The United States Grand Prix takes place this weekend at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, and this morning, Formula 1 used the occasion to announce a new broadcast deal for the sport in the US. Starting next year, F1 will no longer be broadcast on ESPN—it’s moving to Apple TV in a five-year, $750 million deal.
Apple boss Tim Cook has been seen at F1 races in the past, and earlier this year, Apple released F1: The Movie, starring Brad Pitt as a 50-something racing driver who improbably gets a second bite at the cherry 30 years after a brutal crash seemingly ended his F1 career.
But securing the rights to the sport itself means Apple has snagged a very fast-growing series, with races almost every other week—currently, the sport has expanded to 24 races a year.
“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,” said Stefano Domenicali, F1 president and CEO.
Apple says Apple TV subscribers will be able to watch every practice and qualifying session, as well as all the sprint races and grands prix. And “select races and all practice sessions will also be available for free in the Apple TV app throughout the course of the season,” the company said.
Apple also plans to “amplify the sport” through its other channels—Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music, and Apple Fitness+. There will even be a designated widget for iPhone home screens.
That obviously means no more coverage on ESPN, a channel that many cable subscribers get as part of their packages. That network obtained the rights from NBC in 2018 with a rough start that got a lot better once ESPN found a sponsor and stopped interrupting races with commercial breaks.
Uh, what about my F1TV?
That same year, F1 launched its own streaming service, albeit slightly delayed. F1 TV’s debut was also something of a fiasco, but it has improved leaps and bounds in the years since, recently adding 4K coverage. And questions about how F1 would maintain its own F1TV service while linking up with Apple had many scratching their heads during the past few weeks.
Now we know. F1 TV Premium will continue to exist in the US, but “via an Apple TV subscription only,” and it “will be free to those who subscribe,” Apple said in its press release. Whether this means US F1 fans will be able to stream content while abroad as they currently can with the F1 TV app remains to be seen.
“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,” said Eddy Cue, Apple SVP for services.
Batgirl Star Has 'Hope' for Film's Eventual Release After It Was Shelved 3 Years Ago: 'Hollywood's a Funny Place'