Apple’s global F1 ambitions hit a roadblock as Sky expands rights to UK and Italy

As Comcast-owned Sky prepares to lock down its F1 media rights in the UK and Italy, Apple could face an even more competitive path to expanding its Formula 1 deal beyond the US. Here are the details.

Apple has made no secret of its intention to expand its F1 streaming rights beyond the United States.

Earlier this month, ahead of the Miami GP, Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services and Health, spoke to the press about, among other things, the company’s growing involvement in sports.

As Reuters reported at the time:

“The sport is not licensed globally,” he added. “Do I hope we can expand into other areas and markets? Yes, I do.

“But starting in the United States, which is a huge market for us, and being able to build from there, is definitely the right way to do it. And that’s what we’re focused on right now. The easiest way for us to continue to grow is to make sure we make it a huge success.

“And then, of course, it would be great to expand it.”

Now like Reuters Noted that Sky has “agreed to extend its F1 media rights deal until 2034 in the UK and 2032 in Italy at an increased price of one billion pounds ($1.34 billion)”, adding that the UK deal was agreed “before its original expiration year of 2029”.

This means that if Apple had hoped to secure F1 media rights in either country, it will now have to wait several years for another chance.

It could also signal an uphill battle for Apple in other regions, as broadcasters could also move to protect sports rights which, ironically, appear to be growing in value, in part because of the attention Apple has paid to sports.

As a reminder, Formula 1, which is owned by Liberty Media, does not sell its media rights as part of a single global package. Instead, it licenses them on a market-by-market basis, usually in multi-year deals that can cover traditional TV, streaming, or both.

This means that Apple can obtain the rights in one country, as it did in the United States, without automatically gaining access to the same races elsewhere.

To read Reuters‘ full report, follow this link.

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