Disney extends contract with Formula One until 2025

On Saturday, it was announced that the partnership in the field of broadcasting between the Walt Disney Company and Formula One, owned by Liberty Media, will continue; races on the ESPN cable sports television channel will remain in the United States until 2025.

The updated contract, concluded for 3 years, provides for the expansion of direct-to-consumer rights, but details have not yet been reported. In addition, the terms of the agreement imply a greater number of race broadcasts than was previously shown on ESPN and ABC. The events will be covered by Sky Sports television.

Since 2018, Formula 1 has been broadcast by ESPN, which is currently owned by The Walt Disney Company. Since the transfer of broadcast rights from NBC Sports and as the sport has grown in the US, there has been a significant increase in the audience with coverage of the new and younger generation.

Next year, Las Vegas will be presented with its debut as the third race in the United States after Austin and Miami.

According to Formula One data, last year an average of 949,000 viewers were attracted per race, making last year the most watched season on American television. After 18 out of 22 races this year, this figure has risen to an average of 1.2 million.

2.6 million viewers, which is the largest audience in the United States ever to watch a live Formula One race, were gathered during the first broadcast of the Miami Grand Prix on ABC this year.

As stated by the current CEO of Formula One Group Stefano Domenicali, they are excited to continue working with ESPN. In his opinion, the ESPN networks with their high-quality coverage of events have had a significant impact on Formula One’s extraordinary growth in the United States, expressed in sold-out tickets to events and a record audience of viewers gathered at their TV screens.