Could the streamer be looking to bid for F1 live rights in the US?
Netflix is weighing up its options for joining the bidding war to secure the broadcast rights to Formula 1 in the US, according to a report in The Times.
If the streamer does secure the rights, it will be its first significant move into live sports broadcasting.
The US rights to Formula 1 are currently held by ESPN, but its contract is up for renewal and The Times report references “industry sources” that expect Netflix to bid for the rights, which would mean Netflix would begin live F1 broadcasts next year.
The rumours gained more momentum after Netflix recruited ESPN VP of production Kate Jackson as its director of sports. Jackson previously looked after ESPN’s F1 coverage.
The success of Netflix documentary series Drive To Survive (pictured) has helped F1 gain a sizeable new worldwide audience, including substantially growing its fan base in the US. It makes sense that the streamer would want to capitalise on the increase in interest in F1 by also offering live coverage of the race season.
Netflix has already dipped its toes into live sports, airing two NFL games over Christmas and the Mike Tyson v Jake Paul fight in November, as well as WWE’s weekly Raw series. However, it was criticised for streaming issues during the Tyson v Paul fight, with suggestions it wasn’t able to cope with the global demand.
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