F1: The Movie with Brad Pitt as a racer will make its streaming debut on Friday, December 12, following the film’s record-breaking theatrical run, Apple said Monday. And the announcement came with a surprise twist: Apple TV+ gets rebranded as simply “Apple TV” (no “+”) with what the company called a “vibrant new identity.”
It remains to be seen how vibrant the identity is, but it’s the same exact name as the Apple TV hardware and the Apple TV app. Maybe they meant “confusing new identity.”
F1: The Movie streams December 12 on rebranded ‘Apple TV’
Since its wide theatrical release on June 27, 2025, F1: The Movie has shattered records at the box office. The film debuted at No. 1 and has surpassed $629 million globally, making it both the highest-grossing sports film of all time and this year’s highest-grossing original feature. It’s also the biggest opening for an original live-action film in the U.S. in the last five years, as well as Brad Pitt’s highest-grossing feature to date. It’s considered the seventh biggest movie of the year worldwide.
The film has resonated strongly with audiences. It earned an “A” grade on CinemaScore and a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics and fans alike have praised it as the most authentic racing feature ever made. The production team shot during actual Grand Prix weekends as they competed against the titans of the sport.
“It’s been thrilling to see audiences around the world embrace ‘F1: The Movie’ in theaters,” said producer Jerry Bruckheimer. “Now, we’re beyond excited to bring this exhilarating, cinematic ride to fans everywhere through Apple TV’s unparalleled global reach.”
About the film
Directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Bruckheimer alongside seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, the film stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, dubbed “the greatest that never was.” Hayes was Formula 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, he’s convinced by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) to return to Formula 1. It could bring one last shot at redemption, as Hayes drives alongside hotshot rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).
The film’s success has extended beyond the box office. The accompanying soundtrack, F1: The Album, has surged past 650,000 albums sold worldwide and over one billion global streams, currently dominating Billboard’s Top Movie Songs chart with seven of the top 10 tracks.
The rebrand confusion
The streaming service rebrand was buried near the end of Apple’s press release. A single sentence stated “Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity.” As of now, Apple’s website and apps don’t reflect the change. And the company hasn’t shared additional details about what the new identity entails.
The move may create confusion. That’s because Apple already uses the “Apple TV” name for both its set-top box hardware and the Apple TV app that serves as a hub for streaming content. And for now, the reason for dropping the “+” remains unclear.
Source: Apple
