In a move that could redefine how Americans experience one of the world’s premier motorsports, Formula 1 appears poised to trade ESPN’s established cable reach for the sleek, tech-driven promise of Apple’s streaming platform. Multiple reports, including those from Puck’s Dylan Byers and Business Insider, now make it clear that Apple has emerged as the front-runner to secure U.S. streaming rights for F1 beginning in 2026 — offering a reported $150 million per year. That figure doubles the estimated $85 million ESPN currently pays, signaling just how aggressively Apple is pursuing sports content as a pillar of its streaming ambitions.
This deal, if finalized, would mark Apple’s third significant foray into live sports — alongside its current partnerships with Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball — but it arguably carries a different weight. Unlike MLS, which competes for relevance in a crowded American soccer landscape dominated by Europe’s top leagues, Formula 1 is a global juggernaut experiencing an unprecedented surge in U.S. popularity, thanks in large part to Netflix’s wildly successful Drive to Survive docuseries. ESPN’s broadcasts now average around 1.3 million viewers per race — more than double what they drew just six years ago.
Why Apple Wants the Checkered Flag
For Apple, the opportunity is twofold: it secures another tentpole property for Apple TV+ in an era where premium live sports are one of the few guaranteed draws for new subscribers, and it further integrates sports with its larger ecosystem of hardware and content. Apple’s recent F1-themed feature film, starring Brad Pitt, reportedly grossed more than $300 million worldwide. While that’s a tidy sum in itself, the film also served as an immersive marketing tool, introducing new fans to the sport while showcasing Apple’s potential to deliver sports storytelling in bold new ways.
The company’s track record with MLS offers both optimism and caution. Apple’s 10-year, $2.5 billion global deal with MLS — sweetened by Lionel Messi’s arrival in Miami — demonstrated its willingness to bet big on live sports. But the shift to a paywalled, standalone streaming service arguably narrowed the league’s visibility among casual fans. Without ESPN’s perpetual highlight reels and sports debate shows keeping the MLS conversation alive, the league’s reach risks becoming more niche than mainstream, despite Messi’s box-office appeal.
F1, however, isn’t MLS. It commands a passionate, affluent fan base worldwide, and in the U.S., it’s on an upward trajectory. The sport also maintains multiple broadcast partners in Europe and its own direct-to-consumer product, F1 TV, making Apple’s U.S. deal just one piece of its global puzzle. Still, the cautionary tale remains: when the reach of traditional linear networks is replaced by the paywall of a single tech platform, will the growth momentum stall?
A Strategic Pivot for Liberty Media
Liberty Media, F1’s parent company, finds itself grappling with the classic “revenue versus relevance” dilemma. Should it prioritize the immediate financial boost of a larger bid from a streamer, or stick with a legacy network that can guarantee mass-market reach? Disney-owned ESPN, facing mounting cost pressures, made the pragmatic choice to step back rather than chase Apple’s deep pockets. Industry insiders suggest no other major U.S. bidder remains at the table.
Yet Liberty Media appears optimistic that Apple can fuel its stateside expansion. At a recent J.P. Morgan conference, Liberty executive Derek Chang emphasized that the U.S. remains the sport’s biggest growth market: “There’s a lot of headroom, and it’s up for us to go out and capitalize on that.” The question is whether a paywalled streaming environment will draw in new, casual fans or leave them on the sidelines.
Why This Could Succeed Where MLS Hasn’t
There are reasons to believe an Apple-F1 partnership will avoid the pitfalls seen with MLS. First, F1’s brand is stronger and more established. Its narrative is driven by iconic teams, larger-than-life drivers, and a season-long storyline that’s tailor-made for multi-platform storytelling. Second, Apple’s tech integration could genuinely transform the fan experience. Early experiments with immersive trailers — like the haptic-enabled F1 film teaser that let iPhone users “feel” the car’s vibrations — hint at how Apple’s hardware ecosystem could blend with live racing. Future possibilities, from 360-degree cockpit views to Apple Vision Pro VR experiences, could make F1 an experiential product in a way that soccer matches, for all their beauty, simply can’t replicate on a screen.
And let’s not forget the leadership dynamic: Apple’s Eddy Cue, a self-described gearhead and Ferrari board member, and CEO Tim Cook, who famously waved the checkered flag (albeit a bit awkwardly) at the U.S. Grand Prix, are no passive stewards. Their passion — and Apple’s unmatched resources — could help build a more holistic F1 experience in America, spanning live racing, films, documentaries, and interactive features.
Streaming’s Next Great Test Case
If the deal closes as expected, it will test Big Tech’s thesis that premium live sports can be the ultimate hook for subscription growth. It also underscores the broader shift in sports media rights: while the NFL remains the crown jewel that Apple hasn’t yet chased, F1 would represent a significant milestone in its ambitions to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with traditional sports networks.
But the stakes are high. If Apple fails to sustain F1’s momentum and the sport’s U.S. popularity stalls behind a paywall, it could add fuel to critics who believe Big Tech’s vision for sports is too insular, prioritizing revenue over reach. Conversely, if Apple’s technological innovation deepens fan engagement and draws in new audiences, it could rewrite the playbook for how sports and streaming coexist — and pave the way for even bigger deals in the years to come.
The Final Lap
Ultimately, Formula 1’s pivot to Apple feels less like a gamble and more like a calculated risk in an industry that’s evolving rapidly. In the battle between linear TV’s declining viewership and streaming’s promise of global, on-demand audiences, the checkered flag increasingly belongs to the disruptors.
For racing fans, it’s worth hoping that Apple’s involvement brings not only a robust stream but an entirely new level of immersion — one that puts them closer to the roar of the engines and the thrill of the track than ever before. If Apple gets this right, the future of live sports might just be sitting in your pocket.
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