Formula 1Updated Jun 16, 2026
How to Watch Formula 1 2026 in New Zealand
Every way to watch the 2026 F1 season in New Zealand — Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now carry every session live, Sky Open shows the Australian Grand Prix and highlights free-to-air, and F1 TV is the official onboard option. Real prices in NZD.
By Matchcast Editorial · Published
Broadcasters
4
Free options
Yes
Coverage
Global
The short answer
To watch Formula 1 in New Zealand in 2026: Sky is the home of F1 — every practice, qualifying, sprint and race of all 24 Grands Prix live on Sky Sport and the Sky Sport Now streaming service, under a three-year rights deal that runs from the 2026 season. Sky Open — Sky's free-to-air channel (formerly Prime) on Freeview channel 8 — shows the Australian Grand Prix live and the highlights of every other race for free. To stream without a Sky satellite dish, Sky Sport Now is the route; F1 TV is the official onboard-camera alternative.
Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now: the New Zealand F1 home
Sky New Zealand is the comprehensive home of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship, having extended its F1 broadcast rights in a three-year deal starting with the 2026 season. Sky airs every practice, qualifying and race session live across its Sky Sport platform and the Sky Sport Now streaming service — the full 24-race calendar in full.
Sky Sport is the traditional satellite-TV route for households with a Sky dish, carrying the F1 sessions on the dedicated Sky Sport channels. Sky Sport Now is the streaming route — no dish required — for fans who want to watch on a smart TV, phone, tablet or laptop. The two carry the same live coverage and commentary; the choice is satellite versus streaming.
For a New Zealand F1 fan who wants every session live — not just the race — Sky (via Sky Sport or Sky Sport Now) is the comprehensive option. Over 1.1 million New Zealand fans have followed the series across Sky Sport and free-to-air Sky Open, making it one of the country's most-watched international sports.
Sky Open: the free-to-air race and highlights
Sky Open — Sky's free-to-air channel, formerly known as Prime — carries free F1 coverage in New Zealand. The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne is shown live free-to-air on Sky Open, and the race highlights of every other Grand Prix on the calendar are also offered free-to-air on the channel.
Sky Open is free-to-air on Freeview channel 8 and is also available on Sky channel 4, and you can stream it free via the Sky Go or ThreeNow apps from any device anywhere in New Zealand. This makes the Melbourne race — the nearest thing to a regional home race for Kiwi fans, in the same time zone neighbourhood — accessible at no cost, along with same-day highlights of the rest of the season.
The free coverage is limited: the Australian Grand Prix live, plus highlights of the other races. Every other live session — practice, qualifying and the races themselves for the rest of the calendar — runs on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now behind the subscription.
Streaming without a dish: Sky Sport Now
You do not need a Sky satellite dish to watch F1 in New Zealand. Sky Sport Now — Sky's standalone sports streaming service — carries the complete F1 season live, every session, without a dish or a long contract.
Sky Sport Now is sold on a Month Pass or an Annual Pass, giving access to all the Sky Sport channels and on-demand content, and you can cancel any time before your renewal date. The Month Pass suits fans who want to subscribe for a stretch of the calendar and pause over the off-season; the Annual Pass is the better value for following the whole championship across the year.
Sky Sport Now streams on selected smart TVs, mobile phones, tablets and laptops, plus streaming devices. For a New Zealand fan without a Sky dish, it is the practical route to the full F1 season — Sky's complete coverage, on demand, without the satellite hardware.
F1 TV: the official multi-camera option
F1 TV — Formula 1's own official streaming service — offers the multi-camera experience the TV broadcast does not: live onboard cameras for every driver, team-radio feeds, the live timing data and multiple commentary tracks including alternative-language options.
Because Sky holds the New Zealand live rights, the practical picture for a Kiwi fan is: Sky Sport or Sky Sport Now for the live broadcast feed and commentary, with F1 TV as the add-on data-and-onboard layer for the completist. F1 TV is most useful for the live timing screen, the team radio and the onboard archive rather than as the primary live-race route in New Zealand.
F1 TV streams on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, smart TVs and the web. Sky remains the route for the familiar broadcast; F1 TV is the choice for the fan who wants the onboards and the data feed alongside it.
Is Formula 1 free to watch in New Zealand?
Partly. Sky Open carries the Australian Grand Prix live and free-to-air on Freeview channel 8 (and the free Sky Go / ThreeNow streams), plus same-day highlights of every other race. So the Melbourne race and the season highlights are free.
What is not free is the rest of the live calendar. Every other Grand Prix — and all the practice and qualifying sessions across the whole season — runs on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now, which are paid. For a fan who wants to watch every race live, a Sky Sport Now subscription is required.
