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How to Watch F1 TV outside the UK: VPN Guide 2026
Run by Formula One Group (Liberty Media) and launched in 2018, F1 TV is the sport’s official streaming service, available in roughly 169 countries. It comes in three tiers: a cheap Access plan with live timing and team radio, a Pro tier carrying every live session and all the onboard cameras, and a Premium tier adding multi-view and 4K where supported. The catch in Britain is that the full Pro tier is not sold here, because Sky Sports F1 holds the exclusive UK rights. You can buy the timing tier, but not the live race video.
The fix is to subscribe in a country that does sell the Pro tier directly, such as the Netherlands, Belgium or Switzerland, by setting your virtual location with a VPN. One key 2026 update is worth knowing: in the United States, Formula 1 moved exclusively to Apple TV under a new five-year deal, so the standalone service is no longer sold there. A VPN only changes your location; you still pay for the subscription yourself.
2,000+
Total titles
169
Countries
4K HDR
Max quality
4 of 7
VPNs work
2-3 min
Ready in
Quick answer
Why can’t I subscribe to F1 TV Pro here in Britain?
Because Sky Sports F1 holds exclusive UK rights, so F1 TV sells only the timing-and-radio tier here, not the live race video. To get the full Pro tier you connect Surfshark to a country that sells it directly, such as the Netherlands or Switzerland, and subscribe there. You pay for the service yourself; the VPN only sets your location. Note that from 2026 US fans now watch via Apple TV instead.
VPN Compatibility
Best VPN for F1 TV
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
Tested on June 14, 2026 · 7 VPNs, 4 working · residential IP from Andorra · F1 TV updates detection continuously, results may change.
⚠️
Streaming service blocking your VPN? Just disconnect and hop onto a different server in the same country. Stick to the ones labeled “streaming” or “optimized” because they’re literally built for this.
How-to
How to Unblock F1 TV with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
1
Get a reliable VPN app
Sign up for Surfshark and install the app on your laptop, phone or streaming stick, then log in.
Choose a provider with fast servers built for live sport so you avoid buffering during overtakes.
2
Connect to a selling country
Open the server list and connect to a country that sells the full Pro tier directly, such as the Netherlands or Switzerland.
If the page still blocks you, clear your browser cookies and cache, then reconnect.
3
Subscribe and log in
Sign up on the official site or app and pay there. The service has no free tier, so an active paid plan is required.
Local cards can be fussy abroad; the in-app store on iOS or Android often completes payment cleanly.
4
Stream every session live
Pick the current grand prix weekend or browse the archive and watch every practice, qualifying and race without regional blocks.
Keep the VPN connected for the whole weekend so the stream does not drop mid-session.
Ready to watch F1 TV without borders?
Surfshark: risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee
This overall 1-10 score combines value, reliability, and VPN compatibility into one editorial verdict. Higher = better overall experience.
8.0
Value
This 1-10 score rates the value for money: content and features vs. price. Higher = better deal. 10 = outstanding offer. 5 = market average.
8.0
Reliability
This 1-10 score rates the reliability of streams, apps, and the service overall: higher = fewer technical issues. 10 = no outages. 5 = occasional minor glitches.
7.0
Works with VPN
This 1-10 score shows how easily the platform unblocks with a VPN: higher is better. 10 = works with any service. 5 = you’ll need a premium VPN from the table above.
Availability
Which countries is F1 TV available in?
F1 TV is available in 169 countries, including in the United States, in Canada, in India, in the Netherlands and in South Africa. It is blocked in only 15 countries.
F1 TV works without a VPN in the United States, in Canada, in India, in the Netherlands, in South Africa, in Brazil and in Albania, plus in 162 more countries.
F1 TV also works in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in New Zealand, in Ireland and in Germany, plus in 5 more countries, but with limited content compared to fully available countries. Surfshark unlocks full access.
F1 TV is blocked in Afghanistan, in Belarus, in the British Virgin Islands, in Brunei and in China, plus in 10 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like Surfshark.
Available
Partial
Blocked / unavailable
Last tested: June 10, 2026
⚠️
Steer clear of free VPNs. Most of them actually collect and sell your data, lack proper security audits, and can even expose you to malware. They’re also useless for streaming. Platforms block them instantly, leaving you with more headaches than solutions. Stick to paid VPNs with verified audits, like Surfshark, if you want something that actually works.
F1 TV is the official streaming service of the Formula One Group (owned by Liberty Media), launched in 2018 and distributed directly by the championship itself. Two tiers split the product: Access (onboard cameras, team radio, highlights and archive) and Pro (every live session from every race weekend, F2, F3 and Porsche Supercup support races, plus the live timing and telemetry widget). Pro is available in 118 markets, Access in even more.
The F1 TV home screen with its catalog and navigation.
Company and history
Major changes
The service officially launched during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend. This rollout allowed Liberty Media to bypass traditional broadcasters, delivering live commercial-free coverage directly to global fans for the first time.
