Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ Becomes Apple Tv’s Biggest Streaming Hit

Brad Pitt’s high-octane Formula 1 drama “F1: The Movie” has roared onto Apple TV+ and almost instantly become the platform’s biggest streaming hit, capping a remarkable run that already saw it crowned the highest-grossing sports film in history and the most successful Apple Original movie ever released. The film’s record-breaking streaming debut underscores both Brad Pitt’s enduring box office power and Apple’s growing ambition to compete at the very top of the global streaming and theatrical market.​​

A Record-Breaking Arrival on Apple TV+

“F1: The Movie” made its global streaming debut on Apple TV+ on December 12, 2025, following a six‑month theatrical window that turned the film into a box office phenomenon before it ever hit the home screen. Apple positioned the film as its marquee year‑end release, marketing it as the year’s biggest original movie and the first Apple Original sports blockbuster to move seamlessly from IMAX and premium large formats to the living room.​​

Industry outlets report that following its Apple TV+ launch, “F1” quickly surged to the top of the service’s global charts, outpacing previous flagship titles and setting new internal records for first‑week viewership and engagement, earning it the distinction of Apple TV+’s biggest streaming hit to date. While Apple has not disclosed exact viewing figures, the company and partner promotions have consistently framed the film as a “global phenomenon” whose streaming performance is matching, and in some regions surpassing, its theatrical momentum.​​

Box Office Dominance Before Streaming

Long before reaching Apple TV+, “F1: The Movie” had already rewritten the record books at the box office. The film opened at number one worldwide following its late‑June 2025 theatrical launch, rapidly climbing past the 500 million dollar mark and then surpassing 600 million dollars in global ticket sales. With that performance, it became Apple’s highest‑grossing theatrical release and the top‑earning sports film of all time, eclipsing previous genre benchmarks and the company’s own earlier record holders such as “Napoleon.”​​

The racing drama earned around 189 million dollars domestically and approximately 631 million dollars worldwide by late summer, ranking among the top films of 2025 and decisively outperforming expectations for an original, adult‑skewing action drama. Apple reportedly spent in the neighborhood of 200–250 million dollars to produce the film, but the combination of theatrical revenue, premium video‑on‑demand, and now streaming subscriber impact appears to have validated one of the company’s boldest film bets to date.​​

Key Milestones for “F1: The Movie”

Inside the Story: Sonny Hayes and the APXGP Dream

At the heart of “F1: The Movie” is Brad Pitt’s portrayal of Sonny Hayes, a once‑promising Formula 1 driver whose career was cut short by a devastating crash in the 1990s. Decades later, Hayes has become a drifter on the fringes of the racing world, until a call from an old teammate pulls him back toward the pinnacle of motorsport.​​

That former teammate, played by Javier Bardem, now owns APXGP, a struggling fictional F1 team staring down financial pressure and competitive embarrassment on the grid. Hayes is recruited as a veteran presence to mentor the team’s blazing‑fast rookie, Joshua Pearce, portrayed by Damson Idris, even as the film underscores the inherent tension of Formula 1: the teammate who is both ally and fiercest rival.​​

A Cast Blending Hollywood and the Paddock

The cast of “F1” layers established Hollywood prestige with rising talent and real‑world racing figures. Brad Pitt headlines as Sonny Hayes, delivering a physically demanding performance that places him in and around actual F1 machinery shot during live Grand Prix weekends. Damson Idris co‑stars as Joshua Pearce, the rookie whose raw pace forces Hayes to confront both his past and the sport’s unforgiving present.​​

Supporting roles include Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, and Javier Bardem, who flesh out the APXGP ecosystem of engineers, managers, and stakeholders fighting to keep the team alive. The film also features appearances by real Formula 1 drivers and personnel, thanks to unprecedented cooperation with the championship, its ten teams, and event organizers, which helped embed the fictional story into the authentic environment of race weekends.​​

