Popularity of the Formula 1 racing sport, which will count Apple TV as its US broadcast home for the 2026 season, has shifted into higher gear in recent years and that’s translating to brands – including AI and tech players – revving the sponsorship spend pedal.
According to a new forecast from Ampere Analysis, total global Formula 1 sponsorship spend is expected to exceed $3 billion for the first time in 2026.
As for who is leaning into the sport, technology brands have extended the lead over the financial services sector, surpassing $565 million in sponsorship investment. That group is led by brands Hewlett Packard Enterprises and Oracle, representing 24% of the technology vertical’s sponsorship spend on F1.
And Ampere noted that AI sponsorships for F1 specifically have quickly grown, seen by eight partnerships with AI players signed in the past six months alone, including Groq, Meta AI and Anthropic’s Claude.
Also helping to drive sponsorship growth for F1 are sports apparel brands, which have increased spend 75% in the last two years. Brands signed on so far for 2026 include Puma and Adidas, each with new flagship sponsorship deals in the category totaling $140 million.
Per Ampere the most valuable commercial asset for F1 continues to be team title sponsorships, where total spend is expected to surpass $500 million next season.
As mentioned, Apple TV is gearing up for its first season of F1 after last year securing exclusive rights in the U.S. to all races under a five-year agreement.
Last week new moves were announced including out-of-home distribution of the sport on Apple TV by EverPass Media in venues like restaurants, bars and hotels – as well as ingestion of the live sports content by DirecTV for residential customers that subscribe to Apple TV via the pay TV provider.
When Apple announced the F1 deal in October it said the sport’s U.S. fanbase reached 52 million in 2024. And they skew younger. According to the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey conducted with Motorsport Network, 47% of new U.S. F1 fans who had been following the sport for five years or less are aged 18-24 and over half are female.
With that in mind, U.S. companies are also getting into the sponsorship action for F1. Ampere’s forecast said that recent growth in U.S. fandom for the sport has driven increased investment, with F1 sponsorship spend from U.S.-based companies jumping 68% since 2023.
“Ampere forecasts Formula 1 sponsorship to exceed $3bn in 2026, reflecting both new constructor entries and a strong pipeline of partnerships across the sport,” stated Adam Lewis, analyst at Ampere Analysis. “Formula 1’s continued strategic expansion in the US is also translating into tangible commercial returns, attracting both established sectors and newer entrants. Taken together, these trends reinforce Formula 1’s position as a mature and highly effective global sponsorship platform, with clear momentum heading into the 2026 season.”