F1 Shatters Records in 2025 with Massive Fan Growth and Sold-Out Events
F1's 2025 season review shows record-breaking growth, with the global fanbase hitting 827 million. Attendance and digital engagement soared, while a significant shift toward younger and female fans highlights the sport's expanding appeal, backed by commercial successes like a blockbuster movie and new broadcast deals.
Formula 1's 2025 season review reveals a sport breaking records across the board, from a soaring global fanbase to unprecedented event attendance and blockbuster commercial success. The year, capped by a nail-biting championship duel, solidified F1's position as a global entertainment powerhouse with significant demographic shifts in its audience.
Why it matters:
The sustained, multi-year growth trajectory demonstrates F1's successful transformation into a mainstream global sport. The significant increases in young and female fans point to a healthy, diversifying future audience, ensuring long-term viability and commercial appeal far beyond its traditional core market.
The details:
- Explosive Fan Growth: The global fanbase reached 827 million in 2025, a 12% year-on-year increase and a massive 63% jump since 2018.
- Youth Movement: 43% of all fans are now under 35. This demographic accounted for 57% of all new fans gained in 2025, with 51 million new young fans joining year-on-year.
- Increasing Gender Balance: Female fans now represent 42% of the total fanbase, up from 37% in 2018. Nearly half (48%) of all new fans in 2025 were female.
- Record-Breaking Attendance: Live events saw huge demand, with a total season attendance of 6.7 million—the highest ever. Eleven individual Grand Prix set new attendance records, 19 events sold out completely, and four weekends welcomed over 400,000 spectators.
- Digital Expansion: Social media followers grew to 114.5 million, and YouTube highlights views increased by 33% year-on-year.
The big picture:
The commercial and cultural momentum is undeniable. The season-launching 'F1 75' event in London sold out in 20 minutes, setting the tone for the year. F1: The Movie became the highest-grossing sports film ever, earning $630 million. The sport also secured its future with nine races signing long-term extensions, most beyond 2030, and a landmark five-year U.S. broadcast deal with Apple TV+ starting in 2026. The Sprint format, supported by 78% of fans, also showed increased social engagement.
What's next:
The 2025 season review paints a picture of a sport firing on all cylinders. The challenge for F1 will be to maintain this explosive growth, integrate its new young and diverse fanbase, and deliver a compelling on-track product. With stable regulations and long-term venue deals in place, the foundation is set for the momentum from this record-breaking year to continue.