Apple has won the rights to broadcast Formula 1 in the United States for the next five years in deal said to be worth about $750m (£558m) in total.
The agreement, which starts in 2026 and for which insiders say Apple is paying approximately $150m (£111.6m) a year, will make F1 available to all Apple TV subscribers in America as part of their standard monthly fee.
It is the first time Apple have ventured into sports broadcasting in this manner.
It provides coverage of US Major League Soccer but that is for an additional charge over and above Apple TV’s basic subscription.
Apple TV customers will have access to live coverage of all on-track sessions and all content produced by the sport’s in-house channel F1 TV.
Commentary arrangements have not been decided – Apple will not initially produce its own commentary and is likely to buy either that of F1 TV or the UK’s Sky network.
The popular Drive to Survive documentary series on rival streaming service Netflix will not be affected.
The F1 movie that was released earlier this year starring Brad Pitt was a significant contributing factor in securing this deal.
The film has been a big hit for Apple. It has taken about $630m (£470m) at the box office and is said to be both the biggest grossing sports movie ever, and Pitt’s biggest grossing movie.
F1’s previous US rights deal was with sports network ESPN, for about $80m (£60m) a year.
A statement from F1 said the deal would “amplify the sport across” all Apple’s outlets – News, Maps, Music, Sports and Fitness+.
F1 chairman Stefano Domenicali said: “This is an incredibly exciting partnership for both Formula 1 and Apple that will ensure we can continue to maximise our growth potential in the US with the right content and innovative distribution channels.”
Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice-president of services said the company “looked forward to delivering premium and innovative fan-first coverage to our customers in a way that only Apple can”.
By BBC News
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