The cheapest workable approach: watch the Australian Grand Prix and the highlights free on Sky Open, and add a Sky Sport Now Month Pass only for the stretches of the calendar you most want to follow live. A committed fan who wants every race takes the Sky Sport Now Annual Pass across the season.
Cost summary and New Zealand F1 kick-off times
The free route: Sky Open carries the Australian Grand Prix live and free, plus same-day highlights of every other race, on Freeview channel 8 — so the Melbourne race and the season recaps cost NZD 0.
The comprehensive route: a Sky Sport Now Month Pass or Annual Pass gives every session of all 24 races live, with no dish required. The Annual Pass is the better value for a full season; the Month Pass suits fans who subscribe only for the stretches they want and pause between. A Sky satellite package delivers the same coverage for households that already have a dish.
On timing, the gap to Europe makes the European rounds late-night-into-early-morning viewing for New Zealand fans: a 3:00 p.m. Central European race start is roughly 1:00–3:00 a.m. NZDT. The Asia-Pacific rounds are kinder — the Australian, Japanese and Singapore Grands Prix fall in evening NZST/NZDT slots, with Melbourne (just two hours behind NZ) the most convenient of the year and the one that's free on Sky Open.
Formula 1 Broadcasters
- VisitSky SportPay TVSky SportSky Sport Now
New Zealand F1 rights holder — every practice, qualifying, sprint and race of all 24 Grands Prix live on Sky Sport and the Sky Sport Now streaming service, under a three-year deal from the 2026 season. Watch via a Sky satellite package or stream on Sky Sport Now with no dish.
- VisitSky Sport NowStreaming
Sky's standalone sports streaming service — the full F1 season live, every session, with no dish or long contract. Sold as a Month Pass or Annual Pass with access to all Sky Sport channels and on-demand content; cancel any time before renewal. Streams on smart TVs, mobile, tablet and laptop.
- VisitSky OpenFreeSky OpenFreeview 8
Sky's free-to-air channel (formerly Prime) — shows the Australian Grand Prix live and the highlights of every other race free-to-air. Free on Freeview channel 8 and Sky channel 4, and free to stream via the Sky Go or ThreeNow apps. Race-and-highlights only: the rest of the live calendar is on Sky Sport.
- VisitF1 TVStreaming
Formula 1's own official service — live onboard cameras, team radio, live timing and multiple commentary tracks. Best as the data-and-onboard add-on on top of Sky's live coverage; Sky holds the New Zealand live rights, so Sky Sport Now is the primary live-race route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I watch F1 for free in New Zealand?
Partly. Sky Open — Sky's free-to-air channel on Freeview channel 8 (formerly Prime) — carries the Australian Grand Prix live and free, plus same-day highlights of every other race, and is also free to stream via the Sky Go and ThreeNow apps. Every other live session — the rest of the races plus all practice and qualifying — runs on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now, which are paid.
What channel is F1 on in New Zealand?
Sky is the home of F1 in New Zealand, carrying every session of all 24 Grands Prix live on Sky Sport and the Sky Sport Now streaming service under a three-year deal from 2026. Sky Open, Sky's free-to-air channel, additionally shows the Australian Grand Prix live and the highlights of every other race for free. F1 TV is the official onboard-camera option.
How can I stream F1 in New Zealand without a Sky dish?
Use Sky Sport Now, Sky's standalone streaming service, which carries every F1 session live with no satellite dish required. It is sold as a Month Pass or an Annual Pass, both with access to all Sky Sport channels and on-demand content, and you can cancel any time before renewal. The free Sky Go / ThreeNow streams also carry the Sky Open coverage of the Australian Grand Prix and the highlights.
Does Sky Open show F1 races free in New Zealand?
Sky Open shows the Australian Grand Prix live and free-to-air, plus same-day highlights of every other race on the calendar. It does not show the other Grands Prix live — those run on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now. Sky Open is free on Freeview channel 8 and Sky channel 4, and free to stream via the Sky Go and ThreeNow apps anywhere in New Zealand.
What time do F1 races start in New Zealand time?
The gap to Europe makes the European rounds late-night-into-early-morning viewing: a 3:00 p.m. Central European race start is roughly 1:00–3:00 a.m. NZDT. The Asia-Pacific rounds are far friendlier — the Australian, Japanese and Singapore Grands Prix fall in evening NZST/NZDT slots, with the Melbourne race (just two hours behind NZ) the most convenient of the year, and free on Sky Open.
Is F1 TV available in New Zealand?
Yes, but as a complement rather than the primary live route. Sky holds the New Zealand F1 live rights, so Sky Sport Now is the way to watch every race live. F1 TV — Formula 1's own service — adds the multi-camera extras Sky does not carry: live onboard cameras for every driver, team radio and live timing data, best used alongside Sky's broadcast.