(Reuters) -Apple has landed U.S. broadcast rights to Formula 1 in a five-year deal that would help the tech giant bolster its streaming service with one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, following the success of its Brad Pitt-starrer “F1: The Movie”.
The two sides did not disclose the financial details of the deal on Friday. CNBC reported it was for $140 million a year, much higher than the $90 million Walt Disney-owned ESPN was paying per season for F1, which it has broadcast since 2018.
Apple’s deal begins next year. The iPhone maker will stream F1 on Apple TV, its critically acclaimed streaming service that won 22 Emmy Awards this year but lacks the scale to compete with industry leaders such as Netflix and Disney+ despite billions of dollars in investment.
F1 joins Apple’s gr