By David G. Firestone
Greetings. The construction projects continue. Earlier this year, I discussed the moves F1 is making in 2026. Specifically, the notion that Monaco has been moved, and the Canadian Grand Prix will take over Memorial Day Weekend, and run opposition to the Indy 500. I talked about how it’s going to fail, and that most American fans will watch the Indy 500, but I also thought with the ABC/ESPN family of networks, they would do a decent number.
Well, that’s officially out the window, as, starting in 2026, Apple TV+ will be the exclusive home for F1 broadcasts. Yup, rather than stay on ABC/ESPN, where they can get big numbers, F1 chose to go to Apple TV+. So instead of being part of basic cable, where you can get many more viewers, you choose a streaming service that has no momentum or buzz whatsoever.
Seriously, outside of Ted Lasso, Fraggle Rock, Peanuts, and Friday Night Baseball, you’ve never heard of any of these programs. They could be amazing, but they have no buzz whatsoever. While I get that Apple TV+ needs a boost, and this is great for Apple, will this work out well for F1? Well, I promise that they WILL lose viewers, that’s a given.
This highlights a bigger problem in modern broadcasting. The rise of paid screaming platforms. With all the paid platforms, I have to choose which platforms I can afford. I’m missing out on contest simply because I can’t spend $300 a month on streaming and YouTube. I’m also not going to spend money on a platform for one specific show. I have Peacock and Prime TV, since they are free with deals. I also have Netflix, as my family has it as well. Other than that, I don’t have the funds for anything more.
While it has been shown that the new Neilsen rating system is seeing many sports telecasts getting better ratings, this doesn’t really apply to streaming. Formula 1 had the chance to take over as the top racing series in America, and they chose the bargain basement version of a streaming service to do it. Am I shocked? No, this is the way broadcasting has been going for years. Am I disappointed? Yes, this will hurt ratings in the long run. It will run fans off. It’s happened in NASCAR, with Prime TV, and it will happen here.
Source Cited:
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