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Formula One’s Apple Gamble

F1 executives are praying their nine-figure Apple partnership will boost their domestic audience and increase the league’s relevance—but streaming scale and audience growth aren’t always correlated. Just ask Major League Soccer.

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F1
One of the takeaways from ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro’s decision to walk away from F1 might be that the league has reached its total addressable market in the United States—and iPhone push notifications aren’t going to change that. Photo: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Julia Alexander
March 3, 2026

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There are plenty of reasons why a sports league might want to partner with Apple, not least because the nearly $4 trillion market cap company can pay more cash than other partners for global, exclusive, end-to-end rights. This is why the MLS was able to lure over Lionel Messi, and why anxious league partners can sleep soundly without worrying too much about their P&L. However, one thing Apple can’t necessarily provide—and, yes, this isn’t unique to Apple—is a proven ability to grow an audience through its streaming service.

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