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Tim Cook waving the checkered flag at the U.S. Grand Prix.
Apple’s bid to win US streaming rights for Formula One races appears to be in the lead, with the starting flag on Apple TV+ perhaps dropping in 2026.
In a move inspired by the blockbuster success of its F1 movie starring Brad Pitt, Apple is said to be seeking US broadcast rights for future F1 events. The success of the film is expected to grow the audience for F1 racing in the US overall.
Apple is said to have put in a $150 million bid for the rights. Disney-owned ESPN, which currently holds the American rights to broadcast the races, reportedly isn’t going to try to match or beat that. Business Insider cited unnamed sources on Friday for the news of Apple’s leading bid, and Disney’s reticence to beat the offer.
If successful, Apple would be adding F1 racing to Apple TV+’s arsenal of live sports. Apple TV+ currently holds rights to all of Major League Soccer’s games, as well as selected Major League Baseball games.
Neither Apple, ESPN, or F1 owner Liberty Media Group have commented officially on any potential deal.
Apple continues to expand sports coverage
Apple is also looking to grow its MLB coverage. It is said to also be competing with ESPN for rights to Sunday night baseball games. Should it be successful in securing more baseball coverage, Apple could opt to make the expanded MLB roster a paid add-on service, as it currently does with its MLS Season Pass.
This comes on the heels of last year’s release of a dedicated Apple Sports app for iPhones and iPads that offers real-time scores and stats for NBA, MLS, MLB and other sport events.
Notably, Apple lost out on a bid for NFL streaming rights to YouTube back in 2022. As it continues to expand its sports coverage arsenal, it may make a new attempt to get the NFL Sunday Ticket package when YouTube’s rights expire, which is said to be happening in 2029.
