Apple Aims For Formula 1 Broadcasting Rights In The US After Film Success 'F1: The Movie'

Apple TV + wants to control the broadcasting rights of F1 races in the US (photo: x @f1)

JAKARTA - Apple is reportedly exploring opportunities to gain Formula 1 broadcasting rights in the United States when the current contract expires next year. This information was provided by the Financial Times on Wednesday, July 9, citing sources familiar with the plan.

This step follows the success of Apple's film produced by F1: The Movie, starring Brad Pitt. The film managed to make more than 300 million US dollars (around Rp4.89 trillion) at the global box office as of Wednesday, according to Box Office Mojo data from IMDb.

Currently, Formula 1's exclusive broadcasting rights in the US are held by ESPN, a subsidiary of Walt Disney, until the end of the 2025 season. However, ESPN's exclusive period of negotiating the contract extension ended in February 2025, opening up opportunities for new bidders, including Apple.

Apple and Formula 1 have not yet made official comments regarding the news.

Apple's interest in entering the world of sports broadcasts is getting stronger, especially because of the increasing popularity of F1 in the United States. This increase was also driven by the success of the Netflix documentary series Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which provides an in-depth perspective behind the scenes of the world of land jet racing.

Netflix itself is also reportedly one of the competitors in the fight for F1 broadcasting rights in the US for the 2026 season and beyond.

Apple TV+, Apple's streaming service, is currently still lagging behind in subscribers compared to Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. The acquisition of the F1 broadcast rights is believed to strengthen Apple's sports content portfolio and attract more subscribers.

Streaming platforms are indeed racing to secure exclusive broadcasting rights for live sports to increase customer numbers and advertising revenue amid increasingly fierce industrial competition. In comparison, Netflix reportedly poured more than $5 billion into the exclusive home of the WWE Raw wrestling program in some areas starting in January this year.