ESPN's Final F1 Season: A Thriller Unveiled
The Final Chapter of a Broadcast Era
As ESPN's F1 broadcasting journey nears its end, the final chapter is shaping up to be a thrilling one. The Formula One season, once a two-man race between McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, has taken an unexpected turn. With just nine races left, the gap between the leaders has narrowed dramatically, and the competition has intensified.
A Two-Man Battle Transforms
At the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Piastri held a 34-point lead over Norris. However, Max Verstappen, in third place, was a season-high 104 points behind the leader. Fast forward to the present, and the landscape has shifted. Verstappen, the Dutch sensation, has won three of the last four Grand Prix, including the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, where he now trails Piastri by just 40 points for first place. The battle for second is even closer, with Verstappen 26 points behind Norris.
ESPN's Last Hurrah
ESPN's F1 broadcasting journey is coming to a close, but the excitement is far from over. Just days before Apple secured a five-year deal for F1's U.S. broadcasting rights, ESPN's last hurrah has been a rollercoaster. The network took over from NBC in 2018, and the success was immediate. Viewership soared from 550,000 to 1.2 million between 2018 and 2022, thanks in part to Netflix's 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive.'
A Competitive Season Unfolds
However, the last two seasons have seen a plateau in viewership, raising questions about the sport's ceiling in the U.S. After hitting a high of 1.2 million in 2022, the average viewership dipped to around 1.1 million in 2023 and 2024. The dominance of Red Bull, with Verstappen winning 19 trophies in 2023, may have contributed to this decline. Yet, the 2023 season laid the groundwork for a more competitive 2024, with McLaren challenging Red Bull for the constructors' title, and Verstappen narrowly fending off Norris for the drivers' title.
The Final Act Unveiled
As ESPN's F1 journey concludes, the final act is a thrilling one. The drivers' championship, with a four-time World Champion chasing new blood, is helping F1 have its best season yet. With an average of 1.4 million viewers on ESPN networks, F1 is on track to be its most-watched season ever, just before it passes the torch to Apple. Will the new broadcasting era bring a fresh wave of excitement? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: the final chapter of ESPN's F1 journey is a thrilling one, leaving fans eager for the next chapter.
