Apple Experiences Huge Success as Formula 1’s Official U.S. Broadcaster in 2026 As Viewership Takes Off
Apple became the official broadcaster of Formula 1 in the United States this year, and after just three Grands Prix, the brand is experiencing an impressive viewership surge. Apple’s senior vice president, Eddy Cue, confirmed ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix that viewership has been much higher than the figures witnessed last year with ESPN, F1’s former broadcaster. The surge in viewership across race weekends is a positive sign for Apple and F1, as it points to a growing appetite for the sport among American audiences.
Read More from MotorBiscuit: Iron Man, Captain America Join Williams F1 in New Marvel Partnership Ahead of Miami GP Martin Brundle Says One of These Eight F1 Drivers Will Be an F1 Champion This Year F1 Insider Describes Miami Grand Prix as the ‘Relaunch’ of the 2026 Season MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 04: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 leads Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy driving the (12) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 and Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 04, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202505043221 // Usage for editorial use only // Speaking about the early success at the Autosport Business Exchange Miami on Friday, Cue told Motorsport. com : “The ratings were way up over where they were last year on linear for the first three races, significantly.
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. ” Cue spoke as F1 prepped for practice sessions in Miami for the race weekend, highlighting the opportunities that present themselves over a race weekend.
He added: “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. ” The Miami GP weekend marks the first American race with Apple as the official broadcaster, and viewership figures are expected to surpass those of the first three races of the season.