Apple is reportedly in active discussions to acquire exclusive US broadcasting rights for Formula 1, a move that could see the high-octane racing series land on the Apple TV app as early as 2026. The talks, first reported by The Financial Times, signal Apple’s latest —and possibly boldest — push into live sports streaming.
The current US broadcasting deal with ESPN ends after the 2025 season. While ESPN was given an exclusive window to negotiate a renewal, it let that lapse due to rising costs, though it remains in contention alongside Apple and other unnamed bidders.
Liberty Media, the parent company of Formula 1, currently earns around $90 million annually from ESPN’s rights deal. The next round is expected to fetch between $120–150 million per year, thanks to the sport’s surging popularity in the U.S.—a figure that Apple could easily accommodate, given its deep pockets and growing appetite for sports content.
If the deal goes through, Apple would join an expanding list of tech giants transforming live sports distribution. The company already streams Friday Night Baseball and Major League Soccer via Apple TV, and Formula 1 would represent a marquee addition to that lineup—albeit limited to U.S. rights, not global.
The fate of F1 TV, Formula 1’s own subscription streaming service (currently $130/year), also remains uncertain. In many international markets, broadcast partners require the service to be geo-blocked. Should Apple secure the rights, it’s unlikely the company would allow F1 TV to remain independently available in the US
This wouldn’t be Apple’s first lap around the Formula 1 circuit. Executives have frequently been spotted at Grand Prix events, and the company is already invested in F1 storytelling—F1: The Movie just debuted in theaters, and a Lewis Hamilton documentary is set to premiere on Apple TV+ soon.
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