Starting next year, every Grand Prix, Sprint, qualifying, and practice session will stream exclusively on Apple TV. That’s a major shake-up for F1 coverage in the United States, where fans have juggled networks like ESPN and F1 TV Pro for years. Now, Apple is rolling it all into one seamless experience.
This five-year deal builds on Apple’s deepening footprint in the automotive world, besides Apple CarPlay, and more recently, CarPlay Ultra, the next-generation interface that first appeared in an Aston Martin. The tech giant’s Vision Pro integration with Porsche helped give us a closer look at the T-Hybrid tech seen on the 992.2 GTS and the 992.2 Turbo S. Besides being used in the development phase, the mixed-reality headset even allows for a showroom experience, giving users the ability to explore vehicles like the Taycan in full-scale 3D.
At this year’s 2025 WWDC in June, Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, appeared in an APXGP F1 car atop Apple Park. While it was CGI, it reflected Apple’s increasing involvement in the world of motorsports. After all, seven-time F1 world-champion Lewis Hamilton served as one of the producers and collaborated on Apple Original’s film F1: The Movie, the Brad Pitt-led blockbuster that shattered box office records, earning over $629 million globally and becoming the highest-grossing sports film in history, set for global streaming on December 12, 2025.
Now, with this latest partnership, your Apple ecosystem becomes your F1 command center. Through the Apple TV app, you’ll get live coverage, exclusive content, and replays. Practice sessions will even be free to stream. Apple Sports, the company’s real-time hub, will provide standings, driver rankings, and push notifications so you can follow lap times right from your iPhone’s Lock Screen. Even Apple Maps and Apple Music will feature race-week playlists and Grand Prix city guides. F1 TV Premium, the sport’s own flagship streaming service, will now be accessible in the U.S. exclusively through an Apple TV subscription and included at no extra cost for subscribers
Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior VP of Services, called 2026 “a transformative new era” for Formula 1, pointing to upcoming regulation changes and new teams. That timing couldn’t be better, as an American entry, Cadillac, is also set to join the F1 grid next season officially. Dan Towriss, Cadillac F1’s CEO, said, “Cadillac F1 is incredibly excited about today’s announcement. As we build a truly American team, Apple’s scale, influence, marketing, and most importantly, deep commitment to innovation will bring us to American audiences in exactly the ways we want to reach them.”
Post Liberty Media’s takeover of F1 in 2017 and the sport’s surging popularity in the U.S., fueled by Netflix’s Drive to Survive that first aired back in 2019, millions of new fans Stateside have been introduced to the world of Formula 1. The result is: the F1 calendar now includes three U.S. races, Austin at COTA (happening this weekend), Las Vegas, and Miami, whose contract was recently extended through 2041.
Stefano Domenicali, F1’s CEO, said this partnership will maximize growth in the U.S. “I want to thank Tim Cook, Eddy Cue, and the entire Apple team for their vision and passionate approach to delivering this partnership, and we are looking forward to the next five years together.” The sport’s American fanbase reached 52 million in 2024, with nearly half between 18 and 24 years old, half of whom are female. Many already live inside Apple’s ecosystem, making this partnership a natural evolution.
Images: Apple
