The highest-grossing sports film of all time is finally slated to hit OTT screens after racing past numerous rivals at the box office for over 100 days in theatres. This year, Christmas will come a bit early for starstruck Formula 1 and Hollywood fans, as F1 The Movie, starring Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes – the “greatest that never was,” will hit Apple TV in December.

Having first come out in theatres as part of the Summer 2025 blockbuster lineup, F1 is now also the biggest commercial hit of Pitt’s career, churning in yet another milestone as the highest-earning film ever for the Apple Original Films banner. Tron: Legacy and Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski’s F1 has so far amassed a whopping global box office earning of $629 million.

Also featuring Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon and Tobias Menzies in significant roles, the show-stopping flick was even backed by real-life Formula One legend Lewis Hamilton. The 40-year-old Ferrari icon not only endorsed the multi-million-generating movie as a producer, but allowed for his charismatic aura to intimidate theatregoers on the big screen with an unmissable cameo.

ALSO READ

F1 The Movie Apple TV release date

According to Apple TV’s recent news release, the Brad Pitt sports flick is set to premiere on the streaming platform on December 12, 2025, months after its prior digital release. While it was first made available for purchase or rent on August 22, Apple TV subscribers will finally be able to watch the much-loved film without completing any additional costs two months down the line.

Shockingly, the platform also quietly rebranded itself, dropping the ‘+’ from Apple TV+, in the same press release announcing F1’s OTT update.

F1 The Movie streaming announcement reactions

As the theatre vs OTT debate rages on, a huge faction of cinephiles hailed Apple TV’s decision to push back the Brad Pitt-starrer’s streaming premiere to prioritise an impressively long IMAX run.

“Even though F1 The Movie was produced by Apple, it’s hitting Apple TV 170 days after its release, much later than most studio films,” applauded a fan on X. “It’s Brad Pitt’s biggest film, the highest-grossing sports film ever, 2025’s top original & the year’s IMAX hit.”

Someone else exclaimed, “Apple learning from Christopher Nolan..Big film, long theatrical release, then stream.”

Yet another cheered on, “See what happens when movies stay in theatres.”

ALSO READ

A fourth user drew up the comparison with Netflix, saying, “Apple is actually teaching Netflix a lesson: they don’t have to be *purists* when it comes to streaming versus theatrical releases. A great theatrical release only strengthens a streaming service for years to come. For some reason Netflix doesn’t seem to understand this yet. But they will.”

“They are doing the right thing. The short window between a film being released in theaters and on streaming, is one of the factors killing the industry,” wrote a fifth netizen.

Another person chimed in, “A reminder to streaming services that bcos they bankroll movies doesn’t mean they can’t have regular cinema runs before hosting on their services.”