Formula 1 is staying with Disney.
The car racing company, which is in the midst of a global comeback, has signed a new multi-year contract with The Walt Disney Co., which runs until the end of the 2025 season. The deal is officially announced. at the Aramco US Grand Prix Formula 1 in Austin, Texas.
The new deal will see at least 16 races broadcast on ABC and ESPN each season, in the commercial free format that ESPN already uses in its current F1 deal. Crucial to ESPN, however, the deal also includes streaming rights, with F1 races coming to the ESPN+ streaming service. Details of the online races will be announced at a later date.
While F1 has long been a popular sport in Europe and Asia, it has struggled in the US alongside domestic leagues like NASCAR. However, Drive to survive on Netflix, combined with new races in Miami (and a new hit event in Las Vegas in 2023) has helped spur renewed interest in the sport.
F1 was first broadcast in the US on ABC in 1962, and the races were broadcast on ESPN from 1984-1997. It returned to ESPN in 2018, and the new deal will keep the racing circuit on its channels for at least another three years. F1 races on ESPN are attracting an average of 1.2 million viewers, with this year’s Miami Grand Prix attracting 2.6 million viewers.
“Formula 1 and ESPN are a strong and successful team and we’re excited to expand our relationship,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of original programming and content. “We look forward to serving our fans in some new and innovative ways over the next three years as we continue to deliver the reach and relevance of The Walt Company’s networks and platforms. Disney for Formula 1”
“After Formula 1 returned to the ESPN network five years ago, the sport’s popularity has grown dramatically,” said Ian Holmes, director of media rights and content creation for Formula 1. . Exciting times lie ahead and are the result of our shared desire to bring Formula 1 to the widest and diverse audience possible in the United States. Popular commercial free-to-air broadcasts ensure that viewers continue to engage with F1 before, during and after the race. From next year, we will have six races in the Americas, which means a more favorable time zone for fans in the region, making the Formula 1 offering more exciting than ever.” .
