Goodbye ESPN: F1 Is Going to Apple TV Exclusively Next Year

The ink is dry on an exclusive broadcasting deal between Formula 1 and Apple, in which all on-track action will be aired on Apple TV—and only there—starting in 2026. It’s a five-year partnership that comes on the heels of F1 The Movie, an Apple Original Film. It’s also an undeniably polarizing move to relocate every free practice round, qualifying session, sprint race, and Grand Prix from a stalwart like ESPN to a single paid streaming service.

F1’s press release indicates that this is a fairly comprehensive arrangement. Not only will Apple TV be the sport’s sole home for viewing in the United States, but F1 will be signal-boosted across Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Sports, and Apple Fitness+. Time will tell if they add Alonso’s voice as an option for Siri (I kid).

Apple spent the last three years working on F1 The Movie, which has grossed almost $630 million globally to date. Apparently, that makes it the most commercially successful sports movie ever. Both F1 and Apple are using that as a proof point that further collaboration between the two will be a hit. It’s all in efforts to snag new fans across the world, and especially in the U.S.

The 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey shows that 47% of new F1 fans in the States are between 18 and 24 years old. Of those, over half are female. That’s certainly a change from F1’s viewership at any other point in its history.

The press release claims that some races and all free practice sessions will be available to watch for free on the Apple TV app without any type of subscription. However, if you want full access, you’ll have to pay. Product details will be announced in the coming months, and it’s unclear if F1 fans will need to fork over any more than the regular $12.99 monthly subscription fee for Apple TV. Whatever the charge ends up being, F1 TV Premium will be included so that viewers can also select onboard cameras and live timing pages to monitor alongside the race broadcast.

Since 2018, ESPN has been the TV home for F1 in the U.S. A statement from the sports broadcasting giant says, “We’re incredibly proud of what we and Formula 1 accomplished together in the United States and look forward to a strong finish in this final season. We wish F1 well in the future.”

Looks like it’s time to add another streaming service to the pile if you aren’t already a Severance fanatic who wants to keep up with F1 for the next five years.

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