The Formula 1 standalone streaming service will be named ‘F1 TV’ and launch this spring. Formula 1 fans can look forward to watching every single live race without commercials for $8-12 per month.

F1 TV streaming service
Soon, you will no longer have to settle for the races that were been picked for broadcast and you are no longer forced to accept commercial breaks. In fact, you can watch everything through the upcoming F1 TV streaming service, according to the company.

- ”Formula 1 fans will get commercial-free live streams of each race with multi language commentary. In addition, the service will provide exclusive access to all 20 driver on-board cameras throughout every race session. F1 TV Pro will have unique feeds not available on any other platform with the capability of multi-level personalization,” the company said. 

Pricing for the ‘F1 TV Pro’ plan will range between 8-12 US dollars per month, with annual rates “priced according to market”, the company confirmed.

- “All of practice, qualifying and races, will be offered live, along with press conferences and pre and post-race interviews. Subscribers will be able to watch live races of the main support series, the FIA Formula 2 Championship, GP3 Series and Porsche Supercup, among others.”

A less expensive ‘F1 TV Access’ subscription tier will exclude access to live races but provide radio commentary, highlights, and archived video content. It will be available on a “near-global basis at launch”.



4 languages, 2 dozen markets
F1 TV will launch “early in the 2018 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season”. The first race is scheduled for March 25 in Melbourne, Australia. The standalone streaming service will be available in four different languages (English, French, German & Spanish) and in nearly two dozen markets at launch (including Germany, France, USA, Mexico, Belgium, Austria, Hungary and much of Latin America). 

The plan is to expand further in the coming years as broadcast network rights currently in place for Formula 1 are expiring. 

F1 TV is Formula 1’s attempt at breaking free from the conventional broadcast ecosystem. By going direct to users it can retain full control over its content and take the middle man’s cut of revenue.

- "Our objective with F1 TV is simple: provide these fans with the best available service to watch live Grands Prix and provide them with the best sports OTT customer experience in the world. Our team and our partners are singularly focused on delivering on that vision: not just for launch but over the long-term. Live streaming video is an exciting space changing almost daily,” said Frank Arthofer, Director of Digital, Formula 1.



The company explains that viewers will have access through “desktop and web” at launch, with mobile and TV apps for Amazon, Apple, and Android devices coming later. No details regarding picture and audio quality were shared.

Going direct to consumers, or over the top (OTT), is an increasing trend across the industry. Pioneered by Netflix, the concept is now reaching sports leagues. MotoGP already offers a streaming service and Spain’s LaLiga has announced plans to launch a standalone streaming service.

- Source: Formula 1