Apple secures exclusive Formula 1 broadcast rights in United States

Apple and Formula 1 disclosed a five-year partnership on October 17, 2025, granting Apple TV exclusive rights to broadcast all F1 races in the United States beginning in 2026. The agreement marks a significant expansion of Apple's sports content strategy and represents one of the most substantial broadcast rights deals in recent streaming history.

The partnership encompasses comprehensive Formula 1 coverage. All practice sessions, qualifying rounds, Sprint sessions, and Grands Prix will become available exclusively to Apple TV subscribers. Select races and all practice sessions will remain accessible without charge through the Apple TV app during the season. Apple will integrate Formula 1 content across multiple platforms, including Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music, and Apple Fitness+.

Apple Sports, the company's free iPhone application, will provide live updates for every qualifying session, Sprint, and race throughout each Grand Prix. The app will feature real-time leaderboards, season driver and constructor standings, Live Activities for Lock Screen monitoring, and a dedicated widget for iPhone Home Screen placement.

F1 TV Premium, Formula 1's proprietary streaming service, will remain operational in the United States exclusively through Apple TV subscriptions at no additional cost for subscribers. This arrangement maintains access to specialized racing content while consolidating distribution through Apple's platform.

"We're thrilled to expand our relationship with Formula 1 and offer Apple TV subscribers in the U.S. front-row access to one of the most exciting and fastest-growing sports on the planet," Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Services, stated in the announcement. "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."

The agreement builds on Apple's existing relationship with Formula 1 following the success of "F1 The Movie," an Apple Original Films production. The film has generated $629 million at the global box office since its theatrical release, establishing itself as the highest-grossing sports movie of all time. The movie maintains a 97 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and received an "A" CinemaScore rating.

"This is an incredibly exciting partnership for Apple and the whole of Formula 1 that will ensure we can continue to maximize our growth potential in the U.S. with the right content and innovative distribution channels," Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1's president and CEO, stated. "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."

The broadcast partnership arrives during substantial growth in Formula 1's American audience. The sport reached 52 million fans in the United States during 2024, according to Formula 1 data. The 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey, conducted with Motorsport Network, identified that 47 percent of new U.S. Formula 1 fans who have followed the sport for five years or less are aged 18-24. Over half of these new fans are female.

"F1 The Movie" will debut on Apple TV on December 12, 2025. The film stars Brad Pitt and ranks as his highest-grossing feature. Jerry Bruckheimer, seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, and Pitt served as producers alongside Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Chad Oman.

Apple TV launched in November 2019 as the first all-original streaming service to debut globally. The platform has accumulated 629 wins and 2,845 award nominations for its original content. Apple TV operates in over 100 countries and regions across more than 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, and various smart television brands.

The Formula 1 agreement positions Apple TV alongside other major streaming platforms acquiring exclusive sports rights. The streaming sports landscape has experienced significant consolidation during 2025, with platforms competing aggressively for premier live sports content.

Premium sports programming traditionally commands higher advertising rates than standard entertainment content due to simultaneous audience generation. However, Apple TV operates without advertising, distinguishing it from competitors who increasingly rely on ad-supported models. The platform depends entirely on subscription revenue, which increased to $12.99 monthly in August 2025, marking a 30 percent increase from the previous $9.99 rate.

Connected television advertising spending continues expanding as marketing budgets shift toward streaming platforms. Industry research indicates 72 percent of marketers plan to increase programmatic advertising investment in 2025, with Connected TV's share of media budgets projected to double from 14 percent in 2023 to 28 percent in 2025.

Traditional broadcast television experienced growth during late 2024, securing a 24.0 percent share of total television viewing time in October 2024, its highest level since January 2024. Live sports programming drove this increase, with NFL games claiming the top 16 broadcast spots during that period. However, streaming services maintain dominant market position, capturing 40.5 percent of total television viewing time.

The Apple-Formula 1 partnership reflects broader industry transformation as sports organizations reassess traditional broadcast arrangements. The French Football League launched its own direct-to-consumer streaming platform in July 2025, marking the first instance of a football league creating and operating its own broadcasting channel. That service debuted at €14.99 monthly, representing the lowest monthly cost for complete Ligue 1 access in competition history.

