Formula 1 in the UK is a two-broadcaster arrangement that has held steady through the 2022-2027 rights cycle. The headline rights belong to Sky Sports F1, with Channel 4 carrying the highlights package and, by contract, the British Grand Prix live.
Sky Sports F1 — the comprehensive package
Sky Sports F1 is a dedicated 24/7 channel within the Sky Sports package. It broadcasts every Formula 1 session live: Practice One, Practice Two, Practice Three, Qualifying, the Sprint Qualifying or Sprint Shootout (at sprint weekend rounds), the Sprint race, and the Grand Prix itself. Across a typical 24-race calendar, that is more than 100 live track sessions per season.
The channel also carries F2 and F3 races (the Sunday-morning support events at Grand Prix weekends), F1 Academy, and a substantial documentary and archive catalogue including drive-to-survive style content and historic race reruns.
Presentation features Martin Brundle’s grid walks, Karun Chandhok’s track analysis, the Sky F1 commentary box, and Ted Kravitz’s Notebook — the post-race walkaround that is, for many UK fans, the actual reason to keep the subscription through to Monday morning after a Sunday race.
Channel 4 — highlights and the British Grand Prix
Channel 4 carries highlights of every Grand Prix weekend on its main channel and on All 4 (streaming on-demand). The highlights package is typically a 90-minute edit broadcast the same evening as the race or the Sunday following, with full coverage of qualifying and the Grand Prix.
The British Grand Prix at Silverstone is on Channel 4 live each year by contract — the only Grand Prix on UK free-to-air live. This typically runs the first or second Sunday of July.
Subscription cost reality
Sky Sports F1 is part of the Sky Sports package — roughly £40-£46 per month on a Sky contract, or £34.99 per month on a NOW Sports Membership (no contract, streaming only). F1 TV Pro at £85 per year is the league’s own direct service and includes on-board cameras, team radio, and the full session video, but UK viewers cannot watch the actual Grand Prix race live on F1 TV Pro by rights agreement — it is supplemental to a UK broadcast subscription.
Channel 4 is free with a UK TV licence.
2026 F1 calendar — UK times for headline rounds
The 2026 calendar runs from the opening round in March through the season finale in December. The European leg (Monaco, Spain, Canada, Austria, Britain, Hungary, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy) runs from late May through early September with most races at 14:00 or 15:00 UK time on a Sunday. The flyaway rounds are at varying UK times, with Singapore and Japan early-morning UK starts.
Useful editorial sources
- NFL UK broadcaster guide — the other Sunday sport
- UFC UK broadcaster guide — TNT Sports schedule
- Tennis UK broadcaster guide — Wimbledon and ATP
The 2026 British Grand Prix is at Silverstone on the first Sunday of July. Coverage starts at 13:00 BST on Channel 4 live and on Sky Sports F1 with extended pre-race build-up from 11:00 BST.