Apparently, the increased popularity of Formula One racing is not roaring inside U.S. sports TV channels.
Liberty Media, which has owned the franchise since 2017, is looking for a TV deal of at least $150 million a year, starting in 2026. But so far there aren’t any takers. ESPN, which acquired the rights for free in 2018 and had been paying an estimated $70 million a year for the F1 U.S. TV rights, doesn’t seem to be interested any longer.
Similarly, other TV networks are showing little interest. Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox, Amazon and NBC are lukewarm on the offering at the current price.
Reportedly, a F1 TV rights package could be worth up to $100 million a year, considering the growing popularity of F1 racing in the U.S. — see Hollywood movies such as F1, a film starring Brad Pitt to be released this June. In terms of TV audience, ESPN has been recording viewership of up to 1.1 million U.S. viewers per race.
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