Sky Sports F1 watch out! Apple TV to launch global offensive

F1 News & Gossip

Sky Sports F1 watch out! Apple TV to launch global offensive

Apple TV recently acquired the rights to broadcast F1 in the US

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 16 May 2026 13:44

Sky Sports and F1 broadcasters across the globe may have competition after Apple TV announced their bold plans for broadcast expansion after acquiring exclusive Formula 1 rights in the US.

From this season, Apple TV hold the exclusive rights to broadcast F1 to the US market after they replaced ESPN in a five-year deal, said to be worth around $750million (£558million) in total.

Following the success of the F1 Movie, which was distributed by Apple Original Films, Apple TV now broadcast every F1 practice, sprint, qualifying and grand prix - and thus far the gamble has paid off.

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According to the Sports Business Journal, on the day of the season opening Australian Grand Prix, US downloads of the app were up 243 per cent, while daily active users were up 176 per cent - although this data only reflected Android devices and did not include Apple iOS pre-installs or Apple TV in-app revenue.

Now, speaking to Reuters, Apple's senior vice-president of services Eddy Cue, confirmed their brand's role is not done in growing the sport and announced their intentions to expand across the globe.

Apple TV plan to expand

In the UK, the exclusive rights to broadcast F1 belong to Sky Sports, with the company also bringing the sport to German and Italian audiences.

While Apple have announced no intention to conquer the European market, it is doubtless on their radar, and Sky might have something to say about Cue's recent interview.

Cue said: "The sport doesn't get licensed on a global basis. Do I hope that we are able to grow into other areas and markets? Yeah, I do.

"But starting in the US which is a huge market for us, and being able to build from there, is definitely the right ‌way ⁠to do it. And that's what we are focused on right now. The easiest way for us to continue to grow is to make sure we make this a huge success.

"And then of course it would be great to expand it."

He added: "When ⁠we do something, we don't do things halfway. The things that we do we go all in. So we believe without a doubt that this is going to make a huge difference in what we can do to help motorsports."

Sky Sports isn't going anywhere for the time-being

In F1, money certainly talks, and Sky Sports have reportedly supplied a hefty sum of cash to ensure they will continue to broadcast the sport for a long time.

Sky last renewed their contract with F1 in 2022, in a deal that was set to run through to 2029, but the British broadcaster confirmed on May 6, 2026 that they have secured a contract extension.

The new contract, which will see F1 remain exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK, is reportedly worth £1billion and will keep the sport on the channel until 2034.

While the above figure leaves Apple TV's in the dust, Sky's bid reflects their unease that unless a contract extension was agreed soon for the broadcasting rights, Apple could also set their sights on a UK takeover.

It's not just Sky who were keen to strike a deal, with F1 also looking for a more long-term arrangement instead of following the US model, as interest from not just Apple, but also streaming giant Netflix has reared its head.

Ahead of Sky confirming the F1 contract extension earlier this month, reports in British media claimed the European market is not yet ready to make the leap away from traditional TV viewing and into streaming, with Sky Sports Italia having also to have signed an extended contract, which will run until 2032.

In short? Apple TV are a looming threat, but Sky have made their intention to hold onto the rights of Formula 1 incredibly clear. They are here to stay.

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Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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