ESPN sets new record for Australian Grand Prix viewing figures

ESPN has reported a record audience for the Australian Grand Prix after the race drew an average of 1.1 million viewers for the season-opener. The previous high of 659,000 was set in 2019, and was comfortably beaten last weekend as Lando Norris won a dramatic wet race in Melbourne, holding off Max Verstappen in the closing stages of a race that was interrupted by multiple Safety Car periods. The race aired on ESPN, with lights out at midnight Eastern Time and the checkered flag shortly after 0200 ET. ESPN’s viewing figures reached a peak of 1.3 million in the opening stages of the race, and the average is more than double the 541,000 that tuned into ESPN2 to see Carlos Sainz take victory in 2024. However, last year’s race at Albert Park was the third round of a season, coming after Verstappen claimed dominant victories in the opening two rounds. While the average is slightly down on the first race of 2024 – Bahrain attracted 1.12 million on a Saturday morning last year, and 1.32 million on a Sunday morning in 2023 – the figures still represent an encouraging start to the 2025 season for ESPN given the timezone the Australian race is held in, and suggests that the coming year could deliver a new viewership record for the network. Formula 1 is in the final year of its broadcast deal with ESPN and looks set to move to a new home in the United States from next year onwards. Netflix is the frontrunner to secure the rights, but F1 is also fielding interest from Apple and Amazon, among other streaming platforms.