Apple’s Big Bet on F1 Is About More Than Streaming

Apple views its much-debated agreement with Formula One as something that “really goes beyond a rights deal,” and a template for the company’s future activities in sports.

The technology giant said that the motorsports property will be heavily integrated across its entire set of products and services, including Music, Maps, News, and Podcasts—pushing much further than just showing live races on Apple TV. 

“This is incredible content, and unscripted drama at its best,” said Apple SVP of services Eddy Cue, who played a key role in striking the five-year, $700 million pact with F1 last fall. “This really goes beyond a rights deal, and we look at F1 and Apple TV as a true partnership where we’re going to amplify this sport across all of our Apple services.”

Apple’s F1 coverage in the U.S. will begin with the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 5–7 in Melbourne. Other plans include highly detailed maps of every race circuit on Apple Maps, an array of F1-themed podcasts on Apple Podcasts, a series of playlists and themed music in Apple Music, and a dedicated F1 feed in Apple News. 

That comprehensive approach will be the same one used in any other new agreements Apple strikes in addition to its current relationships with F1, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer. 

“I’ve been very clear from the beginning that, if we’re going to get into sports or anything that we do, we’re trying to be the best at it,” Cue said in response to a Front Office Sports question. “And when I look at what we’re doing in sports, if we’re going to do it, I love being all in.”

Cue did not offer projections for Apple’s average F1 viewing audiences this season, but he predicted Apple TV will ultimately surpass the 1.32 million that ESPN averaged in its final year with F1 rights in the U.S.

“There will be a bigger number for sure,” Cue said. “Over the next five years, we have a great opportunity to grow the sport in the U.S.”

His comments mirror those of F1 president Stefano Domenicali, who pushed back on suggestions that he simply traded reach for dollars in taking the more lucrative Apple deal instead of renewing with ESPN. 

“I do believe that the reach that we’re going to have through the streaming platform, through Apple, will be even bigger in the future, and it is what we want to test in a [U.S.] market that is more mature than the others,” Domenicali said. 

Dealing With Netflix

Apple, meanwhile, is also pursuing a unique collaboration of streaming content with Netflix in which Season 8 of the Drive to Survive series, which has been a Netflix staple, will be available on both streaming services. 

The May 22–24 Canadian Grand Prix from Montreal will also be shown on both Netflix and Apple TV.
“Netflix, I think, has played a pivotal role in growing F1 since the launch of Drive to Survive, and we’re thrilled to make F1 content more broadly available to new and existing U.S. fans on both Netflix and Apple TV,” Cue said.