Apple is in talks to acquire U.S. broadcast rights to screen Formula 1 racing when the contract becomes available next year, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The report follows the strong performance of Apple’s high-octane Brad Pitt-starrer “F1: The Movie”, which has grossed more than $300 million in worldwide box office collection as of Wednesday, according to IMDb’s Box Office Mojo.
Currently, Walt Disney’s ESPN holds the exclusive U.S. broadcast rights for F1 through the 2025 season. However, ESPN’s exclusivity period to negotiate a new contract with F1 expired, sources told Reuters in February, opening the door for new bidders.
Apple and F1 did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Apple is aiming to capitalize on the sport’s growing popularity in the U.S. which was also driven by the success of Netflix’s hit docu-series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” that provided an engaging behind-the-scenes look at the sport.
Netflix is also among the contenders for the F1 U.S. broadcasting rights from the 2026 season, according to media reports in February.
Apple TV+, known for original shows such as “Ted Lasso”, “The Morning Show”, “Shrinking” and “Severance”, has been trailing behind competitors like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video in subscriber numbers, and acquiring F1 rights could help boost its sports content offering.
Streaming platforms are investing heavily in exclusive rights to dominate the lucrative live sports market to drive subscriber growth and increase ad dollars in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Netflix paid more than $5 billion to be the exclusive home of World Wrestling Entertainment’s “Raw” in several territories from January this year.
