Formula 1 on Friday announced a five-year deal with Apple to become its broadcast partner for the global motorsport series in the United States starting next season.
ESPN has been a broadcast partner since 2018 and during Formula One's explosive rise in popularity in the United States, but notified the series earlier this year that it would not be renewing its agreement.
At the same time, Apple was working on F1 The Movie, an original film released in June in international theaters and IMAX. It debuts on Apple TV in December and has already grossed nearly $630 million at the global box office as the most successful sports film in history and the highest-grossing of Brad Pitt's career.
This relationship has made Apple a leader in obtaining US broadcast rights. Financial terms were not released.
“I feel like I'm on the podium, it's amazing,” said Eddie Cue, Apple's senior vice president of services. “Our vision for Apple TV was to bring customers the best stories from the most creative storytellers. We launched the service in 2019, starting with nine original series, and now have a deep library of more than 300 shows and movies and thousands of hours.
“And everyone on Apple TV in the US will now get Formula 1,” he added. “They will get everything that Formula 1 has to offer.”
Apple plans to stream F1 on Apple TV and distribute the series to Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Sports and Apple Fitness+. Apple TV will also stream all practice, qualifying, sprints and races.
Select races and all practices throughout the season will also be available to watch for free on the Apple TV app. F1 TV Premium, F1's own flagship content offering, will continue to be available in the US via Apple TV subscription and will be free to Apple subscribers.
Apple TV is available in more than 100 countries and regions on more than 1 billion screens, including iPhone and other products including PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles.
Cue said Apple's presence will boost Formula 1's growth in the US, which currently hosts races in Miami, Las Vegas and this weekend in Austin, Texas.
“We know that many millions of Apple TV viewers in the US are Formula 1 fans, and we know that many of them are not fans yet,” he said. “We'll be able to bring (new fans) to the table right away, it's very low-hanging fruit.”
Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1, noted the growth potential.
“This is an incredibly exciting partnership for both Formula 1 and Apple, ensuring that we can continue to maximize our growth potential in the US through the right content and innovative distribution channels,” Domenicali said. “We have a shared vision to bring this amazing sport to our fans in the U.S. and attract new fans through live events, engaging content and a year-round approach to keep them hooked.”
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