AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — With Components’s One recognition and viewership booming in the USA, ESPN and the worldwide motorsports collection introduced a brand new broadcast deal Saturday by 2025.
ESPN has broadcast F1 within the U.S. since 2018 and the brand new deal will hold commercial-free, stay telecasts for all races on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC, all owned by the Walt Disney Co. ESPN Deportes will proceed because the Spanish-language house of F1 within the U.S.
The deal comes forward of Sunday’s U.S. Grand Prix, which is able to air on ABC. Phrases weren’t disclosed.
Underneath the brand new deal, not less than 16 races might be on ABC or ESPN and all race weekends will embrace stay protection of observe and qualifying.
ESPN has been the U.S. rights holder in a growth time for F1 and the collection will increase its calendar to a file 24 races in 2023. That features three within the U.S. in Austin, Miami and Las Vegas. Solely the Texas race was on the calendar when ESPN took over broadcast rights 4 years in the past.
Final season noticed a mean of 949,000 viewers, the community stated. That has elevated to greater than 1.2 million tuning in on common over the primary 18 races this season.
“We’re delighted to announce that our partnership with ESPN will proceed,” stated Stefano Domenicali, president and chief govt officer of F1. “Components One has seen unbelievable development in the USA with offered out occasions and file tv audiences … The ESPN networks have performed an enormous half in that development with their devoted high quality protection.”
The inaugural Miami Grand Prix on ABC generated a mean viewership of two.6 million, the biggest U.S. viewers on file for a stay F1 race.
The community stated the brand new deal additionally expands its direct-to-consumer rights, with particulars for extra content material on digital platforms to be introduced later.
“Components 1 and ESPN have been a robust and profitable workforce,” ESPN President Burke Magnus stated. “We stay up for serving followers in some new and modern methods within the subsequent three years as we proceed to convey the attain and relevance of the Walt Disney Firm networks and platforms to Components 1.”
