Apple Adds Dolby Atmos Sound to Live Formula 1 Races

Apple wants Formula 1 fans to hear the roar of the engines, the squeals of the tires and the chaos of the pit lane as they’ve never heard it before.

The tech giant is partnering with Dolby Laboratories to bring its Dolby Atmos sound to F1, beginning with the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, later this month. The companies are betting that Atmos sound, paired with Dolby Vision, will make the races more exciting and visceral than they have ever been for viewers at home.

“The sound is what makes it emotional; it is the sound that guides you through that and builds the tension,” John Couling, senior VP of entertainment for Dolby Laboratories, tells The Hollywood Reporter. “That is what Dolby Atmos will deliver.”

Apple, of course, is not a sports juggernaut like ESPN, nor is it pouring the same resources that, say, an Amazon Prime Video is putting into the space. Instead, the tech company has decided that whatever sports it does invest in, it wants to create the best experience possible for viewers, including video nd sound quality that is a step above what is available elsewhere.

“If you are a sports fan today, our viewpoint today is that the experience is — am going to be polite and say not easy,” says Oliver Schusser, Apple’s VP of music, sports, Apple TV and Beats. “There really has not been a lot of innovation. We went into sports a couple of years back with the intention to make a difference for the customer, this is a continuation of that journey.”

The new sound experience will be available on supported Apple devices and compatible Dolby-enabled TVs, soundbars and home theater systems, with plans to continue delivering that sound and video quality for future races. F1 is responsible for producing its races, with Apple delivering it to consumers through its tech stack.

Apple is in the first year of its F1 deal, paying an estimated $140-$150 million for the rights. Eddy Cue, the executive who oversees Apple’s services business and a devout F1 fan, said last month that viewership of races is younger, more female-skewing, and “up by significant double-digit percentage growth” compared to last year when they were on ESPN.