F1 races could be shown by new broadcaster who are 'considering bid' for never-before-seen live coverage

Formula One's future could undergo a massive shakeup as a new broadcaster is reportedly considering making a bid for live coverage of the sport.

With the success of Netflix's beloved Drive to Survive series and the rise of big name personalities such as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, Formula One has never been so popular.

Drive to Survive boasts an impressive audience of more than 800 million people across the six seasons, no doubt contributing to the act the F1 television audiences have doubled since 2018.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that one of the biggest broadcasters in the world is considering launching a massive pursuit of the broadcast rights for the sport, and it could have a massive impact on viewership.

As it stands, Sky Sports holds the live rights to show the F1 in the UK until 2029, with Channel 4 also allowed to broadcast the British Grand Prix live and show highlights.

In the USA, which is also a massive market for Formula One, it is ESPN has been the live broadcast partner of F1, having signed a $90million (£72.5million) deal.

However, according to The Times, the broadcaster’s exclusivity period to negotiate a new contract for the rights has now expired, meaning other broadcasters are able to submit their own bids, and Netflix are interested.

Sources have claimed that the popular streaming service is expected to make a bid for the live rights in the US starting from as soon as the 2026 season.

Jake Paul v Mike Tyson was shown on Netflix and remains the most-streamed sporting event ever (Image: Getty)

To do so, they will likely have to pay even more than ESPN's previous deal, but Netflix are keen to do so having dipped their toe into live sport with broadcasts of the WWE, Jake Paul's fight with Mike Tyson, NFL matches and several other sporting events.

However, Netflix aren't the only streaming service reportedly interested in securing the rights to broadcast F1 live in the US, as Apple are also considering expanding their live sport after already securing the global broadcast rights for Major League Soccer.

But the interest of both Netflix and Apple in F1 will have no impact on the Sky Sports partnership in the UK, at least for now, as the two streaming giants look to focus purely on the US audience.