For many Americans, Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive was their introduction to F1 when it was released in 2019. Its popularity has grown even more this year thanks to Apple’s F1: The Movie, a feature film directed by Brad Pitt that grossed $629 million worldwide.
So when the time came for F1 to choose a new streaming partner, they were in serious talks with both Netflix and Apple TV, although their deal with ESPN is due to end at the end of 2025, eight years later.
“[Netflix]wanted to consider a number of options, but we didn’t feel it was completely appropriate,” Ian Holmes, F1’s director of media rights and content production, told Variety at the Grand Prix in Austin.
Since then, Netflix has leaned heavily into events. With F1 having just 24 races a year, far fewer than other American sports such as the NBA (1,200 regular season games) and MLB (2,430 games), some of the ideas, such as splitting rights, such as streaming some races on Netflix and others on other platforms, didn’t work.
“Quite a lot of the conversations with the US media went towards creating a package, which is more common in this market than anywhere else. We actually looked at splitting it into a first half and second half of the season, or carving out a sprint race. We looked at it in great detail. We looked at the whole strategy and tried to keep an open mind about what was best for the sport,” Holmes said. “We don’t have thousands of hours of content, so we thought broadly that it might be better if we had a good candidate who wanted it all. There were pros and cons to both approaches, so we had a very complex discussion, and different arguments depending on who you were talking to.”
That said, the relationship with Netflix remains strong, promised Holmes, who is also an executive producer on “Drive to Survive.” Holmes said Eddie Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, was asked about just that when the deal was signed with Apple.
“He said, ‘That’s great, I love Drive to Survive.’ It brings in fans and it benefits us. The more we do it, the more they benefit,” he explained. “It’s a symbiotic relationship.”
The five-year deal with Apple is set to run from 2026 to 3031 and will see every race ever broadcast on ESPN available on the streaming service as part of a $12.99 monthly subscription. But “there’s a reason why some races next year will be behind a paywall,” Holmes noted, acknowledging that not everyone is happy about having to pay for another streaming service.
Still, Apple’s advantage was significant, especially in its scope. From Apple News and Fitness to Maps and Music, F1 is excited to embark on new collaborations with the company. Additionally, F1 will be promoted inside the physical Apple Store.
As reported by Variety, Apple will pay F1 around $150 million a year, making the deal worth around $750 million.
