Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 leads Carlos Sainz of Spain driving the (55) Ferrari SF-24 and Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL38 Mercedes into Turn 1 at the start during the Mexican F1 Grand Prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Peter Fox – Formula 1 | Formula 1 | Getty Images
Apple and Formula 1 announced a five-year media rights deal on Friday that will see all F1 races broadcast on Apple TV from 2026.
Apple TV will provide coverage for everyone Formula 1 events, including practice, qualifying and sprint sessions, as part of the streamer’s existing $12.99 per month, ad-free subscription. Select F1 races and all practice sessions will also be available for free in the Apple TV app throughout the season, the companies said in a statement.
This is a different structure from Apple’s partnership with Major League Soccer. Apple TV also has exclusive rights to all MLS games, but at an additional cost through the MLS Season Pass.
Apple pays about $140 million a year for racing rights, according to people familiar with the matter. Disney ESPN is the league’s historic media partner and paid an average of about $85 million a year, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to speak publicly because the details are private.
Representatives for ESPN said in a statement that the network is “incredibly proud of what we and Formula 1 have accomplished together in the United States and we look forward to finishing this final season strong. We wish F1 well in the future.”
F1 TV Premium, the league’s content offering popular with motor racing fans, will continue to be available in the United States, but will now require an Apple TV subscription. Once a customer subscribes to Apple TV, F1 TV Premium will be included in their Apple subscription rather than as a standalone offering.
Apple is getting into live sports, but only in cases where it can acquire rights to control the user experience, Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue told CNBC this week. Apple plans to announce additional production details and product enhancements for F1 fans in the coming months, the company said in a statement.
“We don’t have to play sports like they do,” Cue said at Motorsport Network’s Autosport Business Exchange NYC. “There are a lot of people doing that, so the world doesn’t need us to do that. And so our point of view is if we can do something unique, then we will.”
The deal builds on Apple’s relationship with F1 after “F1: The Movie,” starring Brad Pitt, which this year became the highest-grossing sports film of all time at the box office, according to Cue.
“This is an incredibly exciting partnership for Apple and all of Formula 1, which will allow us to continue to maximize our growth potential in the United States,” Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1 president and CEO, said in a statement.
