Apple on Friday announced a five-year deal with F1 for the exclusive U.S. rights to its series of races beginning in 2026, bringing the racing league into the streamer’s stable of sports rights that include soccer and baseball. The deal will see Apple pay roughly $150 million a year or $750 million over five years, according to an individual with knowledge of the pact.
The F1 deal comes just as Apple rebranded its streaming service from “Apple TV+” to simply “Apple TV,” and it follows the record-breaking haul of its Brad Pitt-led “F1,” which became the highest-grossing sports film of all time after its $629 million gross this year, following its June release. The film will premiere on Apple TV in December.
Additional information — including production details, product enhancements, and how F1 races will be integrated across Apple products — will be announced in the coming months.
“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,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “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.”
“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,” said Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1’s president and CEO. “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 U.S. and entice new fans through live broadcasts, engaging content, and a year-round approach to keep them hooked. I want to thank Tim Cook, Eddy Cue, and the entire Apple team for their vision and passionate approach to delivering this partnership, and we are looking forward to the next five years together.”
ESPN, which previously had the rights to F1, said in a statement, “We’re incredibly proud of what we and Formula 1 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 currently owns the U.S. rights to Major League Soccer and the MLB’s “Friday Night Baseball” games. Cue also expressed his frustration with the array of subscriptions needed to watch the various sporting leagues, saying he believed “more bundling,” or partnerships between various streamers, was the solution. (Apple on Thursday announced a new bundle with NBC’s Peacock streaming service, which comes after Amazon allowed its Prime Video subscribers to subscribe to Apple TV through its service.)
