Overview

• The $150 million-per-year bid puts Apple atop the auction for exclusive U.S. F1 streaming rights beginning in 2026
• Disney’s ESPN, which has held the rights since 2018, declined to match Apple’s offer and will exit after the current contract expires
• Liberty Media is seeking between $150 million and $180 million annually, underscoring the sport’s surging U.S. market value
• U.S. viewership has more than doubled since Netflix’s Drive to Survive premiered in 2019, with average race audiences reaching about 1.3 million
• Securing F1 would mark Apple’s third major live-sports streaming deal following its existing MLB and MLS agreements