IMAX theaters will soon offer American fans a new way to watch F1 races. Grab your popcorn, Junior Mints and get ready to feel the race for the first time
Apple TV+, the new exclusive home for F1 broadcasts, joined forces with IMAX to bring five major Grands Prix to its large-screen network, spanning at least 50 locations throughout the United States. The first race in IMAX will be on May 3 for the Miami Grand Prix.
Races shown in IMAX also include Monaco on June 7, the British Grand Prix on July 5, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 6, and the US Grand Prix in Austin on October 25. The complete experience includes practice sessions and qualifying events, and the actual race, which will be shown in IMAX’s large-screen format and its powerful audio system. The immersive experience will include all the sounds of F1, as never before.
“F1 is a rapidly growing force in sports and culture in the US, and by bringing F1 on Apple TV live to IMAX theaters nationwide, we’re delivering the energy and excitement to even more screens in a truly immersive way,” said Apple’s Oliver Schusser.
F1 fans who have watched the sport for years understand how much everything in the sport has changed and grown. Before 2019, the average U.S. TV audience per race was around 500,000 viewers. The Netflix series “Drive to Survive” brought in new viewers interested in watching the drivers and teams involved, and the drama emphasized by the reality show. Fan numbers exploded. The number of F1 fans in America exploded to 52 million, according to the most recent data, while the fan base continues to expand annually.
Liberty Media, and American company, bought the sport in 2017 and pushed hard into the United States, including adding races in Miami, Austin, Las Vegas. The American audiences have flocked to the state-side races with even Austin drawing 440,000 one weekend in 2023.
F1: The New Golden Goose for Movie Business?
The IMAX announcement shows public interest in F1 is still growing, despite analyst predictions that the sport will experience slower growth than its previous peak.
The dimly lit environment and booming Dolby sound will offer an entirely new experience for American F1 viewers. They’ll be able to watch Max Verstappen, or their favorite driver, navigate a turn, set to deep bass that produces body-shaking vibrations. The system serves as an alternative to traditional trackside seating, providing new access to racing events for people living far from circuits and those seeking to experience racing at its most intense level.
The sport of F1 has evolved into something more closely aligned with the American entertainment appetite. The entertainment industry is all in on this trend, as evidenced by the success of the Academy Award-nominated movie F1 starring Brad Pitt. Now, the struggling movie theater industry is looking to F1 to attract new fans.
