long live stream. Run the app on the same network and screen you will use on race day, and keep other heavy downloads paused while the race is on.
Plan around early and late starts. The Abu Dhabi finale starts at 5 AM Pacific, and Las Vegas starts at 11 PM Eastern. Set an alarm, open the app a few minutes early and sign in again if it asks.
Make it a party. Streaming in the living room is a great excuse to have friends over. Our F1 watch party ideas cover food, decorations and games for each remaining race.
Not ready to set anything up? WatchF1's city guides list bars and fan gatherings across the US and beyond, so you can watch with a crowd and leave the streaming to the venue. Always confirm with the venue that it is showing your race, its opening hours, sound and any reservation or ticket requirements.
Yes. In the US, live Formula 1 streams exclusively on Apple TV from 2026, so you do not need a cable package. No cable channel carries live F1 anymore. All you need is an internet connection and a device that runs the Apple TV app.
Apple TV. Apple holds exclusive US rights to Formula 1 from 2026 under a five-year deal. Practice, qualifying, Sprints and Grands Prix all stream with an Apple TV subscription, and US subscribers also get F1 TV Premium access through Apple.
No. ESPN's US coverage ended after the 2025 season. That includes ESPN on cable and ESPN streaming, so a cable or ESPN login will not get you live F1 in 2026.
Partly. Apple makes all practice sessions and selected race weekends available without a subscription. An Apple TV subscription covers the full season. Check Apple's official F1 viewing guide to see which weekends are free.
Not live in the US. Apple TV holds the exclusive US rights to live Formula 1 from 2026, so other streaming services do not carry live sessions.
Formula 1's official broadcast directory lists TSN, RDS, RDS 2 and Noovo as the main broadcasters in Canada. Check each broadcaster's own streaming options, included sessions and current plan price before you subscribe.
The Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, November 8, 2026 starts at 12 PM Eastern and 9 AM Pacific. After that come Las Vegas on Saturday, November 21, Qatar on Sunday, November 29 and the Abu Dhabi finale on Sunday, December 6.
Find a place to watch with other fans. Browse your city’s listings, then check the session, opening hours and admission details with the venue before heading out.
Find your race-day grid →Want to stay connected? Join the free WatchF1 email community while we prepare our first update. Choose your city on the signup form.
Join the free fan community →