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F1’s ESPN-Apple Bake-Off

Cupertino has its highest-grossing theatrical release ever in Brad Pitt’s ‘F1,’ and F1 execs think it’s time for ESPN to double the racing series’ rights deal. But Bristol doesn’t seem inclined to merge into the fast lane.

f1 brad pitt
The streamers showed interest initially, but the only company that progressed to serious talks was Apple, which happened to have its own F1 movie due out in the summer. Photo: Scott Garfield/Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/Apple Original Films
John Ourand
July 10, 2025

Six or so months ago, in the afterglow of the NBA’s historic, fee-tripling deal, F1 executives could be forgiven for putting the screws to ESPN. Their sport was growing, buoyed partly by the success of Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive and the rise of niche sports. As the two parties entered an exclusive negotiating window, the racing series’ executives told ESPN that they didn’t want to leave the network, but were looking to double their money, from $80 million per year to around $150 million or $160 million.