Apple reach ‘will be even bigger in the future’ than ESPN - Domenicali

Apple’s reach through its streaming and connectivity platforms will be bigger for Formula 1 in the future than ESPN’s was, according to the sport’s CEO Stefano Domenicali.

F1 was broadcast on ESPN from 2018 until last year, with the final season of the partnership having record viewership figures in the United States. From this year onwards, Apple TV will be the U.S. broadcaster, and while Domenicali says the sport retains a strong relationship with ESPN’s parent company Disney, he believes the Apple portfolio can reach more fans in the long-term.

“When we are talking about Apple in the U.S., we are talking about a new partner of Formula 1 that is believing in us with a great plan of being the protagonist of the growth in the U.S. of the sport through their channels, through their applications, through their way of pushing a product that is not only technological, but is a new tool of connectivity,” Domenicali said.

“Apple is in the hands of the majority of people because it allows everyone to be connected. We want to be connected and relevant and that's where we believe that we took the right decision to go in this direction.

“I don’t want to, for a single second, talk badly about the ESPN relationship because they were the first to believe in us. I need to thank them and as you know, with Disney World, the collaboration is huge in the area of licensing and other things that we are doing together. I had good meetings with the new CEO of Disney, Josh D’Amaro, to talk about bigger steps that we can do even more.

“But I do believe that the reach that we're going to have through the streaming platform, through Apple, will be even bigger in the future and it is what we want to test in a market that is more mature than the others. It will allow us to enter in the houses of other people in a different way, in great quality that is very important for us. So, that is what I believe the Apple relationship will bring to us in the American market.”

Domenicali also says Apple will be proactive in connecting with the growing younger demographic that is interested in Formula 1 in the United States, while maintaining traditional ways of following the sport.

“We have a worldwide sport, but the U.S. markets for sure are markets where we can see the potential growth in terms of interest, in terms of awareness, in terms of business,” he said. “And we do believe that the partner that we have chosen in the world of streaming is the right one, if you consider that the American market in terms of streaming is one of the most mature ones, if you compare with others like Europe or other ones.

“Apple will be very pushy to use all their tools that they have, with all the different applications and platforms that they have, not only in terms of Apple TV - and I just want to reiterate the fact that all our F1 TV subscribers can connect with Apple TV, being part of their offers, spending less and there will be a lot of content that they're going to push.

“We must not forget it’s also in the sort of stream of our [audience], that are younger and younger in the U.S., and 40% is female, 60% is male today. So we believe that is the right angle to push in that dimension specifically.”