Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang doubled down on F1's Apple TV bet at The Race/Axios event in Austin, brushing aside third-party data showing household reach has dropped since the switch from ESPN. Chang says the five-year deal is delivering exactly what F1 wanted: access to Apple's 60% US market share, cross-promotion across the ecosystem (News, Store, iPhone), and technical innovation like multi-feed broadcasts and driver-specific cameras. Hours watched are up 13% year-on-year, and Saturday viewership saw double-digit growth. More importantly, Apple's distribution flexibility has unlocked deals traditional broadcasters can't touch—Netflix streaming the Canadian Grand Prix, IMAX theater broadcasts, Drive to Survive Season 8. F1's new metric is daily engagement, not just live eyeballs: 60% of fans interact with F1 content every day, even when there's no race. Chang made clear Liberty expects the partnership to extend well beyond the current five-year term.
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