Record Viewership for F1 on ESPN as 2025 Season Approaches Conclusion
As the 2025 Formula 1 season nears its finale, ESPN is set to achieve record viewership figures in the United States. The recent Italian Grand Prix at Monza attracted an average of 1.2 million viewers on ESPN2, peaking at 1.4 million. This race marks the 10th event of the season to set new audience records, with all but one event showing year-on-year increases.
Notably, the Italian Grand Prix joins previous record-setting races in Australia, China, Monaco, Spain, Canada, Austria, Great Britain, Belgium, and The Netherlands. Only the Miami Grand Prix did not surpass last year’s numbers.
Currently, the season is averaging 1.4 million viewers per race across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC, exceeding the record average of 1.21 million from 2022. With eight races remaining, the competition intensifies, particularly between McLaren teammates, along with two upcoming races in the United States—Austin and Las Vegas—and the Mexico City Grand Prix.
While ESPN holds the broadcasting rights, the future landscape remains uncertain. Industry sources suggest that Apple TV is in a strong position to acquire rights as negotiations progress, amidst interest from competing platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang expressed optimism about the negotiations during a recent technology conference, indicating that a resolution could be imminent.
“The more substantive question is what we are looking for and what we’ve been looking for?” Chang remarked, emphasizing the evolving nature of media partnerships in the current environment. He highlighted the importance of a partner that enhances overall engagement with fans.
ESPN has held the broadcasting rights since 2018, taking over from NBC Sports as part of Liberty Media’s strategic management of Formula 1.
