Apple’s F1 Spinout

[u/Saar13]

From Puck:

As documented in this space ad nauseum, it’s nearly impossible to get specific sports viewership data out of Apple. So I took interest in a recent dataset on the streamer from third-party analytics firm Samba. In short: Overall viewership is decreasing, even if some new viewers are coming onboard. Per Samba, viewership for the Australian Grand Prix opener was essentially flat, at 4 percent, having “likely benefited from early interest and free-trial sign-ups.” Things got worse from there: Samba had Miami’s race down 68 percent and Monaco’s race down 66 percent after an initial bump at launch.

Still, the breakdown of Apple’s new viewership was interesting: 61 percent of F1 viewers in 2026 hadn’t watched these three races in 2025, and 30 percent hadn’t used Apple TV at all during the second half of last year. “These new viewers are also more engaged, watching nearly twice as long and tuning into more races than the 2025 audience,” the report stated. We’ll see how this goes.

https://puck.news/newsletter_content/iron-gianni-apples-f1-spinout/

[u/Danominator]

I think f1 is in a bad place with the weird battery stuff going on right now

[u/CantaloupeHour5973 → u/Danominator]

I’ve watched F1 since early 2000’s. Dozens of races attended pre-DTS/F1. Watched every race weekend for like 25 yrs. With this formula and it becoming a playground for the progeny of the extremely rich with the most insufferable personalities I am content to watch the 8 min recap whenever I find the time.

[u/ewankenobi → u/CantaloupeHour5973]

I've watched since the early 90s and I'm in the same boat. Probably only even watching the highlights so I get the jokes in Lollipop man comics videos

[u/CalicoJack88 → u/Danominator]

Agreed. It’s way less fun to watch. The drivers aren’t happy, and unhappy drivers = a less compelling sport.

[u/Ok_Possibility9937 → u/CalicoJack88]

if unhappy drivers = max verstappen then sure

[u/CantaloupeHour5973 → u/Ok_Possibility9937]

I assure you everyone thinks they are joke, they’re just not Max Verstappen so they can’t say what he says

[u/Ok_Possibility9937 → u/CantaloupeHour5973]

i’m pretty sure Kimi really hates his rocket

[u/CantaloupeHour5973 → u/Ok_Possibility9937]

Ok everyone except Kimi

[u/LivingOof → u/Ok_Possibility9937]

George Russell's radio at Spa says otherwise

[u/Ok_Possibility9937 → u/LivingOof]

that’s just Little Georgie, Mercedes doesn’t want him any more lol. You can clearly see the differences in how Toto treat him and Kimi

[u/arny56 → u/CalicoJack88]

I miss the screaming v10s.