Apple’s Eddy Cue Says Sports Streaming Needs an Overhaul as Company Nears $140 Million F1 Rights Deal

Apple is preparing to make a major move into motorsports broadcasting, with a $140 million per year media rights deal for Formula 1’s U.S. coverage expected to be announced soon, according to people familiar with the matter. At the same time, Apple Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue says the sports viewing experience needs fundamental reform — and Apple intends to lead that change.

Speaking at Motorsport Network’s Autosport Business Exchange in New York City, Cue criticized the fragmentation of modern sports streaming, describing it as a step backward for consumers. “We’ve gone backwards,” he said. “You used to buy one subscription, your cable subscription, and you got pretty much everything they had. Now, there’s so many different subscriptions, so I think that needs to be fixed.”

Apple’s Expanding Sports Portfolio

Apple’s anticipated Formula 1 deal would make it the exclusive U.S. rights holder for the global motorsport series, further expanding the company’s presence in live sports. Its existing lineup includes Major League Soccer (MLS), through the all-access Season Pass, and Major League Baseball’s “Friday Night Baseball.” Apple TV+ subscriptions cost $12.99 per month.

Racing cars | Source: Pexels

The company’s growing sports strategy is designed around exclusivity. Cue said Apple avoids bidding for partial rights, preferring instead to own full broadcast portfolios. “We’re not going to compromise,” he stated. “We don’t have to do sports the way that they are. There’s plenty of people doing that. So the world doesn’t need us to do that.”

Cue confirmed that Apple’s MLB deal was a “test” but reiterated that the company’s long-term vision is to provide a unified experience, controlling the entire broadcast ecosystem rather than sharing it with other networks. That approach has kept Apple from pursuing partnerships with leagues such as the NFL or NBA, where rights are typically split among multiple broadcasters.

Rethinking the Viewing Experience

Cue’s comments underscored his dissatisfaction with how fragmented sports streaming has become. He joked that fans now need “1,200 subscriptions” to follow all their favorite teams and leagues. His proposed solution is greater collaboration and bundling among media partners.

“If I’m a league, and I have two partners, for example, it should be very easy for me to go between them and do all kinds of things between them and do picture-in-picture, but I can’t,” Cue said. “And so I think that there are definitely solutions to some of these. It’s harder, but that’s why we’re all here.”

Formula 1 and Global Growth

Apple’s interest in Formula 1 follows the success of its recently released F1-themed film starring Brad Pitt, which Cue described as “the highest-grossing sports film of all time.” Cue said the sport’s global nature makes it an attractive investment, even if its U.S. audience remains relatively small.

Racing car | Source: Pexels

“The truth is, it’s not huge yet. When you compare it from a sports point of view, that’s pretty tiny,” he said, referencing F1’s current average of about 1.4 million U.S. viewers on Disney-owned ESPN. “So there’s a huge potential for the sport. And when you look at it, it’s a sport that’s global.”

Long-Term Vision

He added that the company’s focus on innovation is especially critical for engaging younger audiences, who have more entertainment options than ever. “If we want people to watch games, and we want all sports to grow, I think some of these things need to be fixed,” Cue said.

As Apple nears completion of the F1 rights deal, its strategy appears clear: to transform sports broadcasting from a fragmented experience into a seamless, integrated platform — and, in the process, redefine how the next generation watches live sports.