Big Tech Fuels Formula 1's $3 Billion Sponsorship Boom

Formula 1 sponsorship is set to smash the $3 billion barrier in 2026, a boom fueled by massive investment from the technology sector, according to a new Ampere Analysis forecast.

• Tech takes pole position: Big tech is now the biggest spender in F1, pouring in over half a billion dollars. Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Oracle alone account for nearly a quarter of that investment, while AI has become a hot new category, with the sport inking eight new deals with AI firms in just the last six months.

• An American tailwind: The commercial boom is being supercharged by F1's explosive popularity in the U.S., where sponsorship from domestic companies has jumped nearly 70% since 2023. Capturing this younger, more diverse audience, Apple is making a major play, securing exclusive U.S. broadcast rights for all F1 races in a five-year deal that kicks off in 2026.

• Drafting in the slipstream: While tech grabs the headlines, other sectors are also cashing in, with sponsorship from sports apparel brands climbing by three-quarters in the last two years. According to Adam Lewis, an analyst at Ampere Analysis, the sport's expansion is "translating into tangible commercial returns" across the board.

The surge reinforces F1’s position as a highly effective global marketing platform, where the most valuable real estate remains team title sponsorships, a category expected to exceed $500 million next season alone. Meanwhile, the AI sponsorship trend is getting specific, with Meta AI partnering with the Mercedes-AMG team and Anthropic's Claude AI joining Williams Racing.