Apple has big plans for its F1 streaming service. Image source: Apple
Apple intends to use everything it has, including hardware, stores, services and apps, to add value to its Apple TV F1 streaming service – and is not ruling out an F1 movie sequel.
Apple will take over the streaming rights for F1 race weekends when the new season starts in March 2025. The deal will run for five years and viewers can expect the company to go all out.
“We’re going to bring everything that Apple has to carry,” said Apple’s senior vice president of services, Eddy Cue, during an interview with the motorsports website. Competitor. We’re hitting the depth of offerings Apple has to introduce F1 to customers – whether they’re existing F1 fans or not.
For those who are already fans of the sport and used to watching the races live, Cue is confident Apple’s service will live up to its hype. He believes the key will be Apple’s use of 4K streams with less compression than viewers are used to. Like Apple, it uses its most popular product, the iPhone.
iPhones everywhere
Comparing F1 races to Apple’s wildly popular “F1: The movie,” Cue suggested that the company had discovered it could place iPhones in new locations to capture different camera angles. These angles highlight the racers as much as the action, suggests Cue.
Cue also knows that despite the film’s popularity, F1 as a sport still has a long way to go to capture the attention of the American viewer. Apple intends to use its existing platforms to encourage people to check it out.
In an effort to make sure people know where to go to watch F1, Cue says Apple will use its stores and other “touch points” to bring it home. Whether it’s a banner in the Apple Store or an F1-inspired playlist on Apple Music, F1 will be hard to miss for Apple fans.
As for “F1: The Movie,” F1 CEO and President Stefano Domenicali has already suggested that fans “stay tuned” for news on the sequel. Of course, Cue didn’t confirm anything, but he went so far as to say that he hoped a sequel would happen.
A new way to enjoy F1
Apple Vision Pro may still seem like a brilliant piece of technology in search of an application, it could be the key differentiator of the Apple F1.
Apple Vision Pro could be F1’s secret weapon
While Cue may want to place the camera in new locations and capture new angles, the experience of watching F1 content will be the same. Viewers will stream F1 races via the Apple TV app on the screen of their choice.
But Apple has something that no other streaming service has — a powerful 3D computer with F1’s pioneering features.
We’ve seen Apple live streaming, immersive NBA content before, and it was incredibly impressive. Bringing the same experience to an F1 race would change the way fans enjoy F1 weekends.
Apple has yet to mention its 3D computer while promoting its F1 streaming service. And it’s highly unlikely we’ll see NBA-like immersive F1 racing anytime soon. But the potential is there.
F1’s love for the Apple Vision Pro is also alive and well. Red Bull’s 2026 launch of the race car included the iPhone streaming live content to the headsets, albeit on the same stage.
Now factor in the fact that Apple has signed a five-year streaming deal, and it’s easy to wonder what that will look like. It’s a safe bet that in year five he will look completely different than when he debuted.
Risky business
While it’s no surprise that Apple intends to use its service and retail presence as a way to highlight its F1 streaming service, device owners will be concerned. The company has already drawn occasional ire for using ads in the App Store as well as iPhone push notifications to promote its services.
People pay a premium for Apple devices to avoid annoying ads and shoddy software. However, Apple has already shown that it is willing to promote its services and increase its revenue by any means necessary.
After spending around $750 million on its latest service, Apple risks alienating customers who have no interest in F1, fact or fiction.