Apple secures five-year Formula One broadcast rights in the US for ~$750M
Oct 17, 2025
Key Points
- Apple secures five-year US Formula One broadcast rights for $750 million, roughly $150 million annually, undercutting the sport's $200 million per year asking price.
- Apple leverages its own Formula One film to drive interest that converts into Apple TV+ viewership, turning cultural momentum into owned distribution.
- Tim Cook appeared at a Formula One event to ceremonially wave the checkered flag, cementing Apple's physical commitment to the sport.
Summary
Apple secured a five-year deal to broadcast Formula One in the United States for approximately $750 million total, or roughly $150 million per year. Formula One had originally sought $200 million per year, which would have totaled $1 billion over five years.
Apple's strategy ties the deal to its broader content ecosystem. The company produced a Formula One movie with fictional characters to drive interest in the actual sport, then converts that audience into viewers on Apple TV+, where the live races will stream. This attachment to the cultural moment that Netflix's Drive to Survive created for Formula One in the US gives Apple a foothold in owned distribution.
Tim Cook appeared at a Formula One event to wave the checkered flag as part of the announcement, a moment that became a minor meme for the awkwardness of his technique.