Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ Just Injected Serious Cash into Real‑Life Formula 1

Formula One Group saw a revenue bump this quarter - and the person they're thanking is none other than Brad Pitt.

After the actor's newest film F1 premiered in late June, the company saw a one-time revenue increase, which contributed to the group’s 40 percent rise in revenue year-over-year to hit $1 billion.

Formula One Group executives quantified the impact of the movie on revenue as “as a mid-teens number for the quarter.” Other factors include continued growth in F1 TV subscriptions and a calendar variance that led to a larger proportion of season-based income recognized during the second quarter.

F1 is a sports drama film directed by Joseph Kosinski from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger. The film stars Pitt as Formula One racing driver Sonny Hayes, who returns after a 30-year absence to save his former teammate's underdog team from collapse.

The film earned $55.6 million in North America during its opening weekend, and has since brought in more than $500 million globally.

Along with its financial impact, Formula One President Stefano Domenicali also pointed out the cultural impact of the movie and the economy it may help generate around the sport during an earnings call on Thursday, August 7.

"I would say the effect of the movie is not only, of course, about the dollars and economical input, but the sport will have an incredible opportunity to grow its awareness and to generate the circular economy around that," Domenicali said.

He added that he expects interest, and future revenue opportunities, to arise when the film is released on Apple's streaming platform, Apple TV+, in the fall.

Interest in the sport is already high, with Domenicali citing the Nielsen figure which quantified the fanbase at 826 million people in 2024. He said the fan base was particularly engaged around the movie's release on social media and viewership trends of the races have been up recently too.

Twelve of the past 40 F1 races have also sold out, and six races set the new attendance records, according to Domenicali.