F1 Sets US TV Viewership Record in Final ESPN Season
F1's final season on ESPN set a new US television viewership record, averaging 1.32 million viewers per race in 2025. The record-breaking year, which saw 16 individual race audience highs, demonstrates the sport's solidified growth in America just before its risky transition to a streaming-exclusive future with Apple.
Formula 1 concluded its eight-year partnership with ESPN by setting a new record for average US television viewership in 2025, reaching 1.32 million viewers per race. The season finale in Abu Dhabi drew 1.5 million viewers, capping off a year where 16 of the 24 races set individual event records. This surge highlights the series' dramatic growth in the American market since ESPN first began broadcasting F1 in 2018.
Why it matters:
The record-breaking season solidifies F1's foothold in the crucial US market just as it prepares for a major transition. Moving its broadcast rights from a traditional cable network (ESPN) to a global streaming service (Apple) represents a significant gamble. This final ESPN season demonstrates the substantial audience base F1 has built, which it now must work to retain and migrate to a new platform.
By the numbers:
- 1.32 million: The record average viewership per race for the 2025 season on US TV.
- 1.5 million: Viewers for the Abu Dhabi season finale, a 53% increase from 2024.
- 2.3 million: The peak audience for the Monaco Grand Prix, the season's most-watched race.
- 554,000: The average viewership in 2018, ESPN's first year, underscoring a growth of nearly 140%.
- 16 races: The number of Grands Prix that set individual US viewership records in 2025.
The details:
Regional performance in the US varied, with races in the Americas naturally drawing the largest average audience (1.56 million). Races in the Middle East also performed strongly with 1.41 million average viewers, while European events averaged 1.33 million. Races in the Asia-Pacific region, airing at less favorable times for US audiences, still set a record with an average of 848,000 viewers. The data shows not only peak growth but also greater consistency, with only four races dropping below the one-million-viewer mark.
What's next:
All eyes are on the transition to Apple, which begins with the 2026 season. The move to a streaming-exclusive platform in the US removes a barrier of a cable subscription but also shifts the audience to a completely new destination. The short-term challenge will be convincing the record ESPN audience to follow the sport to Apple TV+. The long-term success of this partnership will depend on Apple's production quality, pricing strategy, and ability to make the sport accessible to both dedicated fans and new viewers.