Apple secures colossal $750 million deal for F1 broadcast rights in the US from 2026

As the checkered flag at the end of the 2025 Formula 1 season comes into view for the drivers, ESPN’s time as the US F1 broadcaster is also coming to a close, with Apple TV securing a $750 million deal until 2030.

McLaren has wrapped up the Constructor’s Championship for the 2025 season in scintillating fashion

But the driver’s title is going down to the wire with Max Verstappen coming back into the race alongside papaya duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

With just six races left in the season, ESPN’s seven-year stint as lead broadcaster is nearing its end, and Apple TV will be calling ‘lights out and away we go’ next year.

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Formula 1 is cashing in on massive broadcast deals

Starting in 2026, the American broadcasts of the Formula 1 season will be switching from ESPN to Apple TV, with the Practice, Qualifying, and Grand Prix heats all being made available to subscribers for free.

The deal, reported to be worth $750 million, spread over five seasons at $150m a year, is one of many changes F1 is lining up for its product in the coming years.

It comes as a first for Apple TV, as the broadcaster will be offering the packages for free with standard subscriptions, unlike its Major League Soccer coverage, which comes with an additional fee.

Previously, ESPN had been reported to be paying $90m a year, which will now see F1 get an additional $60m a year in its back pocket.

The American broadcaster has yet to settle on a commentary package, and could piggyback on the UK’s Sky Sports team for the opening races of next season.

Sky Sports’ deal is likely to be significantly more than the Apple TV’s, however.

The British network is reported to have signed an extension to the rumoured $1.2bn deal that has been in place since 2019, taking the partnership into the 2029 season.

ESPN will air the final races of the current season, as the world watches Max Verstappen put his best foot forward to try and retain his grasp on the championship.

But if you’re wondering, Drive to Survive on Netflix will not be impacted.

Apple TV capitalizes on the F1 movie success

All of this comes on the back of the job that Apple TV did with Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton’s F1 Movie, which shattered Box Office records.

The movie helped generate massive prize money for the actual F1 circuit, and Apple TV came in clutch with its specially developed camera that could withstand 220mph straights and 5G corners.

Having shown prowess in that department, it likely went a long way to showing the F1 board that Apple TV is the right home for Formula 1 in America.

“This is an incredibly exciting partnership for both Formula 1 and Apple that will ensure we can continue to maximize our growth potential in the US,” said Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.

“We are no strangers to each other, having spent the past three years working together to create F1 The Movie, which has already proven to be a huge hit around the world.”

The broadcast for the Formula 1 has been placed under scrutiny as of late.

Carlos Sainz lashed out at the camera work that somehow missed Fernando Alonso’s 50-second pursuit of a brakeless Lewis Hamilton in the final lap of the Singapore Grand Prix, in favor of filming the reactions of family and friends.

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