Data From Nielsen Sports Shows F1 Fandom Surging As 2025 Season Gets Underway
As the 2025 Formula 1 season gets underway, new data released by Nielsen Sports indicates a significant increase in fan interest in the global racing series.
Entering the 75th anniversary season for F1, the increased parity on the grid during the 2024 season with the rise of McLaren in the Constructor's Championship, and a variety of drivers not named Max Verstappen getting wins, fan growth surged.
According to Nielsen Sports, Formula 1 now has a global fanbase of 826.5 million, an increase of 90 million over the 2023 season. In the U.S., the market increased by +10.5% over 2023 adding nearly 90 million new fans. That follows a +10.5% growth in the market to 52 million fans between 2023 and 2024. With the Chinese Grand Prix back on the schedule, China led global growth with a +39% increase in fans over the last 12 months. Other key growth markets include Canada (+31.5%), Argentina (+25.5%), and Saudi Arabia (+25.5%),
According to Formula One Group CEO Stefano Domenicali, race events saw strong attendance trends continue throughout the season the 2024 with 17 sellout crowds and 10 new attendance records. Over 6.5 million people attended races in 2024. A new record, growing +9% over 2023.
Consumption of Formula 1 – both on television and digital via platforms – continues to grow. According to Nielsen Sports, there was a cumulative increase of +10% for the 2024 season on television. In The U.S., while overall viewership was ostensibly flat year-over-year between 2023 and 2024 on ESPN, seven races saw viewership records set domestically (Miami, Monaco, Canada, British, Italian, Qatar, Abu Dhabi), with Miami leading the way with an average audience of 3.1 million. According to ESPN, 11 races saw year-over-year viewership gains over 2023 (Japan, Miami, Monaco, Canada, Spain, British, Hungary, Dutch, Italian, Qatar, Abu Dhabi). Digitally, YouTube highlights globally of F1 saw an additional 233 million views, particularly in the U.S. (31.5 million), U.K. (25 million), and India (13 million).
"Formula 1's growth reflects its growing global appeal. With a more competitive season in 2024 and key markets like the U.S., China, and Brazil experiencing year-over-year fan growth, F1 continues to strengthen its position as a truly global sport,' said Jon Stainer, Global GM at Nielsen Sports. 'The 2025 season, marking the 75th anniversary, presents a major opportunity for brands to align with this momentum and engage with an increasingly diverse and engaged fanbase."
The question is, how much of this growth can be attributed to the Netflix series Drive To Survive, or has the U.S. finally organically entrenched itself in the sport? In a statement by Formula 1 for Forbes, they said DTS certainly had an impact and continues to be very popular, but that F1's major investment and strategic changes have been done to support U.S. market growth.
'Since 2017 we have gone from 1 race to 3 in the U.S., including Las Vegas where we have a permanent presence with Grand Prix Plaza,' Formula 1 said in the statement to Forbes. 'Social media was opened up, with drivers and teams all having a significant presence, inviting our fans behind the scenes all year round. The US is now our largest market for social media followers. We have also focused on creating opportunities for fans to engage away from track, including F1 Arcade which has a number of US properties, and will expand further in years to come.'
Data provided by Nielsen Sports comes from Nielsen Sports' F1 Audience Measurement Data (2024), and Nielsen Fan Insights (NFI), which surveyed the opinions and interests of 44,000 respondents across 37 international markets.
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