2025 Formula 1 Season Concludes with Record U.S. Viewership on ESPN
The 2025 Formula 1 season has set a high benchmark for U.S. viewership as ESPN wrapped up its eight-year tenure as the sport’s domestic broadcaster. The season finale, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, featuring a thrilling title battle among Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri, drew an impressive average of 1.5 million viewers, peaking at 1.8 million, according to Nielsen data. This made it the 16th event out of 24 during the season to achieve record viewership.
Overall, the season averaged 1.3 million viewers per race, surpassing the previous U.S. record of 1.21 million set in 2022 and marking a significant 135% increase since ESPN’s first season back in 2018, when it averaged just 554,000 viewers. The 2021 season, noted for its intense championship between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, saw a jump to 948,000 viewers per race.
Throughout ESPN’s broadcast period, 21 of the season’s 24 races experienced year-on-year viewership increases, with notable exceptions being Miami, Singapore, and Brazil. The network has maintained an average viewership above one million since 2021 and has provided commercial-free coverage since the second race of its term.
These viewership figures reflect Liberty Media’s successful strategy since acquiring F1 in early 2017, which focused on enhancing the sport’s profile in the U.S. market. This season’s average represents a 142% increase compared to the final year of the previous NBC contract, underscoring the growing popularity of F1 in the U.S., now featuring three races: Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas.
As ESPN concludes its broadcast rights, Apple TV is set to take over F1 coverage beginning next season. Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, noted that the platform now has “significantly more” than the previously estimated 45 million subscribers, raising expectations for future viewership.
