Apple believes Formula 1’s growth in the United States has only just begun
Apple, the current Formula 1 broadcast rights holder in the United States, believes the championship still has enormous untapped potential in the American market. Despite operating in one of the most competitive sports media ecosystems in the world, the tech giant sees significant long-term opportunities for Formula 1 growth rather than focusing on an immediate showdown with the NFL.
Formula 1 recorded a historic audience in the United States in 2025, averaging 1.3 million viewers per race according to ESPN figures during the final year of the previous broadcasting agreement. In 2026, under Apple’s coverage, the first three races of the season have already shown audience growth compared to the same period last year, although the numbers remain well below the NFL’s massive average of 18.7 million viewers per game.
Eddie Cue sees exponential growth potential
“We’re not focused on the NFL,” said Eddie Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, in comments to Racer.
“There’s the NHL, there’s Major League Baseball—there are many sports to surpass before getting to the top. My view is that there’s enormous room for growth. This is a much younger audience than almost any other sport. Female participation has grown tremendously as well, both among younger viewers and women on Apple.”
Cue went on to highlight what he sees as Formula 1’s exponential potential in the American market: “I don’t know how many millions we’re talking about, but it’s exponential. That’s the beauty of it. It grew from zero, so it has already grown significantly. But there is still so much room to expand.”
The Apple executive also referenced the impact of Formula 1’s broader media exposure, particularly through entertainment projects that introduced the sport to new audiences: “I still remember when we made the Formula 1 film and asked people: ‘How many of you have ever watched a race?’ and nobody raised their hand. After the film, we asked: ‘Would you like to watch a race?’ and everyone raised their hand. Once you experience it and see it, everything changes.”
According to Cue, the opportunity is not about incremental 10–20% annual gains.
“I think the question is how many times we can multiply that number over the years.”
Stefano Domenicali’s vision for Formula 1 in America
Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali also underlined the strategic importance of the Apple partnership, describing it as a key step in embedding Formula 1 into everyday American culture: “From our point of view, I’ve said in the past that to be truly strong in the United States, you need to become part of American culture,” Stefano Domenicali explained – “Culture means being part of people’s everyday lives. You need to be relevant across all the different areas where Formula 1 has something meaningful to offer.”
The former Ferrari team boss also emphasised the importance of technology in that strategy.
“From a technology perspective, we need to talk about innovation, and we have the best platform and the best partner when it comes to technology. We also need to talk about sport itself. The right communication approach is not just during race weekends, but every single day, through the agreement we have with Apple.”
Reaching younger and broader audiences
Social engagement remains another major pillar of Formula 1’s American growth strategy.
“I think they are everywhere, with the right people, at the right scale,” Domenicali added. “And when people talk about Apple, now they will also talk about Formula 1. We are seeing progress, but this is only the beginning of the journey.”
Stefano Domenicali described the NFL as “the Everest to climb” in American sports: “The fact that we started with Everest, which is the NFL—if in a couple of years the NFL starts noticing us and asking, ‘What’s happening here?’ that would be incredible for us.”
He also stressed how important it is for Formula 1 to become part of Americans’ daily media habits.
“There are times of the year when the NFL calendar dominates everything. For Americans, touching NFL game time means touching something sacred—you understand what I mean. So the question becomes: how can we remain relevant when American life is connected from the moment people wake up, whether through the big screen or the phone in their hands? We need to understand how to build traction in such a complex environment. And right now, the only way to be sure we can do that is through Apple.”
Formula 1’s American journey is still in its early stages
With this strategy in place, Formula 1 and Apple clearly see themselves at the beginning of a much larger long-term project.
By targeting younger viewers, expanding female engagement, and integrating the sport more deeply into American culture through technology and daily visibility, Formula 1 believes its US growth story is only getting started.
Leave a Reply