Formula 1 racing is booming in the U.S.! The 2025 season, marking the end of ESPN's eight-year broadcasting run, shattered viewership records, proving the sport's growing popularity stateside. But what drove this incredible surge in interest? Let's dive in.
The season finale in Abu Dhabi, a nail-biting title showdown between Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri, drew an average of 1.5 million viewers on ESPN, with a peak of 1.8 million, according to Nielsen data. This wasn't just a one-off; it was the 16th race of the 24 in 2025 to set a viewership record! Furthermore, 21 of the 24 races saw year-on-year increases, with only Miami, Singapore, and Brazil failing to register gains.
The average viewership for the entire season hit a record high of 1.3 million viewers per race, surpassing the previous best of 1.21 million from 2022. This represents an astounding 135% increase compared to ESPN's initial season.
ESPN's journey with F1 began in 2018, averaging 554,000 viewers per race. The following year, this figure rose to 672,000. Even the COVID-impacted 2020 season saw an average of 608,000 viewers. Then came 2021, with the epic championship battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, which brought in a massive 948,000 viewers per race. Since then, ESPN consistently averaged over a million viewers per race, offering commercial-free coverage since the second race of its tenure.
This growth is partly thanks to Liberty Media, which took over F1 in early 2017 and focused on expanding the sport's presence in the U.S. This led to the addition of races in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas. ESPN secured the broadcasting rights after Liberty's takeover, and the 2025 figures represent a 142% increase compared to the final year of NBC's deal.
But here's where it gets controversial... ESPN lost the broadcasting rights. Next year, F1 will shift to streaming on Apple TV. Apple's Eddy Cue stated that the platform has significantly more than the previously estimated 45 million subscribers.
What do you think about the move to streaming? Will it continue the growth, or will it hinder the sport's accessibility? Share your thoughts in the comments!
