- Apple TV+ to air all 24 races and integrate F1 TV Premium
- Deal understood to be worth US$150m a season
- Selected races will be made available free-to-air
Apple has agreed a five-year deal to become the exclusive broadcaster of Formula One in the US from next season.
Apple TV+ will air every practice and qualification, sprint race, and Grand Prix from the 2026 Formula One World Championship at no additional cost to subscribers, who will also gain access to F1 TV Premium.
All practice sessions will be available for free, as will selected races throughout the season in a bid to improved accessibility in what remains a significant growth market for the sport.
The tech giant has long been linked with a move for Formula One, which is currently broadcast by ESPN, with speculation intensifying after the successful launch of F1: The Movie.
Financial terms have not been disclosed but Apple is thought to be paying US$150 million a season, or US$750 million over the lifetime of the contract. That is a significant improvement on the current deal with ESPN, whose deal is worth a reported US$90 million annually.
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ESPN released a statement shortly after news of Formula One’s Apple deal broke, which read: ‘We’re incredibly proud of what we and Formula One accomplished together in the United States and look forward to a strong finish in this final season. We wish F1 well in the future.’
Apple will share more details about coverage plans closer to the new season but has promised to amplify the sport across its full suite of applications, including Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Sports, and Apple Fitness+.
“This is an incredibly exciting partnership for both Formula One and Apple that will ensure we can continue to maximise our growth potential in the US with the right content and innovative distribution channels,” said Formula One president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali.
“We are no strangers to each other, having spent the past three years working together to create F1: The Movie, which has already proven to be a huge hit around the world. We have a shared vision to bring this amazing sport to our fans in the US and entice new fans through live broadcasts, engaging content, and a year-round approach to keep them hooked.”
“We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Formula One and offer Apple TV subscribers in the US front row access to one of the most exciting and fastest-growing sports on the planet,” added Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services.
“2026 marks a transformative new era for Formula One 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.”
Apple TV+ also has the global rights to Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Friday Night Baseball and Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Sunday Night Soccer. The platform also distributes MLS Season Pass as an add-on.
BlackBook says…
It’s difficult to keep track of the number of sports properties Apple has been linked with over the past few years, not least when several reports of interest have been fabricated by those with a vested interest in driving up the value of their deals.
So even when talks of a deal between Apple and Formula One intensified, there was still some scepticism. Was Apple TV, still a relatively niche platform in the US, the right fit for Formula One at this stage in its development in the US? Would Formula One, still a relatively niche sport in the US, push the needle sufficiently for Apple TV? And could the tech giant be content with just local rather than global rights?
But now the ink has finally dried on one of the worst kept secrets in sports broadcasting, it’s easy to see why this deal makes so much sense. Formula One get a revenue increase and the prestige of partnering with a major technology brand, while Apple gains access to a relatively affluent and youthful fanbase that it can look to sell products and services too. The sport will also benefit from access to Apple’s technology, expanding its audience and unlocking new monetisation opportunities.
As for Apple, it finally adds another major string to its sports broadcasting bow and there will inevitably be further speculation about its intentions in the space and what rights it could go for next. But equally, the reported US$150 million cost of the deal could be written off as a marketing expense for a company of Apple’s size, so it’s no guarantee that this deal will open the floodgates.
It feels as though we’ve been talking about the future of Formula One in the US for some time, possibly because it’s such an exciting story that marries the glamour of the sport itself with the disruptive potential of streaming technology.
Now we get to see what will happen.
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