The Cheapest Way to Watch Formula 1 in 2026
F1 coverage and pricing vary wildly by country. Free in Germany (RTL), $80/year via F1 TV Pro elsewhere, or £25+/month on Sky in the UK. Full breakdown.
F1 TV Pro (~$80/year) offers full live coverage in most markets. Germany (RTL) and Belgium (RTBF) have free-to-air coverage. Sky Sports F1 is the only option in the UK.
The cheapest way to watch Formula 1 depends heavily on your country. In Germany and Belgium, selected F1 races are broadcast free on RTL and RTBF respectively. For most other countries, F1 TV Pro at roughly $79.99/year is the most affordable full-coverage option. In the UK, Sky Sports F1 at £25+/month is the only live option.
F1 viewing options by country
| Country | Provider | Cost | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports F1 | ~£25+/month | All races live |
| United Kingdom | Channel 4 | Free | Highlights + selected live races |
| United States | ESPN+ | $10.99/month | All races (ESPN feed) |
| United States | F1 TV Pro | ~$79.99/year | All races + onboards + radio |
| Germany | RTL (free-to-air) | Free | Selected races live |
| Belgium | RTBF (free-to-air) | Free | Selected races live |
| Netherlands | Viaplay | Subscription required | All races |
| Australia | Fox Sports / Kayo | ~AUD $25/month (Kayo) | All races |
F1 TV Pro: the best value for most markets
F1 TV Pro is Formula 1's own streaming service. In the US and many other markets, it costs approximately $79.99/year — roughly $6.67/month. It includes:
- All Grand Prix sessions live (practice, qualifying, race)
- Onboard cameras for every car
- Team radio
- Driver tracker
- Historical race archive (1981 onwards)
The caveat: F1 TV Pro is not available with live coverage in all countries. In territories where F1 has sold exclusive broadcast rights to a single broadcaster (such as the UK with Sky), F1 TV may only offer archive content and not live races. Always check F1 TV's country list before purchasing.
Free options: Germany and Belgium
Germany and Belgium have free-to-air F1 coverage for selected races.
In Germany, RTL broadcasts a selection of F1 races free to air. RTL+ (RTL's streaming service) also carries some coverage. While not every race is free, major events including the German Grand Prix (when on the calendar) tend to be included.
In Belgium, RTBF (the French-language public broadcaster) broadcasts F1 free to air, including the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.
F1 in the UK: Sky Sports
The UK is the most expensive market for F1. Sky Sports holds exclusive live rights. You need a Sky Sports subscription (starting around £25/month as part of a Sky bundle) or a Now TV Sports membership to watch all races live.
Channel 4 provides free-to-air highlights and typically holds rights to show a handful of races per year live (the exact number varies by contract). If you only want to follow F1 casually, Channel 4's coverage is free. For every race live, Sky Sports is unavoidable in the UK.
F1 in the US: ESPN and ESPN+
In the United States, ESPN holds F1 broadcast rights. Races air on ESPN or ESPN2. ESPN+ streams the ESPN F1 broadcast at $10.99/month. Alternatively, F1 TV Pro at ~$79.99/year provides additional coverage including onboard cameras that ESPN does not broadcast.
If you're purely after the main race broadcast, a pay-TV package including ESPN or a streaming service like YouTube TV, Sling, or fuboTV that carries ESPN works. ESPN+ is the cheapest streaming-only option.