Apple signs five-year deal with F1: World Cup will be streamed on Apple TV in the US

Apple and Formula 1, as anticipated, have announced a five-year media rights deal that will bring all F1 races to Apple Tv, starting in 2026, in the US. Apple Tv will provide coverage of all Formula 1 events, including free practice, qualifying and Sprint sessions, as part of the $12.99 monthly subscription, without advertising.

Certain F1 races and all free practice sessions will be available for free on the Apple Tv app throughout the season, the companies said in a statement. This is different from Apple's partnership with Major League Soccer, the top football league in the US. Apple Tv similarly holds exclusive rights to all Mls matches, but at an additional cost through the Mls Season Pass. According to sources familiar with the matter, Cnbc said, Apple will pay around $140 million a year for the rights.

ESPN (Disney) is the league's historic media partner and has paid an average of about $85 million per year, according to sources familiar with the deal, who asked not to make public statements because the details are confidential.

Apple is beginning to enter the world of live sports, but only when it can acquire the rights so that it can fully control the user experience, explained Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of services, in an interview with Cnbc. The agreement expands Apple's partnership with Formula 1, following the success of the film 'F1: The Movie' starring Brad Pitt, which according to Cue became the highest-grossing sports film ever.