Tech giant Apple is taking over F1's broadcast rights in the United States from ESPN, in a deal worth more than $140m per year
Streaming platform Apple TV has won the bid to exclusively broadcast Formula 1 in the United States from 2026, signing a five-year deal with F1's commercial rightsholder.
Apple had long been a frontrunner in the race against current rightsholder ESPN to take over F1 streaming rights in the US, with the tech giant also behind the blockbuster F1 movie that become the highest grossing sports movie of all time.
Over the United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin, Apple and F1 management officially announced that they had agreed to a five-year deal to bring the series to the tech giant's streaming platform Apple TV between 2026 and 2023.
No figures were announced, but Motorsport.com understands Apple will fork out north of $140m per year for the US exclusivity deal, a significant increase compared to the reported $90m ESPN was paying per year since 2023.
From 2026 onwards all F1 practice sessions, qualifying sessions and races will be available to Apple TV subscribers, with select races and practice sessions available for free on the app. It will also offer a Spanish language option.
The Apple contract means the existing F1 TV service will disappear as a standalone app in the US, but F1 TV Premium will instead be folded into the regular Apple TV subscription, which costs $12.99 per month, at no extra cost.
Eddy Cue speaks during Autosport Business Exchange New York in New York City.
The streaming deal also presents a landmark shift in F1 broadcasting as the sport attracts a younger and more diverse fanbase in its Drive to Survive era. The 2025 Global Fan Survey conducted by Motorsport Network and Formula 1 found that 47% of new US Formula 1 fans are aged 18-24 and over half are female, with younger audiences more likely to turn to streaming services than linear TV.
“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 US with the right content and innovative distribution channels," said F1 CEO and president 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."
Apple is no stranger to live sports broadcasting, holding the rights to Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer. And it vows to leverage its existing ecosystem to draw new American sports fans to F1, which includes apps like Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Sports and Apple Fitness+.
Eddy Cue, Apple‘s senior vice president of services, said: “We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Formula 1 and offer Apple TV subscribers in the US front row access to one of the most exciting and fastest-growing sports on the planet.
"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.”
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Category: General Sports
