Apple wins US F1 TV rights from 2026 in five year deal
Apple has announced that it has secured the exclusive US rights to broadcast all F1 races from 2026 as part of a five-year deal, replacing previous US rightsholder ESPN.
The new partnership follows this year’s Apple Original Films release, F1: The Movie, which has become the highest grossing sports film of all time, crossing $629 million at the global box office. It is also Brad Pitt’s highest-grossing film to date.
The deal sees all practice, qualifying, Sprint races, and Grands Prix available to Apple TV subscribers, with select races and all practice sessions accessible for free to users of the Apple TV app. Apple users will also get access to everything on F1TV, including data, timing and track maps.
The platform is certainly there, with a reported 300 million people in the USA currently iPhone users, and the addition of Spanish language broadcasting will be a bonus to the country’s Spanish-speaking population.
Damson Idris and Brad Pitt in F1: The Movie
“2026 marks a transformative new era for Formula 1”
“We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Formula 1 and offer Apple TV subscribers in the U.S. front row access to one of the most exciting and fastest-growing sports on the planet,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services.
“2026 marks a transformative new era for Formula 1, from new teams to new regulations and cars with the best drivers in the world, and we look forward to delivering premium and innovative fan-first coverage to our customers in a way that only Apple can.”
The US will again see three F1 races next season, starting with Miami on May 3rd, followed by Austin on October 25th and Las Vegas on November 21st.
Netflix’s Drive to Survive documentary series will not be affected by the new deal, while fans of F1: The Movie can stream it on Apple TV from Friday 12th December.
The 2025 Miami Grand Prix
Photographer Credit - Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
REVIEW | F1: The Movie - A triumph for cinema but a nightmare for F1 fans
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Apple