“F1” movie was a huge success! Apple (AAPL.US) eyes F1 US broadcasting rights

The Zhitong Finance App learned that, according to reports, after the success of the “F1” film, Apple (AAPL.US) is in negotiations to obtain F1 broadcasting rights in the US, hoping to use this momentum to further expand its influence in the field of sports broadcasting.

The “F1” movie became Apple's first major box-office success since entering the original content production business. The film starring Brad Pitt grossed around $300 million worldwide, setting the Apple Pictures' highest grossing record. After the commercial performance of films such as “Killer in the Flower Moon” and “Napoleon” fell short of expectations, this success marked the transformation of Apple's content strategy into mainstream commercial blockbusters.

F1's owner Liberty Media Group hopes that the film, along with the NFLX.US (NFLX.US) documentary “Drive to Survive,” will increase the value of broadcast rights by attracting younger, more women, and local American audiences.

According to reports, the broadcast contract between F1 and the current US broadcaster ESPN, a subsidiary of Disney (DIS.US), will expire next year. Currently, F1 earns about $85 million in annual revenue from ESPN. It is worth mentioning that with the end of the exclusive negotiation period between ESPN and F1 on the new contract, Netflix has also become one of the strong contenders for the right to broadcast F1 in the US starting in the 2026 season.

The bid for the US broadcast rights for F1 shows that Apple intends to deepen its layout in the field of live sports. Previously, Apple had reached an agreement with Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2022 to broadcast Friday night games and reached a broader partnership with the North American Professional Soccer League (MLS).