Apple struck a five-year US exclusive broadcast deal with F1 starting in 2026, taking over from ESPN in an agreement worth roughly $140 million per year — a significant increase over ESPN's reported $85–90 million annually. F1 access is bundled into the standard Apple TV+ subscription at $12.99 per month, with F1 TV Premium included at no additional cost.

The backdrop matters. The deal came off the back of the Apple F1 film, which grossed $630 million to become the most successful sports movie in history — and gave Apple a natural launchpad into live coverage.

Apple SVP Eddy Cue confirmed early numbers exceeded expectations ahead of Round 4. Viewership is "significantly" up versus last year's ESPN numbers for the first three races. Apple has been focused on two specific growth demographics: younger viewers and female fans.

The product is a genuine upgrade: US subscribers get every session in 4K with Dolby Vision for the first time in F1 history, plus Multiview, Podium View, driver cams, and spoiler-free replays.

Apple has declined to release independently verified data — a pattern consistent with their MLS deal. While ESPN averaged 1.1 million viewers for the 2025 Australian GP, comparing Apple's 18.7 million US subscribers to ESPN's 60 million cable households makes raw viewership claims difficult to verify.

The US deal was never just about the US. However, that ambition collided with reality today as Sky Sports extended its exclusive UK deal through 2034 in a contract worth £1 billion. This effectively closes the most valuable market outside the US to Apple for nearly a decade.

The upcoming Canadian Grand Prix will be the first F1 race broadcast live on Netflix, in a joint stream with Apple TV. This adds another streaming giant to a rights landscape that is changing faster than any deal cycle in history.