Formula 1 has faced a demanding stretch in 2026. The war in the Persian Gulf has disrupted its racing calendar, and the series' debut season streaming Grands Prix on Apple TV has struggled to attract viewers.

The combination has produced an uncomfortable picture in the numbers. F1 has since provided additional information about its Apple TV performance, prompting an update to early assessments of the coverage switch.

Yet sports marketing experts caution against reading the situation as a collapse in American interest. In their view, F1's growth among U.S. audiences still has significant room to run before it peaks.

Their core message to advertisers is straightforward: a streaming numbers blip is not the same as a slowdown in fandom momentum.

Why the distinction matters for marketers

For brands weighing sports sponsorship, viewership data is often the first filter. A headline figure showing soft ratings in a debut streaming season can look like a warning sign. Experts argue the better lens is the underlying fan base — how many Americans follow the sport, engage with its drivers, and spend on its associated products.

By that measure, they say, F1's American audience remains on a growth trajectory. The current dip reflects the friction of a distribution transition and an unusual calendar disruption, not fading enthusiasm.

The Apple TV question

The move to Apple TV marked a major change in how U.S. fans access race coverage. Any shift of that scale typically produces short-term audience churn: viewers must find the new platform, adjust habits, and in some cases pay for access they previously received elsewhere.

Formula 1's own data on Apple TV performance, disclosed after initial reporting, adds nuance to the raw ratings picture. Marketers evaluating the property will need to weigh both sets of figures as the season progresses.

The decision facing brands

The question for sponsors is whether to swerve — pull back spending while viewership settles — or steer through the transition and maintain position in a sport that experts believe has not yet reached its U.S. ceiling.

The expert consensus leans toward patience. Audience habits around a new streaming home tend to stabilize after an adjustment period, and F1's broader cultural foothold in the United States, built over several seasons of sustained growth, does not evaporate with one difficult year.

For marketing professionals, the case is a reminder that platform metrics and fandom are distinct signals. The former can wobble during distribution changes. The latter, per the experts, still points upward.

Source: Digiday (https://digiday.com/marketing/should-brands-swerve-or-steer-as-f1s-u-s-viewership-slows/?utm_campaign=digidaydis&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=general-rss) / Source: eu.usatoday.com (https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/formula1/2026/08/22/formula-1-viewership-apple-tv-espn/91379790007/)