P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 broadcaster waves goodbye after EIGHT YEARS on TV
An F1 TV broadcaster in the United States parted ways with the sport after an eight-year partnership. F1 announced a five-year deal with Apple for exclusive broadcast rights starting in 2026. ESPN will end coverage in 2025 after broadcasting since 2018. The Apple-F1 deal is estimated at around $750m, considerably more than what ESPN was paying. F1 on Apple TV will offer races as part of the standard subscription, including all sessions and the main grand prix. Commentary is expected to be sourced from F1 TV or UK’s Sky network. F1 CEO spoke positively about ESPN’s past support and the future with Apple. Nielsen ratings and viewership figures may not be released by Apple for F1 broadcasts in the US. Meetings have reportedly taken place with Red Bull team principal Horner and Ferrari amid uncertainty around Alpine team boss Vasseur. Key commentators from Sky Sports and Channel 4 are highlighted, along with stories on F1 champions and the rivalry between Verstappen and Hamilton.
