Canal+ announces improvements in its F1 coverage and the broadcast of 4 races on free-to-air

This year, for Formula 1, the key words for Canal+ are ‘immersion’ and ‘innovation’. The channel holds broadcasting rights until 2029 and will launch this year the broadcast of the F1 Academy, the women’s Formula 1 series, in addition to F1, F2, and Formula 3 (depending on the Grand Prix).

The big news that has everyone in a tizzy for almost a year is Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari. For this major event in Formula 1 history, a dedicated coverage will be given to the seven-time world champion’s progress. Canal+ has decided to highlight this event with a series called “Zone Rouge,” which will dedicate airtime each GP weekend to this coverage.

Audiences still in the green

Formula 1 continues to generate significant enthusiasm worldwide, and this consistently benefits Canal+. For the fourth consecutive season, the viewership of race broadcasts exceeds one million viewers on average. The 2024 Brazilian and Monaco Grand Prix even set records for Canal+ with an average of 1.4 million viewers, which is noteworthy for a subscription channel. The F1 viewership on Canal+ has doubled between 2017 and 2024, since the purchase of F1 by Liberty Media in 2017.

The presence of F1 on social media is also strongly increasing for the Canal+ accounts, which are dedicating more and more time from their journalists and commentators to hosting accounts such as Twitch, Twitter, or live sessions on Instagram. Julien Fébreau will continue his debriefs while the French rookie, Isack Hadjar, will be featured in an exclusively digital series in 2025.

A new concept, The Question of the Week, will allow subscribers to ask their questions, which will be answered by journalists and paddock figures. Inspector Dupin, a series inspired by Detective Mathoux, will be launched with Jacques Villeneuve, who will take the lie detector test and unveil exclusive stories. Finally, Canal Racing Manager, an innovative documentary that will decode the secrets of a victory in Monaco, explaining in detail the data, driving techniques, and team strategies.

4 Grand Prix broadcast free-to-air

Canal+ is committed to making F1 accessible, as required by French regulations, which notably demand that national events be broadcast free-to-air. Without a French Grand Prix in 2025, Canal+ continues to offer several races this season free-to-air. In the past, C8 was used as a broadcasting channel, but the channel’s suspension following the sanctions imposed by ARCOM will require some rescheduling.

However, 4 Grand Prix races will be broadcast free-to-air, the first being the Australian Grand Prix. The others will be revealed gradually, but Monaco will likely be included, as well as other European races.

The highlight of the season will be the Monaco Grand Prix, with an extraordinary Canal+ line-up, multiple hours of programming, and a special broadcast starting Thursday evening.

Documentaries and stable monitoring

The evening Mechanical Red, which will be in prime time this Sunday at 9 PM, will be the occasion for an event night one week before the start of the Formula 1 World Championship followed by the 40-minute documentary Hamilton-Ferrari: The Marriage of the Century, about Lewis Hamilton’s beginnings at Ferrari.

Every race weekend, Zone rouge, broadcast during the grid, will provide complete coverage of Ferrari’s season.

Max Verstappen, Anatomy of a Champion, a documentary series available on the app.

A digital series Team Hadjar is in preparation, it will immerse us with the rookie in his new life in F1. There could also be a documentary about the rookies of the season.

Finally, live reports from the pit wall will be maintained, offering viewers full immersion in the action during the different sessions and the race.

*Written in collaboration with Léa Mosco.*