Apple's senior VP of services, Eddy Cue, is happy to share that viewership of the Australian Grand Prix was higher on Apple TV versus ESPN in 2025, but that's as much detail as we can expect.
It's the first race of the 2026 season, but Apple is already out celebrating the turnout with F1. The ecosystem-wide push helped Apple in other areas too, like the Sports app seeing its biggest week ever.
These revelations were shared by Services SVP Eddy Cue via Hollywood Reporter. The success can likely be attributed to Apple's significant marketing push and the popularity of the F1 movie.
"The 2026 Formula 1 season on Apple TV is off to a strong start, with fans responding positively and viewership up year over year for the first weekend, exceeding both F1 and Apple expectations," Cue said. "The AUS GP also coincided with the biggest week ever for the Apple Sports app since its launch. We're just getting started and are incredibly excited about what lies ahead."
The increasing attention around F1 in the United States could mean an even bigger collaborative effort between the supersport and tech giant. It also means an F1 movie sequel is all but definitely happening.
Ferrari team driver Lewis Hamilton shared that a script for the sequel was already being written. He served as a producer on the first film.
Apple's attention on the sport has helped it become front of mind in the United States. It is being treated as a priority internally.
The second race of the season will prove challenging for American viewership. While the Australian race started at 11 p.m. ET, it was still at a reasonable enough hour for some fans.
The Shanghai race begins at 3 a.m. ET on Sunday.
