It is no secret Netflix is interested in getting more involved in live sports, and the company is now reportedly considering bidding for the US TV rights to Formula 1. Currently ESPN holds those rights.
ESPN’s exclusivity period to negotiate its contract with F1 has now expired, according to a new report by The Times. With the exclusivity period over, others are expected to make their interest known, with the report specifically stating Netflix is now expected to make its own bid.
If successful, the bid will reportedly be for the rights starting with the 2026 season. A deal would also mark the company’s next major investment in sports. Netflix has previously been the home of two NFL Christmas games and the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight, and is the current home of the weekly WWE Raw show.
However, whether a bid from Netflix would be accepted is another matter entirely.
Due to increased popularity, it is expected that the rights will have increased in value and Netflix isn’t the only company that’s become more interested in live sports in recent times.
Apple, for example, also appears to be keen on expanding its sports content for Apple TV+, and has also previously been linked with Formula 1.
While Netflix was also linked to the rights back in 2022, eventually losing out to ESPN, a lot has changed since then, including the service’s slow building out of racing-related content.
For example, season seven of Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive series is expected to land soon, and the streaming service recently released Senna, a limited series based on the life of Ayrton Senna, as well as the companion docuseries Making Senna.
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