Apple has submitted a bid worth at least $150 million a year for the US rights to stream Formula 1 races starting in 2026, Business Insider reported on July 11, citing a source familiar with the negotiations, a Reuters dispatch has stated.

The iPhone-maker is poised to win the rights as the leading bidder as Walt Disney’s ESPN, which currently holds the rights, will not try to match or beat it. Apple declined a Reuters request for comment, while F1 and its owner Liberty Media did not immediately respond.

The news follows Apple’s success with its ‘F1: The Movie’ film starring Brad Pitt, that has grossed over $300 million worldwide as of Friday last, according to IMDb’s Box Office Mojo.

ESPN holds the US broadcast rights for these races through the year’s season, though Reuters has reported in February that its exclusivity period to negotiate a new contract with F1 has expired.

‘Murderbot’ Season Two: Meanwhile,  Apple TV+ has announced a season two renewal for its widely acclaimed comedic thriller ‘Murderbot’, created and showrun by Academy Award nominees Chris and Paul Weitz and starring Emmy Award winner Alexander Skarsgård, who also serves as executive producer. The season one finale of ‘Murderbot’ premiered globally on July 11.

“We’re so grateful for the response that ‘Murderbot’ has received, and delighted that we’re getting to go back to Martha Wells’ world to work with Alexander, Apple, CBS Studios and the rest of the team,” said creators and executive producers Chris and Paul Weitz.

“Chris, Paul, Alexander and the entire ‘Murderbot’ team have delivered a brilliantly original, addictive, witty and vibrant adaptation that has captured the imagination of audiences everywhere,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming at Apple TV+ in a statement, adding, “We can’t wait to unveil what’s next for ‘Murderbot’.”

Based on the first novella in Martha Wells’ bestselling Hugo and Nebula Award-winning book series, season one of  ‘Murderbot’ is a sci-fi thriller-comedy about a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients.