ESPN reported a record audience for Australia’s Grand Prix after the race attracted an average of 1.1 million viewers in the season opening.
The previous high of 659,000 was set in 2019, and was beaten comfortably last weekend as Randorris won a dramatic wet race in Melbourne, holding back Max Barstappen at the end of the race, suspended by multiple safety periods. The race aired on ESPN and was lit up by midnight Eastern Time and checkered flags shortly after 0200 ET.
ESPN’s viewing figures peaked at 1.3 million at the opening stage of the race, with an average of more than twice the 541,000 adjusted to ESPN2 to see Carlos Sign win in 2024.
Although the average fell slightly in the first race of 2024, Bahrain scored 112 million last Saturday morning and attracted 112 million on Sunday morning in 2023. The numbers still represent the encouragement start of the 2025 season in the timing zone where Australian races are held, suggesting that this year could provide a new viewer record for the network.
Formula 1 is the final year of its broadcast agreement with ESPN and is expected to move to a new home in the US from next year onwards. While Netflix is the forefront of ensuring rights, F1 is gaining interest from Apple and Amazon, among other streaming platforms.