Method 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has unsurprisingly backed the championship’s partnership with Apple because the know-how firm takes on broadcasting rights in america from this 12 months. The Italian added that the large will have the ability to put F1 “within the homes of different folks in several methods,” as he appears to be like ahead to greater US viewership.
F1 introduced in October 2025 that Apple would grow to be its unique US broadcaster with an settlement spanning 5 years, which Motorsport.com believes to be valued at $140million yearly. Taking this responsibility from ESPN, a partnership that had grown slowly since 2018, the model has teased an expertise that spans its whole product lineup.
ESPN completed 2025 with an all-time excessive viewership of round 1.3 million viewers per race throughout its networks, however Apple is aiming greater.
Race weekends will now be obtainable to stream on Apple TV, and the corporate has teased an expertise that runs all through the entire week sooner or later. The newest to come back from the partnership connects it to IMAX, with theatres confirmed to be screening 5 races at choose venues.
“After we are speaking about Apple within the US, we’re speaking a few new accomplice of Method 1 that’s believing in us with an ideal plan of being the protagonist of the expansion within the US of the game by means of their channels, by means of their functions, by means of their manner of pushing a product that isn’t solely technological, however is a brand new device of connectivity,” Domenicali mentioned by way of Racer.
“Apple is within the palms of the vast majority of folks as a result of it permits everybody to be related. We wish to be related and related and that is the place we consider that we took the proper resolution to go on this path.”
The Tim Prepare dinner-led organisation seeks to be hands-on throughout its tenure as US broadcaster, providing its know-how and sources to help the championship – one thing that ESPN arguably did not do to the extent Apple may.
George Russell, Mercedes
Photograph by: Sona Maleterova / Getty Photos
“I don’t wish to, for a single second, speak badly concerning the ESPN relationship as a result of they had been the primary to consider in us,” Domenicali continued. “I have to thank them and as you recognize, with Disney World, the collaboration is big within the space of licensing and different issues that we’re doing collectively. I had good conferences with the brand new CEO of Disney, Josh D’Amaro, to speak about greater steps that we are able to do much more.
“However I do consider that the attain that we’ll have by means of the streaming platform, by means of Apple, will likely be even greater sooner or later and it’s what we wish to check in a market that’s extra mature than the others. It would enable us to enter within the homes of different folks differently, in nice high quality that is essential for us. So, that’s what I consider the Apple relationship will carry to us within the American market.”
F1 has nearly cracked the US market after substantial funding and advertising and marketing effort. Drive to Survive enters its eighth season this 12 months, and the three US-based grands prix, Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas, are exhibiting robust numbers.
“We’re a worldwide sport however the US marketplace for positive a market the place we are able to see the potential development by way of curiosity by way of consciousness, by way of enterprise,” he advised Motorsport.com and different media.
“We do consider that the accomplice that we’ve got chosen on the planet of streaming is the proper one, for those who think about that the American market by way of streaming is likely one of the most mature ones, for those who evaluate with others like Europe or different ones.
“Apple will likely be very pushy to make use of all their instruments that they’ve with all of the totally different functions, platforms that they’ve – not solely by way of Apple TV and I simply wish to reiterate the truth that all our F1 subscribers can join with Apple TV as a part of their provide, spending much less and there will likely be a variety of content material that they are gonna push.
“And we do not have to neglect that additionally, it is within the kind of stream of our era which can be youthful and youthful. Within the US we’re very younger and 40 % is feminine, 60 % is male at the moment so we consider that’s the proper angle to push in that dimension particularly.”
The dimensions of such a partnership is monumental for F1, and can search to solidify its merchandise in one of many world’s largest markets.
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