WASHINGTON, Oct 18 — Apple has secured exclusive US broadcasting rights for Formula One in a five-year partnership beginning next year, the tech giant and motorsport competition announced Friday.

All F1 races will be available exclusively on Apple TV starting in 2026, with some select races and all practice sessions offered for free through the Apple TV app during the season.

“We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Formula One and offer Apple TV subscribers in the US front-row access to one of the most exciting and fastest-growing sports on the planet,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services.

The deal, which sees Apple TV take over from ESPN, was announced ahead of this weekend’s US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

Apple reportedly bid US$140-US$150 million annually for the rights, well above the $85 million per year ESPN currently pays for F1, with the total deal valued at about $750 million over the five-year term.

“Thanks to Apple, we’re going to be ready to get into more houses and more in the culture of the American fans,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told US media.

Since acquiring the Formula One championship in 2017, US-based Liberty Media has been working to expand the sport’s presence in the United States, where motorsport fans far prefer the homegrown NASCAR or IndyCar series.

Major streaming platforms have aggressively expanded into live sports in recent years as they seek to attract and retain subscribers in an increasingly competitive market.

Amazon’s Prime Video streams NFL Thursday Night Football, while Netflix recently entered the arena with WWE Raw, tennis matches and live boxing events, in addition to NFL games on Christmas Day.

Apple TV’s live sports lineup already includes US Major League Soccer and some Major League Baseball games.

The Apple-F1 broadcasting partnership builds on collaboration between the two for “F1 The Movie,” which has grossed US$629 million globally since its summer release, making it the highest-grossing sports film of all time, the companies said in a statement.

The movie, starring Brad Pitt, will debut on Apple TV’s streaming service on December 12.

F1 TV Premium, the sport’s own streaming platform, will remain available in the US exclusively through Apple TV and will be included free for Apple TV subscribers. — AFP

 Malay Mail – Tech-gadgets