The Australian Grand Prix was watched by more than 1.1 million viewers on ESPN, setting a record for Formula 1’s season-opening event, according to the network.
It beat the previous mark of 659,000 viewers in 2019, and was up 541,000 from last year’s race broadcast on ESPN2. The 2025 race, which began at midnight Sunday ET, also averaged 560,000 viewers in the coveted 18-49 year-old demographic.
The record viewership for the Australian GP comes amid reports that ESPN will not pursue the U.S. broadcast rights to F1 once the network’s media deal expires after this season. However, F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said at last month’s Liberty Media earnings call that discussions continue despite ESPN’s exclusive negotiating period having passed.
ESPN has aired F1 races since 2018 and is in the final year of a three-year extension that has the network paying about $90 million per season for media rights.
NBC Sports and Netflix are potential replacements after both met with F1 last month, according to Front Office Sports.
NBC Sports aired F1 from 2012 to 2017, while Netflix has helped boost F1’s popularity in the U.S. with its “Drive to Survive” docuseries, which recently released its seventh season.
The second race of the 2025 season is Sunday, with the Chinese Grand Prix scheduled to begin at 2:55 a.m. ET on ESPN. The F1 season includes United States stops in Miami (May 4), Austin, Texas (Oct. 19) and Las Vegas (Nov. 22).
–Field Level Media
