Apple TV aired the first Formula 1 race of the 2026 season last weekend following an exclusive streaming rights partnership for five years, and Apple senior VP of services Eddy Cue is already calling it a win for the company.
Cue told The Hollywood Reporter that viewership for last week’s Australian Grand Prix was up year over year compared to the 2025 race, which aired on ESPN.
“The 2026 Formula 1 season on Apple TV is off to a strong start, with fans responding positively and viewership up year over year for the first weekend, exceeding both F1 and Apple expectations,” Cue said.
As is typical for Apple TV, Cue declined to offer specific viewing figures, but we do know that last year’s Australian GP garnered an averaged 1.1 million viewers for ESPN on its late-night time slot.
Any increase in viewership over ESPN is a victory for Apple, and with U.S. races like Miami and Montreal coming up, the company is likely betting on more ratings improvements over the previous rights holder.
F1 season access is included with every Apple TV subscription ($12.99 per month) in the United States. The partnership allows Apple TV to provide comprehensive coverage of Formula 1, including all practice, qualifying, Sprint sessions, and Grands Prix.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s full coverage of Apple TV and F1 is available to read online.
Popular Stories
Apple Released Seven New Products Today
Starting today, the seven new Apple products that were announced last week are available at Apple Stores and beginning to arrive to customers.
The colorful MacBook Neo and all of the other new products are on display at most Apple Store locations around the world starting today. Apple Stores have inventory of the new products for both walk-in customers and Apple Store pickup, but…
Everything New in iOS 26.4 Beta 4
Apple is continuing to test the iOS 26.4 beta, and the latest update is now available for developers and public beta testers. As testing goes on, there are fewer new features in each beta, but today’s release adds new emoji characters and a few other changes.
New Emoji
Apple added new emoji characters, including trombone, treasure chest, distorted face, hairy creature, fight cloud, orca,…
Apple Announces 50th Anniversary Plans
Apple today announced that it will celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary over the coming weeks, but it has yet to reveal any specific plans.
Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, so the company will turn 50 on April 1, 2026.
“While Apple is known for looking forward, this milestone offers a special moment to reflect on the journey that has brought the company here, to celebrate the…