Formula 1 finally launched its livestream—and it was a total mess
This week, Formula 1's long-anticipated Internet streaming service went live just ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. The introduction of its own online stream was a huge priority for Liberty Media, the sport's owner, which is trying to bring the 21st century to a series that until now had stoutly ignored the Internet. This new stream probably represents the biggest fan-facing change Liberty has made since buying F1's commercial rights from a vulture fund, and it's an offering many of us have been crying out for. Many other racing series have been live-streaming their races for some time now. But I'm not going to sugar coat it-this new F1 viewing option seems really quite mediocre, particularly considering the cost.
You pays your money...There are actually two different subscription levels on offer. F1 TV Pro-$11.99 per month here in the US-gets you the races as well as all the other track sessions live and on-demand after the fact, along with all 20 cars' onboard feeds, unedited team radio broadcasts, an archive of past F1 races, documentaries, live timing, and a driver tracking map. F1 TV Access-just $2.99 in the US-is a little more basic. You still get the archives, documentaries, timing, scoring, and some radio feeds, but this tier only offers replays of each session.
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