Apple's US F1 deal offers both a big opportunity for growth

VIDEO SHOWS: FILE FOOTAGE EXTERIOR SHOTS OF APPLE HEADQUARTERS AND FLAGSHIP STORE IN NEW YORK. SOUNDBITES FROM EDDY CUE, APPLE SVP SERVICES. FILE FOOTAGE OF STEFANO DOMENICALI AND CHASE CAREY. FILE FOOTAGE OF VARIOUS FORMULA ONE DRIVERS, AND FILE STILLS OF FORMULA ONE RACES IN SINGAPORE AND BAKU. SHOWS: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE – JULY 30, 2020) (REUTERS – Access all) 1. VARIOUS OF APPLE'S FLAGSHIP FIFTH AVENUE STORE NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE – OCTOBER 15, 2025) (AUTOSPORT BUSINESS EXCHANGE VNR – Editorial use only. No monetisation. No resales) 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EDDY CUE, APPLE SVP SERVICES, SAYING: INTERVIEWER: "I and others have reported that Apple is on the verge of aquiring F1 live rights so I'm just giving you the floor here, is there an announcement you'd like to make?" CUE: "No. But we do love F1. We've done the movie and I've been a huge fan of F1 since I was a kid, huge huge fan." 3. WHITE FLASH 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EDDY CUE, APPLE SVP SERVICES, SAYING:     "You know at Apple we like doing things ourselves. We like building things, start generally from scratch and build. That takes a little longer from that standpoint but i think it lets us do things that are unique and special." CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE – APRIL 28, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) 5. VARIOUS OF FERRARI DRIVER LEWIS HAMILTON AND APPLE CEO TIM COOK INTERVIEWED TOGETHER MADRID, SPAIN (FILE – JANUARY 23, 2024) (REUTERS – Access all) 6. VARIOUS OF FORMULA ONE CEO STEFANO DOMENICALI AT LAUNCH EVENT FOR MADRID TO HOST A FORMULA ONE RACE IN 2026 7. DOMENICALI WALKING UP ON STAGE LUSAIL, QATAR (FILE – SEPTEMBER 30, 2021) (REUTERS – Access all) 8. VARIOUS OF DOMENICALI DURING PRESS CONFERENCE GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (FILE – JUNE 20, 2017) (REUTERS – Access all) 9. FORMULA ONE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN CHASE CAREY SPEAKING ON STAGE AT THE FIA SPORT CONFERENCE 10. VARIOUS OF CAREY TALKING TO JOURNALISTS LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE – FEBRUARY 18, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) 11. MERCEDES DRIVERS GEORGE RUSSELL AND KIMI ANTONELLI AT A PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE F1 2026 SEASON LAUNCH 12. VARIOUS OF RED BULL DRIVER MAX VERSTAPPEN AT A PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE F1 2026 SEASON LAUNCH 13. VARIOUS OF MCLAREN DRIVERS LANDO NORRIS, OSCAR PIASTRI AND MCLAREN CEO ZAK BROWN AT A PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE F1 2026 SEASON LAUNCH 14. ASTON MARTIN DRIVERS FERNANDO ALONSO AND LANCE STROLL AT A PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE F1 2026 SEASON LAUNCH MILAN, ITALY (FILE – MARCH 6, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) 15. HAMILTON AND FELLOW FERRARI DRIVER CHARLES LECLERC ON STAGE AT A FERRARI EVENT IN MILAN 16. FERRARI CAR ON STAGE AT EVENT IN MILAN, WITHFERRARI TEAM PRINCIPAL, FREDERIC VASSEUR, BEING INTERVIEWED ON STAGE IN THE BACKGROUND SINGAPORE (FILE – OCTOBER 5, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 17. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF MERCEDES' GEORGE RUSSELL LEADS THE RACE INTO TURN 1 ON THE FIRST LAP 18. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF NORRIS AS HE DRIVES AWAY AFTER COMPLETING A PIT STOP 19. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF RUSSELL WITH CLENCHED FIST LOOKING INTO THE CAMERA 20. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF MCLAREN TEAM CELEBRATING WINNING THE CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP WITH THE WORD 2025 ON THE SCREEN BEHIND THEM BAKU, AZERBAIJAN (FILE – SEPTEMBER 21, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 21. STILL PHOTO OF START OF RACE WITH DRIVERS GOING ROUND FIRST CORNER 22. VERSTAPPEN CROSSING THE FINISH LINE WITH CHEQUERED FLAG FOR VICTORY  23. STILL PHOTO OF RUSSELL, VERSTAPPEN & SAINZ POSING FOR PHOTOS TOGETHER AS TOP THREE FINISHERS  TOKYO, JAPAN (FILE – APRIL 2, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) 24. VARIOUS OF VERSTAPPEN DRIVING PAST ON TRACK AT RED BULL EVENT IN TOKYO CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE) (REUTERS – Access all) 25. VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF APPLE HEADQUARTERS 26. VARIOUS OF APPLE SIGNAGE INCLUDING LOGO ON CAMPUS 27. APPLE FLAG 28. APPLE CAMPUS STORY: Apple's five-year deal for Formula One's U.S. broadcast rights, announced on Friday (October 17), gives both brands a major opportunity for growth in new directions and could ultimately lead to something bigger.     The agreement, with Apple replacing Walt Disney's ESPN from 2026, will see Apple TV host all live action from grand prix weekends and has the potential to bring more people to Formula One through mobiles and apps.     Select races, and all practice sessions, will be freely available in the Apple TV app. Apple TV subscribers can also access Liberty Media-owned Formula One's premium content without extra cost.     No details were given of how much Apple paid to add F1 to Major League Baseball and soccer in their existing sports offering.     Liberty Media recently acquired MotoGP owners Dorna Sports while Liberty Global controls the all-electric Formula E championship.     There could also be further opportunities worldwide as other rights deals expire.       Apple's "F1 The Movie," starring Brad Pitt, was a runaway success this year and has grossed more than $628 million worldwide, according to IMDb's Box Office Mojo.     Some 47% of new U.S. Formula One fans, those who have followed the sport for five years or less, are aged 18-24 and more than half are female, according to a 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey.     The United States now has three grands prix and the Netflix docu-series 'Drive to Survive' has turbocharged engagement in a country that the sport had failed to crack in previous decades. (Production: Andy Ragg)

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