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The historic weekend in Melbourne brought motorsports fans something more than just the roar of engines (or mischievously, one could say, batteries). With the start of the 2026 season, Apple TV has officially taken the reins over Formula 1 broadcasts in the United States, providing fans with a technological leap that others can only dream of. For the first time in history, every Grand Prix race is broadcast in 4K Dolby Vision with 5.1 surround sound. Eddy Cue from Apple does not conceal his pride, emphasising that this is a "new era" aimed at fully harnessing the potential of the Cupertino giant's ecosystem and responding to the enormous surge in F1's popularity across the ocean.
30 additional cameras
What distinguishes Apple's offer from other broadcasters in other countries is unprecedented interactivity. Thanks to the Multiview feature, viewers can follow the competition from multiple perspectives simultaneously, with as many as 30 additional live channels at their disposal. Among them shines the Driver Tracker – a bird’s eye view that allows real-time monitoring of each driver's position on the track.
Interestingly, Apple has opted for an unusual alliance with Netflix: as part of a single subscription, fans will gain access to the 8th season of “Drive to Survive”, and the Canadian Grand Prix in May will be broadcast simultaneously on both platforms.
IMAX and the Untapped Potential of Vision Pro
Despite the technological showcase, the debut was not without controversy in the VR community. Although races can be watched in super expensive Apple Vision Pro goggles, they are only available in the form of a "flat" 4K image, which many consider to be a missed opportunity to create a fully immersive experience, for example from the driver's cockpit. On the other hand, Apple is heavily investing in the traditional large screen – as many as five races this season will be shown in over 50 IMAX cinemas across the United States.
Stefano Domenicali, the head of F1, assesses this opening as the perfect moment to welcome Apple into the family of broadcasters, especially in light of the debut of new teams and engines. Although in Europe the rights still belong to local players such as our Eleven Sports or British Sky, American Apple clearly shows in which direction the future of sports broadcasting is heading: it is to be sharp, multichannel, and uncompromising in terms of quality.
Source: flatpanelshd
