Apple’s commitment to Formula 1 continues to grow in a big way — quite literally. The tech giant has partnered with IMAX to broadcast five live races from the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship at select theaters across the United States, giving fans an unparalleled viewing experience without leaving the country.
Five Races, Five Chances to Watch F1 on the Biggest Screen Possible
According to the official IMAX announcement, the following five Grand Prix events are confirmed for live IMAX theater screenings in the US during the 2026 season:
- Miami Grand Prix — May 3
- Monaco Grand Prix — June 7
- British Grand Prix — July 5
- Italian Grand Prix — September 6
- United States Grand Prix — October 25
The selection covers some of the most iconic and fan-favorite circuits on the F1 calendar — from the glamour of Monaco’s street circuit to the historic Monza track in Italy and the passionate home crowd at Silverstone. For US fans in particular, getting to watch the Miami and US Grands Prix live in an IMAX setting adds a uniquely immersive dimension to the race-day experience.
Apple’s Growing Investment in Formula 1
This IMAX deal is the latest chapter in Apple’s deepening relationship with the sport. Last fall, Apple secured a five-year deal for the US broadcast rights to Formula 1, making Apple TV+ the new home for F1 racing in America starting with the 2026 season. Ahead of the season’s kick-off, Apple has already launched a dedicated Formula 1 channel within the Apple TV app, giving fans a centralized destination for race coverage, highlights, and more.
Apple’s involvement with Formula 1 isn’t limited to broadcast rights alone. The company also acquired the rights to the F1 feature film starring Brad Pitt — a splashy cinematic production that went on to earn more than $630 million at the global box office, including a theatrical run that featured select IMAX screenings. That film’s success at the box office, and particularly its premium-format appeal, appears to have laid the groundwork for this live IMAX racing partnership.
Apple’s push into live sports and entertainment aligns with a broader trend among big tech companies. Just as Samsung has been making strategic moves to strengthen its hardware ecosystem with key partnerships, Apple is leveraging its content platforms to capture high-value live sports audiences.
What This Means for F1 Fans in the US
For many American motorsport fans, watching a Grand Prix in an IMAX theater represents the closest thing to actually attending a race. IMAX’s massive screens, immersive sound systems, and high-resolution projection can replicate the visceral energy of a live circuit in ways that home viewing simply cannot match. The roar of the engines, the precision of tire strategy battles, and the tension of overtaking maneuvers all take on a new dimension at this scale.
It remains to be seen whether IMAX will continue hosting live F1 screenings in future seasons, but the partnership signals a clear appetite for premium live sports experiences beyond the traditional stadium or home couch setup. If the 2026 screenings prove popular, it could set a new precedent for how motorsport — and live sports more broadly — reaches audiences in the streaming era.
Apple TV+ and the Race for Sports Broadcasting
The Formula 1 broadcast deal marks a significant expansion of Apple TV+’s live sports portfolio. The streaming service has been building out its sports presence steadily, and adding one of the world’s most-watched motorsport series to its lineup is a major coup. Formula 1 has seen an extraordinary surge in popularity in the United States over the past several years, driven in part by the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive and a new generation of fans drawn to the sport’s mix of technology, strategy, and on-track drama.
Apple’s ability to pair its broadcast rights with a theatrical IMAX experience is a creative approach to making live sports feel like a premium event — something that goes beyond simply watching a race stream on a TV screen. This kind of multi-platform thinking echoes what other tech leaders are doing across their product lines. For example, Apple’s OLED iPad Pro lineup represents a similar push to deliver cinematic-quality visuals to consumers at multiple price points and form factors.
The Apple-IMAX-F1 partnership is part of a broader shift in how major tech and media companies are thinking about live events. Rather than simply acquiring broadcast rights and distributing content to screens at home, companies are now exploring how to create “event” moments that bring audiences together in shared physical spaces — even as streaming continues to grow.
Source: Engadget
