ESPN's relationship with Formula 1 racing is on its last lap.
Puck News reported on Friday that ESPN will not pursue the US broadcast rights to F1 once the network's media deal expires after the 2025 season.
ESPN has aired F1 races since 2018 and is entering the final year of a three-year extension that has the network paying about $90m (R1,650,995,964) per season for media rights.
The expected split comes even though ESPN had anticipated last year that other networks would offer competing bids.
"There was (competition) the last time, and it's kind of the downside of doing what we do really well and bringing a larger audience to the events and the success we've added," John Suchenski, ESPN's director of programming and acquisitions, told Front Office Sports last August.
"Unfortunately, the nature of the business is to create more demand and more competition."
NBC Sports and Netflix are potential replacements after both met with F1 last week, according to Front Office Sports.
NBC Sports broadcast F1 from 2012 to 2017, while Netflix has helped boost F1's popularity in the US with its Drive to Survive docuseries, which is set to release its seventh season next month.
ESPN averaged a record 1.21-million viewers per race in 2022, but the number dipped to 1.1-million in 2023 and stayed there in 2024.
The 2025 F1 season begins in Melbourne on March 16 and includes stops in Miami (May 4), Austin, Texas (October 19) and Las Vegas (November 22).
ESPN expected to end F1 coverage after 2025 — report
Image: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
ESPN's relationship with Formula 1 racing is on its last lap.
Puck News reported on Friday that ESPN will not pursue the US broadcast rights to F1 once the network's media deal expires after the 2025 season.
ESPN has aired F1 races since 2018 and is entering the final year of a three-year extension that has the network paying about $90m (R1,650,995,964) per season for media rights.
The expected split comes even though ESPN had anticipated last year that other networks would offer competing bids.
"There was (competition) the last time, and it's kind of the downside of doing what we do really well and bringing a larger audience to the events and the success we've added," John Suchenski, ESPN's director of programming and acquisitions, told Front Office Sports last August.
"Unfortunately, the nature of the business is to create more demand and more competition."
NBC Sports and Netflix are potential replacements after both met with F1 last week, according to Front Office Sports.
NBC Sports broadcast F1 from 2012 to 2017, while Netflix has helped boost F1's popularity in the US with its Drive to Survive docuseries, which is set to release its seventh season next month.
ESPN averaged a record 1.21-million viewers per race in 2022, but the number dipped to 1.1-million in 2023 and stayed there in 2024.
The 2025 F1 season begins in Melbourne on March 16 and includes stops in Miami (May 4), Austin, Texas (October 19) and Las Vegas (November 22).
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