Apple TV is adding Dolby Atmos to its Formula 1 coverage, beginning with the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin later this month.
Until now, Apple’s F1 streams have been carried in 5.1 surround. Atmos is meant to make the broadcast more immersive for viewers whose TVs or audio systems support it, placing engine noise, passing cars, and pit-lane sound around the listener — including overhead — rather than locking them to fixed channels.
The Austin weekend runs October 22–25, with the race on the final day. Apple has not said whether Atmos will cover practice and qualifying or only the race itself. The company has framed Austin as the start of its Atmos plans, but it is not yet clear whether every race after that will get the same treatment.
Apple’s Oliver Schusser told The Hollywood Reporter that sports viewing has seen little innovation and that there is room to improve the fan experience. Dolby’s John Couling told Business of Speed that Apple can draw on Formula 1’s existing trackside sensors and microphones, so circuits do not need new hardware — a setup that should be easier to repeat elsewhere.
Apple already has a track record with race audio. The sound team that won an Oscar for best sound on the Apple Original Film F1: The Movie which worked with roughly 150 microphones placed around tracks. Live Atmos is an attempt to bring some of that presence to the broadcast.
MacDailyNews Take: Of course, Atmos only appears on gear that supports it. Standard stereo setups will sound the same as before. AirPods 3 and newer — including recent AirPods Pro and AirPods Max models — can render the mix as Spatial Audio when paired with an Apple TV 4K.
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