Wednesday, 28 April 2021

F1 TV explained: what it is, what it includes, cost, how to get it

The 2021 Formula 1 season is shaping up to be a memorable one, making the sport's dedicated streaming service F1 TV something of an essential service for motor sports fans.

Giving viewers comprehensive coverage of race days, practice sessions, paddocks, and a ton of exclusive F1 content, read our full guide on using F1 TV online and your TV.

Now available in more countries than ever before, the service's app has also had a major overhaul for the new season, with coverage offered in full HD and access to a wealth of archive footage.

Keep reading to learn more about F1 TV. We'll give you more of an idea about what's included, how much it costs and where how you can stream all of this season's Formula One action on F1 TV.


What is F1 TV and F1 TV Pro? 

F1 TV is the FIA Formula 1 World Championship's very own dedicated "over the top" streaming service. Available in 85 different countries, the service comes in two different tiers:

F1 TV Pro is the service's premium offering, and offers subscribers live coverage of every Formula One race of the season. On top of that you also get to stream every track session for all GPs and access all driver onboard cameras & team radios, plus access to live streams of F2, F3 and Porsche Supercup races.

Another exclusive to F1 TV Pro's subscribers is the service's super cool live timing feature, which lets you check out real time telemetry and driver tyre usage history during races.

The key difference significantly cheaper F1 TV Access tier, meanwhile, is that it doesn't include live coverage, offering on demand replays and highlights instead.

Both tiers offer on demand access to over 2000 hours’ worth of F1 footage, with overage of every Grand Prix since 1981.

F1 TV

(Image credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Where can I watch F1 TV and F1 TV Pro?

F1 TV Pro offers live streaming in six languages in 85 territories. However, exclusive TV rights deals in some countries means the premium F1 TV Pro tier and its live race coverage isn't available everywhere, with only the F1 TV Access tier available in those regions. 

For example, F1 TV Pro is available in the US and Canada, but isn't in the UK and Ireland, thanks to Sky's blanket deal with the FIA. Similarly, F1 TV Pro isn't available in Australia, New Zealand, Spain or Germany.

You can find out what sort of coverage is available on F1 TV in your region by checking here.

How much does F1 TV cost and does it offer a free trial?

F1 TV varies quite a bit in price from region to region. In the US F1 TV Pro currently costs $79 for a year's subscription, with F1 TV Access priced at $26.99 a year.

The service is also offering a free 7 day trial of F1 TV Pro in some countries, including the US.

How do I watch F1 TV?

It's pretty straightforward to get up and running and start watching all the motor racing F1 TV offers. Start by heading to the service's website, choosing the correct region and signing up or grabbing that free trial.

The service offers dedicated apps for most of the major platforms such as Apple, Android, Roku and Amazon Fire App. 

The service is also available to view on a PC through all major web browsers.

How do I watch on my TV? 

With F1 TV now offering its coverage in glorious 1080p, its a little bit of a pity that the service doesn't currently offer dedicated apps for smart TVs or indeed Apple TV.

All is not lost however. For motor sports fans wanting the traditional feel of sitting on the couch to watch all that burning rubber, you can also cast F1 TV streams from a browser using Apple Airplay or Google Chromecast, letting watching all the twists and turns on your big screen.

Lewis Hamilton on F1 TV

(Image credit: Clive Mason - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

Where else can I watch F1?

As mentioned, not all regions have an F1 TV package with live Grand Prix coverage, with the UK, Ireland and Australia notable exceptions. So do check out our dedicated guide to getting an F1 live stream, for the best information in your regions.

Those looking to watch all the action as it happens Down Under are served by Fox Sports, who have the live broadcast rights for the 2021 season in Australia. If you don't have Fox as part of pay TV package, your best option may be to sign up for its sister offering, the fast-emerging Kayo Sports streaming service. 

Better still, Kayo offer a FREE two-week trial!

After that, the Kayo Sports Basic Package costs $25 per month and allows users to stream across two devices simultaneously. The service also offers a Kayo Sports Premium Package, which provides three concurrent streams for $35 per month.

You can watch every 2021 F1 GP in the UK and Ireland via Sky Sports and its dedicated Sky Sports F1 channel. Subscribers also get to watch on the move using the Sky Go app, which is available on nearly all modern phones, tablets, laptops, PCs and consoles.

While the US and Canada are well served with F1 TV offering full live coverage of races in both regions, viewers in both countries also have the option of watching via traditional linear broadcasters.

For the 2021 F1 season, it's ESPN that will be providing comprehensive coverage in the US. Cord-cutters are in luck, too, as you can get ESPN without having an expensive cable package via over the top providers like Sling TVand fuboTV.

Meanwhile in Canada, you can watch 2021 F1 races on English-language TSN or French-language RDS - but they're premium channels that typically come with a pay TV package.

If you get them as part of your cable deal, then you'll just be able to log in with the details of your provider and get access to an F1 live stream. 

If you don't have cable, then you can subscribe to TSN or RDS on a streaming-only basis from just CA$4.99 a day or (much better value) $19.99 a month.

Like the sound of F1 TV? Head to the website now, sign up and start watching! 

https://ift.tt/3aiCLfr

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