Apple Is Revving Up Its Ads Business With Formula 1
Apple says its Formula 1 coverage is helping expand its advertising business, with sponsored brands reporting stronger familiarity, favourability and purchase intent. The approach places brands within the race experience while aiming not to interrupt viewing, and could help Apple attract premium advertisers as it prepares to sell sponsorships for a second season.
Apple Ads chief Todd Teresi says F1’s audience has a higher median income than audiences for the NFL or NBA, while Apple executive Eddy Cue says F1 viewership on Apple TV is up by double digits compared with ESPN’s final season. Apple’s first-season deals included American Express and Ford, which both described the partnership positively. The figures remain modest beside major sports audiences, and Apple TV’s advertising is currently limited to live sport rather than the ad breaks used by many rival streamers.
In short
- F1 sponsorships are boosting Apple’s advertising ambitions.
- Apple says F1 viewership is up by double digits.
- Ford and American Express backed Apple’s first season.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Apple can argue that Formula 1 offers advertisers a distinctive, affluent audience and lets brands become part of the viewing experience without interrupting races. Positive reports from sponsors and rising viewership suggest the approach could build a premium advertising business while preserving a less disruptive experience for viewers.
The case against
Sceptics can argue that the reported gains come largely from Apple and its partners, while the audience remains modest beside major US sports and the figures do not establish lasting commercial success. Keeping advertising within live sport may also limit the business’s reach, and expanding sponsorship could bring more commercial influence into coverage that viewers value for its focus on racing.
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