Apple just stole something massive from ESPN—and no one saw it coming

Apple’s mission to remake Apple TV into a streaming hub for sports is on track, literally.

Apple will buy exclusive broadcast rights to Formula One (F1) races in the U.S. for the next five years, the company announced Friday. Apple cited the success of F1: The Movie in its decision to partner more deeply with Formula One, as the international motorsport gains a foothold among U.S. viewers. 

The five-year deal aims to extend the appeal of an Apple TV subscription to a broader swath of viewers while converting existing Apple TV users into racing fans, if things go as planned. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but reports from CNBC and New York Times-owned The Athletic put it in the ballpark of $140 million.

Apple TV will air practice, qualifying, and sprint sessions and Grand Prix events for subscribers, and some races and all practice sessions will be available for free through the Apple TV app. F1’s existing subscription service, F1 TV Premium, will remain available in the U.S. only through Apple TV. 

“We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Formula One 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 One—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 deal follows Apple’s success with the summer blockbuster F1: The Movie, starring Brad Pitt, its highest-grossing original film to date. The movie earned $293 million at the box office 10 days after release and marked a high point for Apple’s at times faltering film strategy. After earning $629 million at the global box office to date, the racing film will hit Apple’s streaming service on December 12.

Streamers scoop up sports

With the Apple deal, F1 will leave its existing media partner, ESPN, for greener pastures. ESPN was paying roughly $90 million for each F1 season, but Apple offered around $140 million to poach broadcast rights to the sport, according to CNBC. Apple’s move to throw cash at a growing sport to lure it away from a stagnant ESPN contract has echoes of Paramount’s recent $7.7 billion play for UFC, which will double what it earns each season under its new terms.

In its announcement, Apple notes that it will boost the sport across its suite of apps, including Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music, and Apple Fitness+. Apple’s Sports app will include live F1 updates, real-time leaderboards, driver standings, and a special home screen widget.

Apple’s F1 deal isn’t its first foray into sports in the U.S. In 2022, Apple announced a 10-year deal to air all Major League Soccer matches. The company charges $14.99 for MLS Season Pass, its soccer streaming package, on top of an Apple TV subscription, though existing subscribers get a few bucks off.

Based in the U.S. and Canada, MLS doesn’t approach the popularity of soccer leagues in Europe and South America, but it does host Argentine legend Lionel Messi. Messi signed with Inter Miami in 2023, giving the world a reason to tune into Apple’s exclusive MLS streams and earning a revenue-sharing agreement with the tech giant to boost the more than $20 million he makes on the field each season. 

In 2022, Apple also picked up the streaming rights to weekly Major League Baseball doubleheaders, branded as Friday Night Baseball, during the regular season. The company pays $85 million a season for the games, but it’s not yet clear if that relationship will continue as MLB negotiates new media rights deals for its games.

Even if Apple does back away from its exploratory relationship with MLB, it’s clear the company sees big potential in owning the rights to stream growing sports in the United States. Soccer and F1 aren’t exactly niche sports, but neither dominates U.S. viewership like the classic American trifecta of football, basketball, and baseball. With a big boost at the box office over the summer, F1’s U.S. growth might be on the cusp of booming, a trend Apple hopes to amplify by bringing its races under the Apple TV umbrella.

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