Motor racing's Formula 1 has a new US broadcaster – streaming giant Apple will cover the next five F1 seasons exclusively, through a deal reportedly worth $700 million in total.
The deal represents Apple's most significant sports rights acquisition yet and will see the Apple TV streaming service start showing F1 action in the US from the 2026 season, with the contract running through the 2030 campaign.
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The heavyweight technology behemoth is paying roughly $140 million each year, according to media reports, and is set to make F1 coverage available to its Apple TV subscribers as part of their existing monthly package.
Apple replaces Disney-owned ESPN as the F1 broadcaster in the US, with that major sports network having been paying $90 million annually for the rights, meaning Apple's offer comes in as a significant improvement financially for the series. The current ESPN deal was struck as a three-year extension in late 2022 and covers the 2023-25 cycle of the series.
F1 TV Premium will continue to be available in the US market, but only via an Apple TV subscription (after which it will be free to view from that point on).
All Apple TV customers will receive access to live coverage of every on-track F1 session (but will not produce its own commentary, with arrangements for that as yet undecided), as well as to all the content produced by the F1 TV in-house production arm. This includes all free practice, qualifying, and sprint sessions, as well as all Grands Prix for the next five seasons.
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By GlobalDataSelect races – as well as every free practice session – will be covered for free via the Apple TV app, both parties have said.
The Apple Original studio arm has already produced F1 The Movie, which was released in cinemas in June, and is set to appear on Apple TV and make its streaming debut in mid-December.
That production grossed over $628 million worldwide, according to movie data IMDB.
Additionally, Apple has said it will "amplify the sport" across its News, Maps, Music, Sports, and Fitness+ sub-brands.
In terms of its other major sports rights contracts in the US, meanwhile, Apple also covers the Major League Soccer (MLS) series – holding almost exclusive domestic rights to that property through 2032 – as well as Friday night action from baseball's MLB. That agreement covers the 2023-28 cycle.
Stefano Domenicali, president and chief executive of Formula 1, has said: "This is an incredibly exciting partnership for both Formula 1 and Apple that will ensure we can continue to maximise our growth potential in the U.S. with the right content and innovative distribution channels."
Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of services, added: "2026 marks a transformative new era for Formula 1 from new teams to new regulations and cars with the best drivers in the world, and we look forward to delivering premium and innovative fan-first coverage to our customers in a way that only Apple can.”
Responding to the news, Conrad Wiacek, head of sponsorship at GlobalData Sport, said: "Apple has made a major move by bringing F1 to its streaming platform, to go alongside its MLS and MLB coverage in the US. By getting the F1 deal, Apple is signalling its intent in the sports media rights market, going well over the top of incumbent ESPN, which was paying a reported $90m per year, while Apple has secured the rights for $140m, a significant increase. Whether the value is there remains to be seen.
"For F1, moving away from one of the traditional giants in the US sports market to follow the money and join Apple, a service without the infrastructure to compete with the likes of Netflix and Disney (who own ESPN), feels like potentially a short-term play. Apple is hoping the success of the F1 Movie starring Brad Pitt will convert movie fans into racing fans and that securing F1 rights also secures eyeballs and subscribers for its streaming network."
F1 is scheduled to have three US races next season – Miami in early May, Austin in late October, and Las Vegas in mid-November.
The series has been growing significantly in terms of its US popularity in recent times, helped to a large degree by the F1: Drive to Survive show that has been airing on streaming content service Netflix since 2019.
That series will continue, despite the live US rights moving to a Netflix rival, and will not be affected in terms of upcoming seasons.
