F1 just wrapped up its final season on ESPN, and the numbers from this year turned more than a few heads in the American motorsports world. ESPN not only managed to pull off a strong finish in 2025 but, in fact, was the biggest single-season viewership in U.S. F1 history, turning this eight-year run into one of the great success stories in modern sports TV.
A Historic Season for ESPN That Rewrote the Numbers
The 2025 season averaged 1.3 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC, marking the highest live television average the championship has ever achieved in the country. What made it stand out even more is how far things have come since 2018, when ESPN first brought F1 back to its networks, where races were pulling a little more than half a million viewers.
To see that number more than double over eight seasons says a great deal about where the sport is heading in the North American market.
This year finished on a high note with Abu Dhabi drawing 1.5 million viewers, reaching a peak of 1.8 million, which was one of the 16 races this season that set a single-event record. Only Miami, Singapore, and Brazil missed year-over-year growth, but almost every round set a new high, including Monaco, which topped the chart with an average of 2.3 million viewers.
Races across the Americas were the most active. They averaged around 1.56 million per race, but the Middle East also surprised a few people, pulling more than 1.4 million. European races remained steady at 1.33 million, despite time zone challenges, while the Asia Pacific rounds suffered the most, at just over 848,000. However, every region posted a best-ever figure, which ESPN made sure to highlight.
Where F1 Stands in the US Against NASCAR
F1 has always carried a bit of mystery for American audiences, as the cars, tracks, and style of racing are all different, requiring some getting used to. ESPN helped shape that shift by keeping broadcasts commercial-free and by adding on-site SportsCenter shows at major races, as well as creating innovative events and promotions during busy weekends.
The growth has been visible in the younger section as well since Abu Dhabi drew about 660,000 people from the 18 to 49 age range. It also helped that U.S. rounds like Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas became big social events, as for many fans, these races felt like part motorsport and part festival.
Along the way, some NASCAR fans took playful shots as the numbers rolled in, and one fan posted on X saying, “that ‘Nascar will always be king’ crowd is awfully quiet rn.”
Others were more sceptical of the switch and said, “Too bad its going to apple tv so all that progress is gonna go down the dumps.” The concern is understandable, as switching platforms often brings a bit of confusion for casual viewers, which may even lead to a significant loss of numbers.
However, it is clear that F1 has built a solid audience in the United States, and the interest did not arrive overnight. Where it goes from here depends on how viewers adapt to a new platform, but the foundation that ESPN helped build in the US market looks stronger than ever.