ESPN is on a pace to register record Formula 1 viewer figures for the 2025 season, in what looks like the last year as the host Omroep of the sport in the United States.
The Italian Grand Prix in Monza attracted an average of 1.2 million viewers on ESPN2 on Sunday, with a peak audience of 1.4 m when Max Verstappen Dominated and McLaren set up team orders to destroy a slow pit stop for Lando Norris. This marks the 10th event record of the season, with all the races this year, except one that is also registered year on annual profits.
Miami is the only event that last year’s viewers does not exceed, while the Italian Grand Prix is now becoming a member of the races in Australia, China, Monaco, Spain, Canada, Austria, Groot -Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands in setting up a new record -Mamerikan audience for every event.
The 2025 season is currently followed with an average of 1.4 million viewers per race over ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, on the record average of 2022 of 1.21 million. With eight races to go, the title fight between the two McLaren drivers will come to a peak, while there are also two races in the United States – Austin and Las Vegas – and the Grand Prix of Mexico City still to run.
In the last third of the season there is still no confirmation of the next holder of the broadcasting rights in the United States, but sources have indicated that Apple TV is well placed to take over from ESPN, after a negotiation period of a year. The two emerged earlier this year as the most important bidders, after interest from other streaming giants Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
“I think it was pretty well documented in terms of the negotiations,” said Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang during a performance at the Goldman Sachs Communcacopia & Technology Conference this week. “We are pretty far along and we are pretty happy and comfortable with where we will end. Hopefully we have something to talk about relatively quickly.
“De meer inhoudelijke vraag is waar we naar op zoek zijn en waar we naar op zoek waren? Ik denk dat het een goed moment is om te praten over het media -landschap en niet om een geschiedenisles te gaan doen, maar zoals iedereen weet, in het verleden was het als, je doet een deal met een mediapartner en het is veel spelletjes, er zijn veel games of er zijn veel games of er zijn veel games of er zijn veel games of er zijn veel games of er zijn veel games of er zijn veel games or are there many events or the events are two hours or an hour and an hour and a half and an hour and half an hour
“Now it is much more – and this is not only Formula 1, but I think all over the line – is your media partner even a media partner? Are they also a sponsor? Do they have other ways in which they will earn and commercialize a kind of relationship? On the other hand, how do they help you do a kind of?
“In the US we have been on a pretty nice growth path with Austin and then Miami and now Vegas, which we are very proud of and are very happy with how that goes. I think it is important to bring in a partner who strengthens much of it on an overall holistic basis and that engagement with fans is important.”
ESPN has held the rights in the US since 2018 and has taken over the ownership of F1 of NBC Sports early in Liberty Media.
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