Can Apple deliver on F1’s American dream?
Apple’s bid to show live Formula 1 races in the US is a major boost for the sport. As Scoreboard went to press, a person with knowledge of the matter said that the tech company looked increasingly likely to win the rights.
But picking the streamer — just as F1 tries to mastermind the next phase of its growth strategy in a country it is starting to crack in a meaningful way — is not without risk.
Apple, which co-produced the summer blockbuster F1 (the movie starring Brad Pitt) is challenging Disney’s ESPN, the existing broadcast partner, for the rights. The pressure is on F1 to convert its growing popularity in the US into a more lucrative media rights deal rather than just hype.
The timing is also key, with talks taking place between the release of the hit film and the arrival of US marque Cadillac on the grid in 2026.
Wall Street is watching closely. Analysts at Citi have previously estimated that F1’s next US broadcast deal could be worth $121mn a year. Two people involved in the process say it could be worth about that or up to $150mn, well above the $85mn a year currently paid by ESPN. One person cautioned that F1 is yet to make a final call.
But there’s more to factor in than just cash. F1 is still focused on growing its audience in the US — and Apple has limited reach compared to other networks and platforms. Concerns have also been raised that not many fans are watching Major League Soccer on AppleTV. Then there’s the matter of whether F1 can negotiate a deal that allows it to continue showing live races on its own streaming app, F1 TV.
Could Apple’s keen interest bring ESPN back to the table? As cord-cutting transforms the media rights market in the US, the Disney-owned network has so far adopted a tough negotiating stance.
While F1’s audiences on ESPN have doubled since 2018 to an average of 1.1mn viewers a race, the pace of growth stalled in 2024. ESPN had an exclusivity period last year to negotiate with F1 but the talks ended without a deal.
For F1 executives, the choice of broadcast partner in the US is set to be a pivotal moment in the sport’s American story. Going with Apple would be a gamble.