F1 U.S. viewership drops on Apple TV, but new fans watch longer

Formula 1’s U.S. TV audience is down in its first season on Apple TV, with Samba data showing steep declines for most races after the switch from ESPN. The analysis also points to a broader audience shift, with Apple TV attracting newer and more engaged viewers.

Why it matters: - Formula 1’s move to Apple TV appears to be shrinking reach for much of its U.S. audience, even as it brings in new viewers. - The shift matters for streaming subscriptions, race-day audience size and the sport’s ability to convert casual interest into paid retention.

What happened: - Samba says U.S. household viewership for eight of nine Formula 1 races declined compared with the 2025 season, when F1 aired on ESPN. - The data shows declines of more than 65% for some races, including the Miami Grand Prix and Monaco Grand Prix. - Early-season races in Australia and China posted smaller declines of 4% and 1%, respectively. - Viewership for the Japanese Grand Prix was flat year over year.

The details: - Samba analysis cited by USA TODAY suggests some fans may have started Apple TV free trials to watch early-season races and then ended those trials. - Alyson Sprague, Samba’s vice president of measurement science, said one hypothesis is that fans activated an Apple TV free trial to access an F1 race but did not see enough value to continue as paid customers. - Apple TV is still drawing a different audience mix than ESPN did. - 61% of 2026 F1 viewers had watched none of those races in 2025. - 30% of 2026 viewers had not used Apple TV at all in the second half of 2025. - Those new viewers watched almost twice as long and followed more races on average, at 2.6 races versus 1.9 for the 2025 audience.

Between the lines: - The numbers suggest two things can be true at once: the move to Apple TV may be depressing total reach while also broadening Formula 1’s audience pool. - Longer viewing times from newer fans hint at stronger engagement, which could help Apple TV and Formula 1 if that interest converts into paid subscriptions or repeat viewing.

What's next: - The key test will be whether Apple TV can hold onto the newer audience once free trials end and whether later races show improved retention. - Future race windows will show whether the early-season drop was a one-time trial effect or a larger distribution problem.

The bottom line: - Formula 1 is reaching new viewers on Apple TV, but the first-season switch has come with a steep hit to U.S. household reach.