Joseph Kosinski’s Vision and a High‑Octane Production

Apple and producer Jerry Bruckheimer tapped director Joseph Kosinski, best known for “Top Gun: Maverick,” to bring “F1” to life with the same blend of practical stunt work, cutting‑edge camera technology, and immersive sound design. Kosinski and his team shot substantial portions of the film at actual Formula 1 events around the world, including high‑profile races such as Silverstone and other circuits spanning Europe, the Americas, and Asia.​

The production relied on customized cars, coordinated with teams and regulators, to run on track between sessions, with Pitt and Idris reportedly driving specially prepared machines to capture cockpit‑level footage as close to genuine race conditions as safety would permit. Behind the camera, cinematographer Claudio Miranda, editors, production designers Mark Tildesley and Ben Munro, and composer Hans Zimmer helped create a sensory experience that critics and fans have described as one of the most authentic depictions of racing yet captured on film.​​

Lewis Hamilton’s Role and F1’s Deep Involvement

Seven‑time world champion Lewis Hamilton served as a key producer and creative consultant, ensuring the film reflected both the culture and technical nuance of modern Formula 1. Through Hamilton, the production connected with major teams such as Mercedes and with Formula 1 leadership, securing unprecedented access to cars, garages, paddock spaces, and race‑weekend infrastructure.​

Formula 1 executives, including series CEO Stefano Domenicali and senior federation officials, worked closely with Apple and the filmmakers to integrate the shoot into race calendars and maintain safety and competitive integrity while cameras captured the on‑track action. This collaboration allowed “F1: The Movie” to blur the line between narrative cinema and documentary‑style realism, embedding actors into the same visual and sonic environment viewers recognize from live broadcasts.​​

Critical Acclaim and Audience Buzz

“F1: The Movie” has been warmly received across both critic and audience channels. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a Certified Fresh critics’ score in the low 80s and a “Verified Hot” audience score near 97%, signaling unusually strong alignment between reviewers and general viewers. CinemaScore polling likewise returned an A grade, reflecting high satisfaction among opening‑weekend moviegoers, who praised the emotional arc of Hayes’s comeback and the visceral staging of the racing sequences.​​

Reviewers have highlighted the film’s kinetic direction, immersive sound mix, and the way Kosinski uses trackside and in‑car cameras to translate the speed, G‑forces, and close quarters of F1 racing into a narrative feature. Some commentary has noted conspicuous Apple product placement and brand integration, but even critiques of the corporate sheen concede that the film’s technical craftsmanship and emotional beats make it stand out in a crowded action‑sports landscape.​

Why “F1” Became Apple TV+’s Biggest Streaming Hit

Several factors explain why “F1: The Movie” has accelerated so quickly to become Apple TV+’s top streaming performer. First, the film arrived with substantial built‑in awareness: it had already dominated entertainment headlines as Apple’s most expensive sporting project, the highest‑grossing sports film, and Brad Pitt’s biggest box office success. That combination created a sense of event viewing when it finally hit streaming, similar to how franchise tentpoles perform on rival platforms.​​

Second, Formula 1’s rising global popularity, particularly among younger demographics and in markets like the United States, Europe, and parts of Asia, meant the film could tap into an existing fan base hungry for prestige, behind‑the‑scenes‑style storytelling around the paddock. Apple timed the streaming release to coincide with the off‑season window when fans traditionally seek out long‑form content related to the sport, further amplifying interest and social‑media conversation.​​

Apple’s Big‑Screen Strategy Pays Off

“F1: The Movie” also marks a major strategic win for Apple’s hybrid theatrical‑plus‑streaming model. Apple Original Films has, in recent years, dabbed in wide theatrical runs for prestige projects, but “F1” was one of its clearest attempts to mount a full‑scale blockbuster rollout with IMAX partnerships and a coordinated global release. Earlier big‑ticket efforts like “Argylle” and other costly experiments were criticized for underperforming, raising questions about Apple’s tolerance for big‑screen risk.​

