Apple reveals early F1 2026 viewership surge after US broadcast rights deal

Just three races into Apple's first season as Formula 1's exclusive broadcaster for the United States, Apple SVP Eddy Cue says viewership is "way up" versus last year's numbers by ESPN - with fans watching more than just Sunday's grand prix. 

Speaking at the Autosport Business Exchange Miami on Friday ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Cue was quick to reveal the news. 

"The ratings were way up over where they were last year on linear for the first three races, significantly," he said. "Not only did we see more viewers, but we also saw more viewers throughout the weekend. So one of the things that I think I was always excited about is... you look at today and tomorrow and Sunday, all three days are huge."

Since the contract was confirmed with Apple, the objective has always been to extend the engagement across the whole race week instead of just focusing on Sunday's grand prix. 

"Today, you’ve got a practice session with all the changes that are going on. You’ve got the sprint qualifying. Tomorrow you’ve got the sprint race, you’ve got the race qualifying, and then you have the race itself. And so I always thought there was a huge opportunity to grow viewership, not just on Sunday, but all weekend.

"And we’ve seen that early on in the results that we have."

Autosport understands that Apple is paying $150million annually for these broadcast rights over a five-year contract - more than ESPN's reported $90million annual deal before this. Apple has folded the product into its Apple TV subscription, and now it looks to grow.

"And the last thing is, how are we growing the audience? And two major areas that we were excited about and were focused on: one, a younger group of folks watching and more females watching. And we’ve seen that as well," Cue added.

"So the early responses have surpassed certainly I think the expectations that we had, and I think that F1 has had. So we're thrilled. It’s a great start, but we've got a long way to go."

With the Miami Grand Prix being the first race of the season based in the United States, American viewership is expected to explode over the weekend as the teams return after a five-week break. 

Apple will be looking forward to the season returning as the competition begins once again at the Miami International Autodrome.