YouTube TV is losing Formula 1 broadcasts to Apple TV

Formula 1 is moving from its home with ESPN to Apple TV, and that means YouTube TV will no longer be the place to watch F1 racing.

Apple TV has officially won the rights to air Formula 1 exclusively on its own streaming platform. The streaming service, previously known as Apple TV+, acquired the rights to air F1 for the next five years starting in 2026. According to reports, the agreed-upon broadcasting rights total around $750m (via BBC Sport) for the five-year period.

The exclusive move would mean Formula 1 broadcasts would leave ESPN in the US entirely, which has been its home for the last several years. ESPN acquired rights to the racing series in 2017, and coverage has since extended to YouTube TV subscribers.

Unfortunately, the rights transfer means YouTube TV will lose F1 racing when that acquisition takes effect. ESPN is available as part of the YouTube TV Base Plan, unlike other sports content that can come at a premium. When ESPN stops airing F1, YouTube TV will no longer have a means to stream races.

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Formula 1 leaving YouTube TV isn’t directly a result of Google’s deal-making skills, though the company has been in heavy talks with NBC as of late to btain Peacock as a Primetime Channel.

Apple TV announced that Formula 1 would be available for subscribers at no extra cost. That includes live coverage purchased from either F1 TV or Sky Sports. The acquisition is unlike that of the streaming service MLS Season Pass, which hosts blackout-free coverage of MLS matches for an additional yearly subscription. The difference-maker here seems to be the amount of groundwork needed, which appears to be very little on the F1 side.