Apple TV eyes F1 broadcasting expansion

Apple and Formula 1 have already moved beyond a film partnership into a live-rights deal in the United States, and Apple executive Eddy Cue has now said the company wants to expand further if the U.S. rollout succeeds. GPFans reported on May 16 that Apple TV was preparing a wider push into Formula 1 broadcasting after taking U.S. rights from ESPN. Apple and Formula 1 announced in October 2025 that Apple TV would become the sport’s exclusive U.S. broadcast partner from 2026 in a five-year agreement. The existing deal gives Apple TV every Formula 1 practice, qualifying session, Sprint and Grand Prix in the United States, with select races and all practice sessions also available free in the Apple TV app, according to Apple and Formula 1. Apple said the arrangement also extends across its wider services, including Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Sports and Apple Fitness+. F1 TV Premium remains available in the U.S. through an Apple TV subscription, the companies said. (gpfans.com) ### What exactly has Apple already bought? Apple and Formula 1 tied up first through “F1 The Movie,” the Apple Original Films production that Formula 1 said was made with the sport over three years and grossed nearly $630 million globally by October 2025. Formula 1 said the movie would stream on Apple TV from Dec. 12, 2025, after its June theatrical release through Warner Bros. (apple.com) That film relationship became a live-media relationship on Oct. 17, 2025, when Apple and Formula 1 announced the five-year U.S. rights agreement. Apple said the package would start with the 2026 season, replacing ESPN as the exclusive U.S. home of Formula 1. Formula 1’s prior extension with Disney’s ESPN had run through the 2025 season. (corp.formula1.com) ### What did Eddy Cue actually say about expansion? GPFans cited comments Cue made to Reuters in saying Apple’s ambitions extended beyond the United States. In the remarks reproduced by GPFans, Cue said Formula 1 “doesn’t get licensed on a global basis” and added that he hoped Apple would be able to “grow into other areas and markets,” while saying the company was focused first on making the U.S. deal a success. (apple.com) Apple’s own statements have been more cautious on timing. Formula 1 said in October 2025 that additional production and product details would be announced “in the coming months,” but neither company has announced a broader international Formula 1 rights package. ### How much of the Formula 1 map is still locked up elsewhere? (gpfans.com) Sky Sports remains the key incumbent in Europe. GPFans said Sky held exclusive Formula 1 rights in the United Kingdom and also carried the sport in Germany and Italy, and reported that Sky confirmed a contract extension on May 6, 2026. Separate follow-up reports from MacRumors and AppleInsider also said Sky had renewed early in major European markets, limiting Apple’s immediate path outside the United States. (corp.formula1.com) Those territorial limits matter because Formula 1 sells media rights country by country rather than through a single global package, as Cue noted in the Reuters remarks cited by GPFans. That means any Apple expansion would require separate negotiations market by market rather than a single worldwide takeover. (gpfans.com) ### Why has the U.S. market become the starting point? Formula 1 said in its 2025 season review that its U.S. fanbase reached 52 million, up 11% year over year, while live season race viewership in the United States rose 21% against the 2024 season average. The company also said the United States was its largest market for YouTube viewing and social-media followers. (gpfans.com) Apple launched the U.S. service at the start of the 2026 season. On March 5, Apple said subscribers in the United States could watch every Grand Prix live and on demand, with 4K and Dolby Vision presentation, English and Spanish commentary, and up to 30 additional live feeds across sessions. (corp.formula1.com) ### What should readers watch next? Apple and Formula 1 have not announced any non-U.S. Formula 1 rights deal beyond the existing American agreement. The next concrete marker is the continuing 2026 season on Apple TV in the United States, with Apple’s Formula 1 schedule page listing the Canadian Grand Prix for May 22-24 and Monaco for June 5-7. Any broader expansion would need to come through separate country rights announcements by Apple, Formula 1 or incumbent broadcasters. (apple.com) (tv.apple.com)