Apple and Formula One announce a five-year US media rights deal for all races, starting in 2026; sources: Apple is paying ~$140M/year, up from ESPN's ~$85M/year
Apple and Formula 1 announced a five-year media rights deal Friday that will bring every F1 race to Apple TV beginning in 2026.
CNBCAlex Sherman
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple’s F1 rights pursuit followed reporting that it was in talks for the U.S. streaming package and a broader push to connect its screen business with sports and entertainment. The deal extends a distribution playbook Apple had already established through its long-term MLS arrangement.
Apple TV becomes the U.S. home for every Formula 1 race for five years starting in 2026, while ESPN loses the package it had carried.
Formula 1 receives roughly $140 million a year from Apple, a material increase over the reported ESPN payment of about $85 million.
Second-order effects
Apple can package F1 programming, promotion and its related film efforts around a single service, increasing the strategic value of its sports rights portfolio.
The higher rights fee raises the benchmark for future U.S. racing-rights negotiations and puts pressure on incumbent sports distributors to defend premium live inventory.
Third-order effects
If Apple repeats this approach, major sports rights could become a more central way for platform companies to differentiate video services rather than merely license entertainment catalogs.
The deal reinforces a shift toward exclusive, platform-controlled sports distribution; whether it broadens consumer access or further fragments viewing will depend on Apple’s pricing and availability choices.
The trend: Technology platforms are using exclusive live sports rights to turn streaming services into broader entertainment ecosystems with recurring audience engagement.
BREAKING: Apple TV has signed a 5-year deal with Formula 1 for its exclusive media rights in the US. Here's what you need to know 👇 1. Apple TV is replacing ESPN as F1's exclusive broadcast partner in the United States. ESPN was most recently paying $90 million annually, with [im…
Wow, Apple really did it. Apple TV will be the exclusive partner for F1 in the U.S. 5 year deal. “Apple TV will deliver coverage of F1, with all practice, qualifying, Sprint sessions, and Grands Prix to Apple TV subscribers.” Seems whatever they paid Brad Pitt was worth it 🏎️ [im…
On the heels of Apple going public with its F1 announcement — here is my interview with Apple's Eddy Cue from Wednesday in full: https://www.cnbc.com/...
Apple is paying about $140m per year for F1. ESPN had been paying about $85m per year on average, I'm told. All the news here — Apple finally makes F1 official. All US races to the platform at no extra cost beyond the Apple TV subscription beginning in 2026.