Every Formula E race, qualifying session and practice run will stream live on Disney+ from the 2026/27 season, after the all-electric world championship agreed a landmark multi-year deal covering 144 territories. In the United States, coverage will run on Disney+ alongside ESPN+.

The timing is deliberate. The deal kicks in with the arrival of the GEN4 car, the fastest electric racer yet built, and a record 21-race calendar. Formula E, majority-owned by Liberty Global, describes the agreement as one of the most significant milestones in its history.

Nothing changes for UK viewers wanting to watch for free. Formula E races currently air on ITV and ITVX, with pay-TV coverage on TNT Sports, and the championship says the Disney+ arrangement is designed to complement its established free-to-air and linear partners rather than replace them, “ensuring fans continue to enjoy broad access across key markets”.

Subscribers will get every session live, plus dedicated preview and review shows, race highlights, in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes programming and full race replays on demand immediately after each event.

Jeff Dodds, Formula E’s chief executive, said: “This is a landmark moment for Formula E and reflects the incredible momentum behind our Championship. Disney’s unrivalled global reach and storytelling will introduce Formula E to millions of new fans while bringing them closer than ever to the drama, innovation and excitement of electric racing.”

The GEN4 effect

The 2026/27 season is a genuine reset for the championship. The new GEN4 car produces more than 815bhp (600kW) and sprints from 0-60mph in approximately 1.8 seconds, around 30% faster than an F1 car. A revised race weekend format promises closer racing and more sporting jeopardy.

The expanded 21-race calendar spans 13 cities, opening in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 18 December 2026 and finishing under the lights in Tokyo on 25 July 2027. For British fans there is added interest closer to home, with the London E-Prix moving to Brands Hatch, while Porsche will field two factory teams from the same season.

Michaella Snoeck, Formula E’s chief media officer, said: “This agreement reflects the global demand for Formula E. Disney’s unprecedented scale complements our valued linear TV broadcast network, allowing us to serve core markets locally while accelerating our digital footprint globally and bringing our fans closer to the action than ever before.”

Disney is equally bullish. Joe Earley, co-president of direct-to-consumer at Disney Entertainment, said: “Formula E combines world-class competition, groundbreaking technology, and sustainability in a way that’s unlike any other sport. We’re excited to help power the Championship’s next chapter on Disney+ and to give fans around the globe front row access to every adrenaline-fueled race as it happens.”

Dodds also hinted at more to come, saying the two companies would “explore additional ways for Formula E and Disney to work together beyond live race coverage, creating even more innovative and engaging experiences for fans in the years ahead.”

Whether Disney’s storytelling machine can do for Formula E what Netflix’s Drive to Survive did for F1 remains to be seen. With a faster-than-F1 car off the line and 144 territories’ worth of new eyeballs, the championship has rarely had a better shot.