Apple
Apple reportedly sold $40 million worth of sponsorships for the fake F1 team that was featured in their F1 movie. Expensify, one of the companies prominently featured, has seen a massive spike in search traffic as a result of the ad placement.
In the film, Brad Pitt’s character Sonny Hayes is recruited by Javier Bardem’s Rubén Cervantes to drive for the fictional F1 team he owns, APXGP.
APXGP’s gear, like all F1 teams, is decked out in sponsorships, with Expensify — a software company that develops an expense management system for personal and business use — being one of the most prominently featured.
According to reports, Expensify’s investment paid off, as they’ve not only seen a spike in search traffic but also said it would realize the price they paid for the sponsorship in the next quarter.
Software company Expensify paid top dollar for sponsorship slot in Apple’s F1
An interesting detail about the new F1 movie is that they sold $40 million in sponsorships for their fictional team.
Expensify’s CEO called it “one of the best brand placement opportunities ever.”
And the company hit a multi-year high on Google Trends the week of its release. pic.twitter.com/RjEwEhUo09
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) July 15, 2025
“Because it is publicly traded, Expensify said in a prior earnings report that it would realize the price of the sponsorship — which it has been paying for incrementally for several years now — in its next quarter,” Sports Business Journal reported.
“The company isn’t expected to itemize out the exact fee, but investors may be able to ballpark it because the payment will be included in its expenses tally. While it is not yet clear what Expensify ultimately paid, Apple was asking eight figures for the best assets when it first pitched the deals several years ago.”
Since releasing in theaters on June 27, F1 has racked up almost $400 million at the global box office. Directed by Top Gun: Maverick filmmaker Joseph Kosinski, F1 stars Pitt, Bardem, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Luciano Bacheta, and more.