Streaming platforms have demonstrated varying approaches to sports content acquisition. Comcast integrated MLS Season Pass into its Xfinity platform in February 2025, enabling viewers to watch matches without switching between different applications. The technical implementation incorporated live matches directly into X1 and Xfinity Stream app user interfaces with dual-language functionality.

YouTube streamed its first free global NFL game in September 2025, broadcasting the Kansas City Chiefs versus Los Angeles Chargers game from São Paulo, Brazil. The platform provided comprehensive coverage with pregame and postgame shows, generating substantial advertising inventory through three hours of programming.

The Formula 1 broadcast deal represents a strategic expansion of Apple's sports portfolio. Apple previously secured rights to Major League Soccer through MLS Season Pass and has invested substantially in sports-related original content. The company's Services division, which encompasses streaming, advertising, and digital content sales, generated $27.423 billion during the third quarter of 2025, representing 12 percent growth year-over-year.

Apple announced it will provide additional information about production details, product enhancements, and content distribution methods across its platforms in coming months. The 2026 Formula 1 season will feature new teams, regulations, and technical specifications for racing cars.

For the marketing community, this development signals continued industry consolidation around major technology platforms. Streaming services have captured increasing shares of viewer attention, creating new advertising opportunities while fragmenting audiences across multiple platforms. The Apple-Formula 1 partnership demonstrates how premium sports content drives subscriber acquisition and retention for streaming services operating without advertising.

The exclusive nature of the broadcast agreement follows a pattern of sports leagues and platforms pursuing direct distribution relationships that bypass traditional broadcast networks. These arrangements provide leagues with potentially higher revenue while giving platforms differentiated content that drives subscription growth.

Formula 1 racing began in 1950 and operates as the world's most prestigious motor racing competition. Formula One World Championship Limited holds exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship. The organization is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation.

Apple's announcement arrives during a period of substantial investment in artificial intelligence capabilities and expanded advertising infrastructure. The company rebranded its advertising division from "Apple Search Ads" to "Apple Ads" on April 14, 2025, signaling broader ambitions beyond App Store search listings.

Timeline

• October 17, 2025: Apple and Formula 1 announce five-year exclusive U.S. broadcast partnership beginning 2026
• Summer 2025: "F1 The Movie" theatrical release generates $629 million global box office
• August 21, 2025: Apple TV+ subscription price increases 30% to $12.99 monthly
• July 25, 2024: Amazon Prime Video secures 11-year NBA and WNBA broadcasting rights starting 2025-26 season
• July 5, 2025: French Football League launches direct streaming platform at €14.99 monthly
• February 2, 2025: Comcast integrates MLS Season Pass into Xfinity platform
• December 12, 2025: "F1 The Movie" scheduled to debut on Apple TV streaming platform
• 2026: Formula 1 season begins exclusive broadcast on Apple TV in United States

Summary

Who: Apple, Formula 1, Apple TV subscribers in the United States, and the 52 million American Formula 1 fans. Key executives include Eddy Cue (Apple's senior vice president of Services) and Stefano Domenicali (Formula 1's president and CEO).

What: A five-year exclusive broadcasting partnership granting Apple TV rights to all Formula 1 races, practice sessions, qualifying rounds, and Sprint sessions in the United States. The agreement includes integration across Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, and Apple Sports, with F1 TV Premium available free for Apple TV subscribers.

When: Announced October 17, 2025, with exclusive broadcasting beginning in 2026 and continuing through 2030. "F1 The Movie" will debut on Apple TV on December 12, 2025.

Where: The exclusive broadcast rights apply to the United States. Apple TV operates in over 100 countries and regions across more than 1 billion screens. Formula 1 races occur globally, with the U.S. fanbase having reached 52 million in 2024.

Why: The partnership enables Formula 1 to maximize growth potential in the U.S. market through premium distribution channels while Apple expands its sports content portfolio to drive subscriber acquisition. The deal builds on the relationship established during production of "F1 The Movie," which became the highest-grossing sports movie of all time. For marketers, this represents continued streaming industry consolidation around major technology platforms and demonstrates how exclusive sports content drives streaming service differentiation in an increasingly competitive market.