F1's 2025 Season Review Shows Record-Breaking Growth in Global Fanbase and Attendance
F1's 2025 season review highlights monumental growth, with the global fanbase reaching 827 million and a record 6.7 million race attendees. A younger, more diverse audience, a blockbuster movie, and a major U.S. broadcast deal with Apple TV+ signal the sport's powerful mainstream expansion.
Formula 1's 2025 season review reveals a sport experiencing unprecedented growth, with records shattered in global fanbase, race attendance, and media engagement. The championship battle, which saw Lando Norris clinch the title by just two points over Max Verstappen, captivated a massive and increasingly diverse audience, solidifying F1's position as a global entertainment powerhouse.
Why it matters:
The explosive growth across all metrics demonstrates F1's successful transition into a mainstream global sport, moving beyond its traditional European stronghold. A younger, more gender-balanced fanbase and record-breaking commercial deals point to a sustainable and expanding future, crucial for attracting long-term investment and maintaining competitive relevance on the world stage.
By the numbers:
- 827 million: The total global F1 fanbase in 2025, marking a 12% increase from 2024 and a massive 63% jump since 2018.
- 6.7 million: Total combined attendance across the season, a new all-time record.
- 43%: Proportion of the total fanbase now under the age of 35, with 57% of all new fans in 2025 falling into this demographic.
- 42%: Female representation in the fanbase, up from 37% in 2018, with 48% of new fans this year being female.
- $630 million: Global box office revenue for F1: The Movie, making it the highest-grossing sports film ever.
The details:
The season's momentum was evident from the start, with the 'F1 75' live launch event in London selling out in just 20 minutes. This set the tone for a year where 11 different Grands Prix set new attendance records, with 19 events completely sold out and four weekends surpassing 400,000 spectators.
Social media and digital consumption saw parallel surges. YouTube highlights viewership grew by 33% year-on-year, and F1's total social media following increased to 114.5 million, up from 97.4 million in 2024. The format of the sport itself received a vote of confidence, with 78% of fans surveyed supporting the continuation of Sprint weekends, which also drove an 8% increase in social media mentions.
Commercial and broadcast foundations were strengthened significantly. Nine races, including the United States Grand Prix, secured long-term extensions, with most of the calendar now confirmed beyond 2030. The landmark deal with Apple TV+, announced at the U.S. Grand Prix, will make the platform the sport's exclusive broadcaster in the United States from 2026.
What's next:
The record-breaking 2025 season sets a new benchmark for the sport's commercial and popular appeal. The challenge for F1 will be to maintain this growth trajectory by delivering similarly compelling on-track competition in 2026, a season that will also introduce new technical regulations. The shift to Apple TV+ in the key U.S. market represents a major test for fan retention and engagement under a new broadcasting model. With a solidified global calendar and a rapidly expanding, younger fanbase, F1 is positioned for continued success, provided the on-track product remains fiercely competitive.