Apple TV will stream F1 in the United States

Starting in 2026, Apple TV will have exclusive broadcast rights to Formula 1, replacing ESPN.

This Friday, the motorsports championship and the streaming service reached an agreement for free practice, qualifying, sprint races, and the championship's Grand Prix to be broadcast in the United States on Apple TV for five years.

Although neither Apple TV nor F1 have offered financial figures for the contract, specialized media have indicated that it is around $140 million per season.

The arrival of Apple TV to Formula 1 marks the end of the seven-year relationship the motorsports competition has had with the American sports television channel ESPN, owned by Disney.

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The deal with Apple TV also confirms the growing global interest in Formula 1. Since the American company Liberty Media acquired the world championship in 2018, the sport's social media following has grown from 18.7 million to 107.6 million.

Formula 1's popularity has been helped by series like 'Drive to Survive,' which has been broadcast on Netflix since 2019 and has garnered a large following in the United States, a market where Liberty Media aims to expand the sport's presence.

A survey conducted this year by F1 found that 47% of new American fans of the world's top motorsports category who have been following the sport for less than five years are between the ages of 18 and 24, and more than half are women.

Apple's streaming service will also offer some of the races and free practice sessions throughout the season for free.

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Additionally, "Apple will amplify the sport through Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Sports, and Apple Fitness+," F1 said in a statement.

The Formula 1 streaming service, F1 TV Premium, will continue to be available in the United States, but via Apple TV. Subscribers to Apple's streaming service will have free access to F1 TV Premium.

The deal comes after Apple TV produced the feature film "F1: The Movie," starring Brad Pitt, which was filmed at various circuits on the calendar on the same weekends the competition was held.

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To make the film, which has grossed an estimated $628 million worldwide on a budget of around $200 million, Apple TV developed new technology and a special camera for vehicle-based filming, which the company could use in its broadcasts.

Apple has also hinted at an integration between broadcasting and virtual reality technology. Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1, said: "This is an incredibly exciting partnership for both Formula 1 and Apple."

For his part, Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president, stated that "2026 marks a transformative new era for Formula 1, from new teams to new regulations," referring to the arrival of the American Cadillac team in the competition and the beginning of a new series of technical regulations that will change the vehicles.

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