Leaving ESPN in the Dust: Apple TV’s First F1 Race Is a Ratings Winner

Apple’s live stream of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix last weekend, the opening race of the season and the first to be covered by Apple TV under an exclusive five-year streaming rights package, is already turning out to be a huge win for the streaming service.

In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Apple services boss Eddy Cue revealed that viewership numbers for this season’s F1 opener were up compared to last year’s 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 told the reporter.

As usual, Cue did not provide exact viewing figures, but ESPN averaged 1.1 million viewers for last year’s Australian Grand Prix, which was shown in a late-night time slot, so we can safely assume the number was higher than that.

The increase in viewership over last year’s ESPN broadcast is certainly a victory for Apple TV, and now the streamer’s hopes for more ratings victories will turn to the next races, including North American Grands Prix in Miami and Montreal.

F1 Racing recently joined Apple’s Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball sports packages, as the streamer works to provide a regular supply of live sporting events throughout the year. Apple has also attempted to add the NFL to its streaming fold a few times over the years, including its first sports pursuit in 2016 for Thursday Night Football, which it lost to Amazon, followed by a 2022 bid for NFL Sunday Ticket that ended up going to YouTube instead.

In addition to F1 races, Apple has also been working to use its established ecosystem of apps and services to promote F1 events, leveraging Apple Music, Apple News, and Apple Sports for promotional purposes. In a somewhat unusual move, Apple recently announced a deal with Netflix that will bring the latest season of that streamer’s popular docuseries Drive to Survive to Apple TV in exchange for Netflix streaming the Canadian Grand Prix — although both will also stream on their original services.

Apple has also leaned into its tech roots to provide new and varied ways to view F1 races. The new Formula 1 channel provides access to all F1 content in the US, including practice, qualifying, Sprint sessions, and the entire 2026 F1 Season Grand Prix, from Australia to Abu Dhabi. 

Apple TV’s race streams are all available in 4K on compatible devices, and take full advantage of the Multiview experience the streamer premiered in early 2023, offering the ability to view up to four live race feeds at once on the Apple TV 4K, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro.

“Fans are loving the enhanced viewing experience, including Multiview, Podium View, driver cams, and the ability to watch Formula 1 in stunning 4K with Dolby Vision for the first time,” Cue says. “The AUS GP also coincided with the biggest week ever for the Apple Sports app since its launch. We’re just getting started and are incredibly excited about what lies ahead.”

Apple TV subscribers can watch F1 Racing on the Apple TV app on iPhone; iPad; Apple TV 4K; Apple Vision Pro; Mac; popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL, and others; Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices; Chromecast with Google TV; PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles; and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, eligible customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free. Visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.