Where to watch the 2026 Italian GP at Monza: Sky, NOW and free coverage on TV8

The weekend Italian fans wait for all year is almost here: the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix takes place at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza from September 4 to 6, 2026, with the race scheduled for Sunday, September 6 at 3:00 pm over 53 laps. Good news if you don't want to spend anything: unlike almost every other round of the season, Monza is one of the few weekends you can follow for free, live and without delay.

In this guide, we'll look at where to watch the 2026 Monza GP, what TV8, Sky and NOW each offer, and which option makes sense depending on how much of the weekend you want to follow.

Who broadcasts the Italian GP in Italy

Formula 1 rights in Italy remain a Sky exclusive, covering the full race weekend at every circuit on the 2026 calendar. The Italian Grand Prix is the exception though: along with the six Sprint races, it's one of the few rounds TV8 broadcasts for free, live and not delayed, unlike almost every other Grand Prix.

This means you can follow Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race without any subscription at all, or choose Sky or NOW to also get access to Friday and Saturday's practice sessions, which stay behind the pay-TV wall.

Watch it for free with TV8

TV8 broadcasts the 2026 Italian GP for free on channel 8 of digital terrestrial TV and channel 125 of the Sky satellite platform, no subscription needed. Qualifying airs live on Saturday, September 5 from 4:00 pm, while the race gets underway on Sunday, September 6 at 3:00 pm, both shown in full live coverage. Streaming is available for free on tv8.it.

It's the simplest option if you only care about qualifying and the race, without adding another subscription to what you already pay for. The only catch is that Friday's and Saturday morning's practice sessions stay outside the free-to-air schedule.

If you choose Sky

Sky covers the entire Monza weekend live, from Friday's first practice session all the way to Sunday's finish line, on Sky Sport F1 (channel 207), Sky Sport Uno (channel 201) and Sky Sport 4K (channel 213). It's the right choice if you don't want to miss a single session, including the practice sessions TV8 doesn't show.

The package is called Sky Sport and is available via satellite, via fibre with Sky Stream or Sky Glass, or in streaming with NOW or Sky Go. Besides Formula 1 it includes the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, tennis with the US Open and Wimbledon, NBA basketball and MotoGP.

Sky's promotions change often throughout the season, so it's worth checking the current offer on the official site before subscribing.

If you choose NOW

NOW gives you the same sports content as Sky through the Sport Pass, in streaming and without installing anything: no satellite dish, no decoder. The Pass covers all 24 races of the 2026 season plus the six Sprints, live, on smart TVs, tablets, computers and consoles like PS4, PS5, Xbox and Apple TV.

It's the most convenient option if you're starting from scratch and want to follow the whole Monza weekend, practice sessions included, with no installation. As with Sky, NOW's terms change often too, so it's worth checking the current price and commitment period at the time you activate it.

Figuring out what you actually need

It depends on how much of the weekend you want to follow. If qualifying and the race are enough for you, TV8 covers you for free with no extra cost, and it's the only weekend of the year this is possible live. If you also want to follow Friday's and Saturday morning's practice, then Sky or NOW become the more sensible choice. If you already have Sky for football, tennis or other sports, you already have access to the Italian GP without doing anything extra, while if you're starting from scratch, NOW is the quickest way to get everything in streaming.

Keeping track of it all with EasySubs

Between Sky, NOW and the free channels, between free-to-air weekends like Monza and every other delayed broadcast, it's easy to lose track of what you're really paying and when each subscription is due to renew.

EasySubs helps you keep all your subscriptions in one place, including the renewal dates and auto-renewals of Sky and NOW, so you always know your total spend and can calmly decide what's worth keeping active after the Italian GP.