North American fans furious after Nurburgring 24 hour race stream blackout

Max Verstappen, Verstappen Racing, Nurburgring, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Nurburgring 24 Hours

North American fans furious after Nurburgring 24 hour race stream blackout

There were some problems watching the Nurburgring 24 Hours across the pond

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 17 May 2026 21:14

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Fans in the United States and Canada have complained that they were unable to watch the 2026 Nurburgring 24 Hours, where F1 champion Max Verstappen was in action this weekend.

The Dutchman was comfortably in the lead with the No.3 Mercedes-AMG car as the 24-hour race rolled into Sunday, but misfortune struck when Dani Juncadella was seen entering the pits and returning the car to the garage, with just over three hours left in the race.

It was later revealed that an ABS sensor issue led to vibrations, and soon after, the drive shaft snapped, putting an end to any chance of a victory for Verstappen, Juncadella, Lucas Auer and Jules Gounon.

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This late drama was denied to some viewers in North America, however, who complained that they were unable to watch the action unfold at the Nurburgring this weekend.

North American fans upset to miss Nurburgring 24 Hours

Taking to X in a post that has since garnered over 5,000 likes, Shopify CEO Tobias Lutke wrote: "Why on earth is the Nurburgring 24h geoblocked on YouTube for US and Canada? What is the point?"

It appears he wasn't the only viewer to experience this issue, with another user adding: "Would have had the N24 on TV in the background all day if it were on YouTube in the US. But it's geoblocked.

Then they revealed they were confronted with the message: "Please subscribe to RACER+."

Various fans pointed to the fact that the Racer Network had the rights to show the Nurburgring 24 Hours in the region, with Racer themselves advertising the live race on their Racer+ network.

The 2026 Nurburgring 24 Hours has seen unprecedented interest thanks to the Verstappen-effect, with the event attendance sitting at 352,000 spectators, a new attendance record.

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