The 24 Hours of Le Mans is by far and away the most prestigious endurance race in the world.
As one leg of motorsport’s fabled triple crown, alongside IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500 and Formula One’s Monaco Grand Prix, Le Mans is regarded as one of the ultimate tests of driver ability and vehicle durability.
First held in 1923, it outdates, transcends and elevates the World Endurance Championship (WEC) of which it is formally a part of.
Since returning to WEC in 2023, Ferrari have won three consecutive Le Mans but face strong competition from seven other manufacturers in the Hypercar category, the premier class of the championship, reflecting the current strength in depth.
McLaren and Ford will join the grid next season, resulting in the most manufacturers than ever competing in the elite class.
Le Mans isn’t just WEC’s blue ribband event, its economic and sporting success is helping to realise the burgeoning potential of endurance racing.
Global recognition, local significance
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is promoted by the Automobile Club of the West (ACO) and uses a specific track layout at the Circuit de la Sarthe, much of which takes place on public roads.
It takes around three-and-a-half minutes to complete a lap of the famous circuit – and around 85 per cent of that is spent at throttle, making it a true mental, physical and mechanical test.
This level of challenge, coupled with the history and prestige of the event, attracts huge crowds each year. The 2025 edition of the race attracted a modern record of 332,000 attendees, building on the success of crowds of 329,000 in 2024 and 325,000 in 2023.
But it would take a monumental effort (and a general disregard for safety standards) to beat the record of approximately 400,000 spectators that watched arguably the greatest finish in Le Mans history in 1969 as Ford beat Porsche by 100 metres.
The most recent economic figures available for the race are from 2023, which although was the 91st staging, was celebrated as the centenary race due to it being 100 years since the inaugural event.
The race is estimated to have contributed €162.1 million (US$187 million) to the French economy. However, analysts believe this may have risen by a further seven per cent for last year’s race thanks to the expanded grid of Hypercars and the presence of tennis legend Roger Federer as the official race starter.
Organisers claim the race supports up to 1,060 full-time jobs in the local area, with 89 per cent of its expenditure allocated to suppliers located within 200 kilometres of the venue
One of motorsport’s most iconic activations will cease to exist in 2026 when the Dunlop Bridge is replaced by Goodyear (Image credit: Getty Images)
The prestige of sponsorship
As the ACO is also the promoter of WEC, sponsorship deals are often negotiated in tandem between the main championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Many brands sign up for the prestige of being associated with the race and receive additional value through the global visibility provided by the championship.
Both WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans share identical premium partnership tiers with the same eight brands: Rolex, TotalEnergies, Michelin, Motul, Goodyear, DHL, CrowdStrike and Bosch.
But one major difference sees Rolex elevated as the single ‘major partner’ for Le Mans. Accordingly, the watchmaker receives maximum visibility on the start-finish straight and each winning driver in the Hypercar and LMGT3 classes takes home a specially engraved Rolex Cosmograph Daytona timepiece.
This helps compensate for the surprisingly low prize money on offer, with the overall winners only receiving a reported €40,000 (US$46,000).
One of motorsport’s most iconic activations will come to an end this season, though. In many ways, the Dunlop Bridge has become a symbol of the world’s greatest endurance race. However, with Goodyear no longer having control of the British brand following a sale last year, the bridge will be redeveloped to carry the name of the American manufacturer instead.
Le Mans also has a number of race-specific partnerships.
Kappa serves as official outfitter of the iconic race, however the Italian sportswear brand’s contract with the ACO expires after this year’s race, while Le Mans-based insurance company MMA has signed up as official insurer until 2035, strengthening ties with the local area.
Adecco, which has managed on-site temporary staff since 2023, has signed up as an official partner on a five-year deal that begins in 2026.
Broadcast growth
The 2023 race, that last for which global viewership figures are available saw 113 millon viewers tune in from 196 countries – a 150 per cent year-on-year increase.
Key market shifts were seen in the US, Germany, Japan and Denmark, with the former delivering the second-largest audience in the world. However, in France, where the race is an institution, up to 35 million viewers saw excerpts of the race on TV news.
While some broadcasters show the WEC in its entirety, others secure race-only deals to capitalise on this transcendent appeal.
Typically, WEC coverage extends to practice, qualifying and the main event. However, Le Man’s status as a festival of endurance racing means that even testing days and the technical checks to ensure eligibility for the race known as scrutineering are televised.
WEC has 18 linear broadcast partners, while Le Mans, fittingly, has 24. Domestically, ACO insists on free-to-air (FTA) coverage via L’Equipe, while In February, Eurosport and TNT Sports’ parent company Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) agreed a pan-European extension for all WEC races until 2030.
In North America, linear coverage of Le Mans is available on MotorTrend and TruTV, however the wider WEC season is only available via digital platforms.
WEC hopes that increased manufacturer involvement and greater fan interest will translate to greater viewership for endurance racing as a whole.
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