Apple Reportedly Eyes Formula 1 U.S. Broadcast Rights Following $293 Million Racing Movie Success

According to the Financial Times (July 9, 2025), Apple is in advanced discussions to acquire the U.S. broadcasting rights to Formula 1 when the current contract window reopens next year. This move comes on the heels of the strong box office showing of “F1: The Movie,” the Brad Pitt-led racing drama produced by Apple Studios, which has grossed approximately $293 million globally within its first 10 days of release (Variety, July 8, 2025).

The potential deal would place Apple in direct competition with ESPN, a Disney subsidiary that currently holds exclusive U.S. broadcast rights for Formula 1 through 2025. ESPN’s negotiating window to extend that contract ended earlier this year, opening the door to new bidders. According to Sportico (February 2025), Netflix is also expected to compete for the rights, following the boost in American viewership generated by its popular docuseries “Formula 1: Drive to Survive.”

Formula 1’s U.S. audience has expanded significantly over the past decade. In 2023, the Miami Grand Prix alone attracted a live audience of over 270,000 fans across the race weekend (ESPN Stats), while the average TV viewership for F1 races in the U.S. reached nearly 1.2 million per broadcast (Sports Business Journal, 2024).

Apple’s aggressive push into sports broadcasting aligns with its strategy to grow premium content offerings on Apple TV+. The company has previously secured exclusive rights for Major League Soccer (MLS) and certain Major League Baseball (MLB) games. A Formula 1 deal would mark one of its biggest live sports moves yet, leveraging the sport’s growing fan base and crossover appeal from its recent film success.

Apple and Formula 1 have not issued official statements on the potential deal. Reuters noted that it could not independently verify the Financial Times report. ESPN, Netflix, and Formula 1 representatives have also declined to comment publicly on the ongoing negotiations.