By crossing the 600 million dollar mark and then fueling the biggest streaming launch in Apple TV+ history, “F1” provides a proof‑of‑concept that the company can use large‑scale theatrical releases not just as stand‑alone profit centers, but as marketing engines for its subscription service. The film’s success is already prompting speculation that Apple may greenlight more high‑budget, theatrically‑driven projects and potentially revisit its pace of releases aimed squarely at cinemas.​

A New Benchmark for Sports Films

Within the sports‑movie genre, “F1” sets a new commercial and technical benchmark. Its more than 630 million dollars in global box office revenue nudges it beyond prior genre leaders, redefining what a racing drama or sports biopic can achieve at the modern box office. The film’s blend of real‑world racing, A‑list talent, and cutting‑edge production technology distinguishes it from earlier, more conventional sports narratives, aligning it more closely with large‑scale action franchises than with traditional underdog stories.​​

Thematically, the movie leans into redemption, mentorship, and generational transition, using the Sonny Hayes–Joshua Pearce dynamic to explore how elite sport treats aging champions and rising stars. That framing allows “F1” to resonate not only with hardcore racing fans but also with broader audiences drawn to character‑driven drama set against a spectacular backdrop, further supporting its crossover appeal on Apple TV+.​​

How “F1” Elevates Brad Pitt’s Career

For Brad Pitt, “F1: The Movie” represents a pinnacle both commercially and creatively. With its box office totals surpassing any previous film in his career, the project cements his status as a bankable global star even in an era often dominated by franchise IP and younger ensemble casts. The physically demanding nature of the role, the collaboration with active F1 personnel, and the integration of practical driving sequences add a dimension of authenticity that has been widely praised.​​

The film also reinforces Pitt’s ongoing pivot toward prestige‑leaning genre projects that combine spectacle with emotionally grounded storytelling, a trajectory that has seen him oscillate between auteur‑driven dramas and high‑profile action fare. Industry watchers note that the success of “F1” could influence the types of large‑scale, sports‑ and tech‑adjacent stories studios pursue in the next several years, with Apple likely to consider further collaborations that mirror this balance of spectacle and star power.​

The Tech and Craft Behind the Speed

Beyond its narrative and commercial impact, “F1: The Movie” has attracted attention for its technical craft. The film uses advanced camera rigs mounted on race‑spec cars, stabilized gimbal systems, and trackside arrays to capture shots that mimic, and in some cases surpass, the dynamism of live F1 television coverage. Dolby Atmos sound design and a Hans Zimmer score heighten the sense of speed and peril, with engine noise, tire screech, and crowd ambience layered to approximate the cacophony of race day.​​

Shot at real circuits during actual Grand Prix weekends, the production team had to choreograph complex track schedules with race organizers, coordinating run times between official sessions and promotional activity. This logistical feat contributed to the film’s reputation as one of the most authentic racing dramatizations yet seen, helping differentiate it from more studio‑bound sports movies and giving Apple a clear marketing hook both in theaters and on Apple TV+.​​

What “F1” Means for the Future of Apple TV+

The towering success of “F1: The Movie” on Apple TV+ suggests that Apple will continue to pursue projects that can bridge the gap between theatrical event and streaming powerhouse. Executives, analysts, and cinema operators are already debating whether the film’s performance might push Apple back toward a more aggressive theatrical slate after a period of retrenchment. With “F1” now serving as a case study, the company has a template: partner with globally recognized IP or cultural phenomena, align with top‑tier talent, and commit to production values that can stand alongside major studio releases.​

For viewers, the film’s availability on Apple TV+ adds another marquee title to a growing library that Apple hopes will justify continued subscription growth in a crowded market. As Formula 1’s global fan base continues to expand, and as interest in prestige sports storytelling intensifies, “F1: The Movie” stands as a milestone for both its star and its studio—a box office juggernaut that has now become Apple TV+’s biggest streaming hit, and a powerful signal of where premium streaming cinema is headed next.