Apple F1 US Streaming Rights Bid Gains Momentum After Brad Pitt’s Box Office Success
As Apple celebrates its first major film success, it’s looking to double down on Formula 1 by challenging ESPN for the US broadcasting deal.
Apple is making a strategic push into live sports broadcasting, setting its sights on Formula 1’s US media rights—a move that could shake up the streaming landscape and intensify competition with Disney-owned ESPN.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the tech giant has begun negotiations to acquire F1’s US broadcast rights, currently held by ESPN. The timing is notable: ESPN’s exclusive renegotiation window closed last year, opening the door for rivals like Apple to make a bid.
This comes on the heels of a milestone for Apple Studios. The company’s Formula 1-themed film starring Brad Pitt has become its first true box office triumph, grossing around $300 million globally. The film’s success has reportedly bolstered Apple’s confidence in investing further into motorsport as entertainment.
Formula 1’s current deal with ESPN nets the racing series about $85 million annually. But with interest from multiple parties and the sport’s growing US fanbase, analysts at Citi estimate the next deal could climb to $121 million or more per year—especially following the buzz around the Brad Pitt film and Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries.
Liberty Media, the US-based owner of Formula 1, has aggressively expanded the sport’s US footprint in recent years by adding races in Miami and Las Vegas alongside the long-standing Austin Grand Prix. Viewership figures back the momentum: the 2024 season has averaged 1.3 million US viewers per race—more than double the numbers seen in 2018.
Apple’s deeper dive into live sports aligns with its broader content strategy. The company previously signed streaming deals with Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer. F1 would be its most ambitious move yet.
The tech giant wraps Apple TV+ and Apple Studios into its larger services division, which brought in over $100 billion last year—fueled by products ranging from iCloud to Apple Pay. The success of the Brad Pitt film could position Apple to be a more serious player in both entertainment and sports broadcasting.
While Apple, Liberty Media, and Formula 1 have declined to comment publicly, insiders suggest more bidders could emerge. ESPN isn’t out of the race just yet, but Apple’s growing influence—and deep pockets—have added new drama to the battle for US F1 broadcasting rights.
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