Report Suggests New F1 USA TV Deal With Apple Will Be Announced At Circuit Of The Americas
F1's current deal with ESPN expires at the end of the season
Considering there are just six race weekends left, it still blows my mind that, as of right now, Formula 1 doesn't have a US TV deal in place for the 2026 season.
Of course, they'll get one, and a new report suggests it will be announced next weekend at the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.
The current US deal with ESPN expires at the end of this year. Given the surge in popularity the sport has seen in recent years, F1 commercial rights holder Liberty Media reportedly wanted a much bigger deal.
ESPN and Disney were clearly not interested in that since they let their exclusive window to negotiate lapse.
However, for months now, there have been rumblings that Apple was a potential partner.
A report from Puck claims that a deal with the tech giant worth as much as $140 million per year could be announced next weekend at COTA, but that there's also some work to be done on it.
F1 and Apple could reportedly announce a TV deal next weekend at Circuit of the Americas in Austin. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
One sticking point has to do with F1TV, F1's own streaming service. It's available in the US and has live races as well as archived ones and documentaries.
Of course, you can understand Apple may not like paying all that money if F1 still has its own streaming platform on the side that people might buy instead (I would do this; I like F1TV).
While that may need to be worked out, Apple getting in on the F1 broadcast rights makes sense. They released the movie F1 this summer, and it was their biggest hit ever. Why wouldn't they want in?
And what better place to announce it than Austin?
Plus, 2026 is going to be a big season for F1, especially in the States.
There will be new technical and engine regulations, some new engine suppliers and partnerships, and then, biggest of all, Cadillac will join the grid.
An auto giant like GM getting in on F1 with a team based on US soil is going to be a big deal, and that should mean a lot of eyeballs when the season gets underway next year.