Apple TV to Become Exclusive US Home for Formula 1 Racing Starting in 2026 Apple has secured an exclusive five year deal for the United States broadcast rights to Formula 1 racing. Starting with the 2026 season, every F1 Grand Prix will be aired on Apple TV, marking a major shift in how American fans will watch the sport. The agreement means that subscribers to the Apple TV service will have access to every race, along with every practice session, qualifying round, and sprint session. For those who do not subscribe, Apple will make select races available for free within the Apple TV app. Practice sessions will be free for everyone to watch. Beyond live broadcasts, Apple plans to integrate F1 deeply into its ecosystem. Through the Apple Sports app, fans can get live updates, real time leaderboards for races and championships, and access Live Activities on the iPhone lock screen. F1 content will also be featured within Apple News, Music, Maps, and the Fitness+ app. A significant part of the deal involves F1 TV Premium, the sports dedicated streaming service. While F1 TV will remain, its premium tier will become exclusively available through Apple TV in the US. Furthermore, Apple TV subscribers will receive F1 TV Premium as a free benefit. This premium service includes features like multiview, driver cameras, team radio communications, live telemetry data, and coverage of feeder series like F2 and F3. This move significantly diversifies Apple’s live sports portfolio, which already includes a long term exclusive agreement with Major League Soccer. The future of Apple’s other sports ventures, however, is less certain, with reports indicating the company may end its partnership with Major League Baseball. The deal was reportedly secured with a bid of between 120 million and 150 million dollars per year, outbidding the previous rights holder, ESPN. The acquisition also aligns with the recent release of the high profile F1 movie, a major production from Apple that has drawn significant attention to the sport. Apple has stated that more details regarding production and specific product features for the F1 coverage will be revealed in the lead up to the 2026 season, which begins with the Australian Grand Prix in March.
