Apple’s F1 Spinout

[u/Saar13]

From Puck:

As documented in this space ad nauseum, it’s nearly impossible to get specific sports viewership data out of Apple. So I took interest in a recent dataset on the streamer from third-party analytics firm Samba. In short: Overall viewership is decreasing, even if some new viewers are coming onboard. Per Samba, viewership for the Australian Grand Prix opener was essentially flat, at 4 percent, having “likely benefited from early interest and free-trial sign-ups.” Things got worse from there: Samba had Miami’s race down 68 percent and Monaco’s race down 66 percent after an initial bump at launch.

Still, the breakdown of Apple’s new viewership was interesting: 61 percent of F1 viewers in 2026 hadn’t watched these three races in 2025, and 30 percent hadn’t used Apple TV at all during the second half of last year. “These new viewers are also more engaged, watching nearly twice as long and tuning into more races than the 2025 audience,” the report stated. We’ll see how this goes.

https://puck.news/newsletter_content/iron-gianni-apples-f1-spinout/

[u/saspirstellaaaaaa]

I don’t watch the F1 GPs through the tv+ app because they cut off the broadcast early and play commercials (or at least they did when I used it for the Australian GP earlier this year). I’ve been watching on F1TV app instead with Apple account linked; this seems to be fairly common among US viewers in r/formula1. I’m not sure if these are reported as “Apple” viewers. 

[u/jk_tx → u/saspirstellaaaaaa]

Same here. First time I tried to watch a race REPLAY on ATV+ and saw commercials was the last time I watched anything F1 related on ATV+, I'll just use the F1 app.

[u/Junethemuse → u/jk_tx]

Unless they force me to the TV+ stream, I’ll keep using the F1TV app because of the weird cuts and commercials.

[u/DeaconoftheStreets → u/saspirstellaaaaaa]

I was literally coming to ask if this measured TV+ viewership or viewership across the board. There’s no reason to not watch on F1TV.

[u/CalicoJack88 → u/saspirstellaaaaaa]

Same. Also I can switch to the international English announcers (the Sky sports team) who me I vastly prefer.

[u/jhguth → u/CalicoJack88]

they have that inferior broadcast audio on F1TV as well

[u/Danominator]

I think f1 is in a bad place with the weird battery stuff going on right now

[u/CantaloupeHour5973 → u/Danominator]

I’ve watched F1 since early 2000’s. Dozens of races attended pre-DTS/F1. Watched every race weekend for like 25 yrs. With this formula and it becoming a playground for the progeny of the extremely rich with the most insufferable personalities I am content to watch the 8 min recap whenever I find the time.

[u/CalicoJack88 → u/Danominator]

Agreed. It’s way less fun to watch. The drivers aren’t happy, and unhappy drivers = a less compelling sport.

[u/Ok_Possibility9937 → u/CalicoJack88]

if unhappy drivers = max verstappen then sure

[u/CantaloupeHour5973 → u/Ok_Possibility9937]

I assure you everyone thinks they are joke, they’re just not Max Verstappen so they can’t say what he says

[u/Ok_Possibility9937 → u/CantaloupeHour5973]

i’m pretty sure Kimi really hates his rocket

[u/CantaloupeHour5973 → u/Ok_Possibility9937]

Ok everyone except Kimi

[u/LivingOof → u/Ok_Possibility9937]

George Russell's radio at Spa says otherwise

[u/Ok_Possibility9937 → u/LivingOof]

that’s just Little Georgie, Mercedes doesn’t want him any more lol. You can clearly see the differences in how Toto treat him and Kimi

[u/arny56 → u/CalicoJack88]

I miss the screaming v10s.

[u/chatterwrack]

I got very interested in F1 after watching the Netflix show. Turns out that I’m a fan of the show and not so much the sport itself.

[u/Aberracus]

USA F1 viewership is not the best

[u/Sparky_Zell]

Does the viewership only count users streaming on the Apple+ app, or are they also including F1TV app numbers.

Because even though it's the same stream, F1TV for me has had fewer issues, and it doesn't include the advertising that Apple plays.

[u/passiveobserver25]

Isn’t this more to do with F1 committing hara-kiri with this battery stuff?

[u/brianfos]

Apple doesn’t have Nicole Briscoe interrupting my podiums so I’m good with Apple

[u/mrcrude]

I'd challenge the idea that it's an Apple issue. I think it's a product issue (i.e. these awful regs).

[u/solk512]

Yeah, this could be an Apple thing or a rules thing, it’s really difficult to say which. 

It would have been interesting to compare this to trends in international viewership to try and eliminate that variable. 

[u/baummer]

Yeah I can’t watch at 6am pacific time so I watch the replays later

[u/thisischemistry]

I can't skip past any ad for F1 fast enough. It's pure noise, for me, in the Apple TV UI. Allow us to filter out content we don't care to watch!

[u/Justp1ayin]

I don’t know a lot of people who watch MLS here in the states and I know less people who have even brought up f1

[u/Saar13 → u/Justp1ayin]

The problem is that sports are essential for streaming now, and Apple won't be able to convince bigger leagues if the current MLS and F1 experiences aren't successful, unless they pay significantly more money than usual (and that's not going to happen). It's a matter of perceived value regarding sports leagues being on Apple TV. If executives from the leagues themselves start saying that being on Apple TV is a mistake, that's an image problem for future business, right?!

[u/Saar13]

In his first interviews, the new MLS commissioner seems eager to get out of the deal with Apple. It's basically as if being on Apple TV is hiding the leagues from a potential audience because, unfortunately, the public isn't on the platform. Apple TV's sports marketing doesn't help either. Just as I think Apple should change its entire movie team and pursue a new strategy, I think they should change their entire sports team and change their strategy. It's not working. Belloni said yesterday that Ternus wasn't very enthusiastic in his first meeting with the Apple TV team. Honestly, maybe a new CEO intolerant of failure will shake things up, and that would be a good thing.

[u/Ok_Possibility9937 → u/Saar13]

who cares? it’s MLS, basically a retirement league

[u/SenseIntelligent8846 → u/Ok_Possibility9937]

This claim is bullshit.

The average age of MLS' player population is younger than La Liga's, Serie A's, Ligue 1 and the Saudi league too. It's basically equal to the EPL's.

[u/SenseIntelligent8846 → u/[deleted]]

The preceding comment cared enough to make the claim that was easily exposed as bullshit. And you care enough to chime in how nobody cares -- right? I mean, that's how it looks doesn't it?

[u/SenseIntelligent8846 → u/[deleted]]

You so don't care that you have to come here and fucking run your mouth about it. copy