Following severe stability issues during its debut year, the platform underwent a massive backend infrastructure upgrade. The technical overhaul aimed to eliminate stream buffering before the season opener in Melbourne.
A major web and mobile app redesign rolled out worldwide alongside critical performance improvements. The overhaul finally introduced long-awaited 1080p video playback at 50 frames per second for smoother race viewing.
The network leaned into original content by introducing its own dedicated, English-language commentary team. This internal crew reduced dependency on the world feed audio provided by traditional network Sky Sports.
Subscription prices saw aggressive hikes across multiple international markets right before pre-season testing. The price adjustments drew criticism from long-term subscribers but fueled growth in average revenue per user.
Ahead of the championship, the platform integrated advanced data graphics and telemetry tools into its live feed. The product feature targeted hardcore racing enthusiasts seeking real-time tire degradation and speed trap statistics.
Trust signals
App Store
4.6 / 5
Google Play
4.3 / 5
Content & Catalog
What to watch on F1 TV?
2,000+
Total titles
~20
New titles/month
25
Max offline downloads
Content TypesLive TV · Live Sport · Documentaries · News · Originals · Offline
SubtitlesEnglish · French · German · Spanish · Dutch · Portuguese
DubbingEnglish · French · German · Spanish · Portuguese
Payment methodsCredit card · Debit card · Apple Pay · Google Pay
Offline downloadsUp to 1080p offline · Download expires after 30 days
Top titles right now
Monaco Grand Prix LiveWeekend Warm-UpJolyon Palmer's Analysis
Unlock more on F1 TV
Connect Surfshark, switch your country, and stream the films & shows F1 TV keeps in other regions, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Watches Mbps, latency, and packet loss the way others watch sports. Runs Speedtest and iperf from multiple locations, measures jitter and stability on WireGuard, OpenVPN, and Lightway. When a VPN claims “near-zero speed loss,” she has the graphs that prove it or call it out.
Speed benchmarkingLatency and jitterWireGuard and OpenVPNSpeedtest methodologyNetwork stabilityP2P throughput
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before subscribing to F1 TV.
Only partly. F1 TV sells the cheap Access tier with live timing and team radio in Britain, but not the full Pro tier with live race video, because Sky Sports F1 holds the exclusive UK rights. To stream every live session you subscribe in a country that sells Pro directly, such as the Netherlands or Switzerland, and set your location there with a VPN. You still pay for the subscription yourself.
Pick a market where the full Pro and Premium tiers are sold directly. Good options include the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Brazil and the Nordic countries. India is typically the cheapest market of all. Avoid the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Australia, where a local broadcaster holds exclusive rights and the standalone Pro tier is blocked.
Yes, and it is a big one. From the 2026 season Formula 1 in the United States is exclusive to Apple TV under a new five-year deal. The standalone service is no longer sold to US fans; instead the Premium experience is folded into the Apple TV app and included for subscribers. If you are in America you now watch through Apple TV rather than buying the service directly.
Launch Surfshark, connect to a server in a country that sells the Pro tier directly, then open the site or app and subscribe there. The service reads your virtual location and serves the full live feed. A VPN only moves your location; it does not make the subscription free. Avoid free VPNs, which are slow and reliably stutter on live sport.
Pricing varies dramatically by country, from only a few pounds a month in the cheapest markets such as India to noticeably higher European rates. There is no single global price, so the figure you pay depends on the market you subscribe in. Check the current rate on the official registration page for whichever country you connect to before you commit.
The official position is: No. Formula One Group occasionally runs short promotions around winter testing or the season opener, but standard sign-ups require payment straight away. Subscriptions auto-renew until you cancel, and the service operates a strict no-refund policy, so a monthly plan is the safer way to test it first.
The Premium tier streams in up to 4K Ultra HD with HDR and a multi-view mode, all at a smooth 50 frames per second. The Access and Pro plans top out at 1080p. Dolby Atmos surround sound is not yet part of the production, but the high frame rate keeps every overtake razor-sharp as long as your connection sustains the bitrate.
Dedicated apps run on Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV, Amazon Fire TV and newer Samsung sets. You install the official app from your device’s store. For brands without a native app, casting via Chromecast is the usual workaround, while games consoles are generally not supported and need a cast or an HDMI cable.
Logging in on several household devices is fine, but only one live race stream is allowed per account at a time. Start the same live session on a second screen and the first one is cut off. Others at home can watch recordings or the archive simultaneously, just not the same live race. Sharing credentials outside your home risks account flags.
Yes. You manage the plan from your account settings on the web portal or the app, and cancellation stops the next automatic renewal. Access continues until the end of the billing period you have already paid for. There is no penalty for cancelling, and because refunds are not offered, timing your cancellation around the season can save money.
Unlock every F1 TV library worldwide
Surfshark lets you switch country and stream what F1 TV keeps in other regions. Risk-free 30-day money-back.
Part of the Formula One Group (Liberty Media) family.
