• Loading stock data...
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

F1’s TV Ratings Similar to 2023, but Still Below the Record Highs in 2022

The 2024 Formula One season averaged 1.1 million viewers in the U.S. following a record viewership number for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Formula One finale in Abu Dhabi had been uneventful for the last two years as both championships had been decided before the race. But the 2024 edition was different, as it delivered the decisive constructors’ championship points for McLaren and also served as Lewis Hamilton’s final race with Mercedes.

The added drama helped ESPN pull one million viewers, a record viewership number for the event, which started at 7:55 a.m. ET. The number is up about 8% versus last year, and nicked the previous record of 998,000 set in 2021—when Hamilton and Max Verstappen battled until the final lap for the drivers’ championship in one of the most controversial finishes in F1 history.

F1’s 2024 season averaged 1.1 million across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC, tying the same number from last year, but down versus the all-time record of 1.21 million viewers set in 2022. The final number ESPN reported does not include all 24 races this year because the Brazilian Grand Prix, which averaged just 554,000 viewers, was originally scheduled to air on ESPN2 but aired on ESPNU for the first 68 minutes as the race was rescheduled due to inclement weather. 

Seven races hit viewership records this year, most notably the Miami Grand Prix, which drew 3.1 million viewers, the most of any race in the U.S. However, the other two U.S.-based races did not set rating records. The U.S. Grand Prix held in Austin in October averaged 1.3 million viewers, up from 2023 but down from 1.4 million in 2021, while the Las Vegas Grand Prix was down to 905,000 from 1.3 million in its inaugural race.

F1 has made a concerted effort to boost its U.S. viewership, particularly after the market responded to the Netflix docuseries Formula One: Drive to Survive, which premiered in 2019. The Miami Grand Prix was added in 2022, followed by Las Vegas in 2023. Haas will also be joined by another U.S.-based team starting in 2026 when General Motors will enter the fold as Cadillac

While viewership has plateaued over the past two years, the numbers are still double the 554,000 average in 2018, when ESPN first acquired the rights to the motorsport league away from NBC. In 2022, ESPN signed a three-year deal worth about $75 million to $90 million to keep the broadcasting rights to F1 until 2025.

With a more competitive season expected in 2025—and Hamilton, a fan favorite, likely to be more competitive with Ferrari, the sport’s most popular team—next year could provide an accurate assessment of the ceiling of the country’s interest.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Troy Taylor

Ex-Stanford Coach Troy Taylor Sues ESPN for Defamation

Taylor was fired after a pair of 3–9 seasons.

NFL Preseason Getting Earliest Kickoff in 25 Years

The Lions and Chargers face off in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.
opinion

Could Chad Ochocinco Be ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe Replacement?

ESPN moved on from Sharpe after he settled a sexual assault lawsuit.
Mike Repole

Billionaire Mike Repole Taking Ownership Stake in UFL

Repole is the cofounder of Vitaminwater and Body Armor. 

Featured Today

Coco Gauff at New York Liberty

How the New York Liberty Became the Hottest Ticket in Town

Once banished to the burbs, the Libs are now Brooklyn’s marquee attraction.
Las Vegas sign
July 29, 2025

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.
Limited Hype
July 27, 2025

Sneaker Reselling Was Once Easy Money. Success Is Now Complicated

Vendors need to evolve what they’re selling and how they do it.
Jul 15, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to the crowd as they take on the Connecticut Sun in the first quarter at TD Garden.

WNBA Viewership Up Across All Networks Compared to 2024

Non-Fever games are up 37% compared to the full 2024 season.
Jul 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky guard Kia Nurse (11) drives to the basket against Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) during the second half at United Center.
July 29, 2025

Fever-Sky Draws 1.5M Viewers Despite Clark, Reese Absences

Clark and Reese both missed the game due to injury.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) celebrates winning Sunday, July 27, 2025, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
July 30, 2025

Amazon, TNT Post Near-Identical NASCAR Ratings in Debut Season

The cable channel is a new media-rights partner this season.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 29, 2025

WBD Restructuring Shows What’s Old Is New Again

WBD will become Warner Bros. and Discovery Global as two separate entities.
HAPPY GILMORE 2. BTS - (L to R) Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore and Rory McIlroy as himself on the set of Happy Gilmore2.
July 26, 2025

‘Cool As Hell’: How ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Hooked Golf’s Top Stars

The process was “cool as hell,” Adam Sandler tells FOS.
July 24, 2025

CBS Sports to Get New Owner As Skydance Merger Clears FCC Hurdle

The long-awaited, but highly debated, merger gains regulatory approval.
Dec 7, 2024; New York, New York, USA; A general view of Times Square during the MLS Cup Times Square Watch Party prior to the game between the LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls.
July 24, 2025

MLS Reveals Apple TV Streaming Numbers, Raising Questions

The league gives a rare glimpse inside the high-profile streaming pact.