In a major move to expand the American motorsport audience, Apple has announced that it will drop its subscription requirement for the upcoming 2026 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix. From June 26 to June 28, race fans in the United States will be able to stream every single session from the Red Bull Ring live and entirely for free via the Apple TV app.
Total Weekend Access, No Strings Attached
Unlike typical streaming promotions that only make opening practices free, Apple is unlocking the entire event. Viewers with an Apple ID can watch everything from the first practice session to Sunday’s main race without paying a dime.
Also Read | Watch: Ugly Scenes At FIFA World Cup 2026; Qatar-Canada Players Clash On Pitch
The stream will be widely accessible through Apple TV app on smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, gaming consoles, mobile devices, and directly via web browsers at tv.apple.com.
F1 Austrian Grand Prix Weekend Schedule (IST)
Friday, June 26
Practice 1: 5:00 PM IST
Practice 2: 8:30 PM IST
Saturday, June 27
Practice 3: 4:00 PM IST
Qualifying: 7:30 PM IST
Sunday, June 28
Austrian Grand Prix (Main Race): 6:30 PM IST
Testing F1’s Massive New US Broadcasting Era
This promotional weekend serves as the first major delivery on a promise Apple made when it signed its historic five-year deal to replace ESPN as F1’s exclusive rights holder in the United States. While most races remain securely behind a premium paywall, Apple built specific clauses into its contract to push major events in front of the paywall to attract casual fans.
The initiative follows several creative broadcast experiments Apple has conducted this season, which include hosting specialized watch-alongs at IMAX theaters, streaming on public billboards in Times Square, and even sub-licensing select coverage to free networks like Tubi.
“A lot of people’s concern was, ‘Would the viewing numbers go down?’ In fact, they’re up a lot. I’ve heard 25-30%. I’ve heard the broadcast is awesome.” – Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO.
Apple has not yet made its concrete internal viewership figures public, but industry sources suggest the platform is currently outpacing ESPN’s old linear TV numbers. By giving away a premier race like Austrian Grand Prix for free, Apple is betting it can convince hesitant chord-cutters to commit to a full subscription for the rest of the 2026 calendar.
