- Key growth markets include China (up 39%) and Canada (up 32%)
- 2025 Australian GP sets record attendance of over 465k
Formula One’s global fanbase has grown to 826.5 million in 2024, up nearly 90 million from the previous year, according to new data released by Nielsen Sports.
The overall increase was driven by a considerable uptick in the Chinese fanbase. Ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, there has been a 39 per cent increase in fans following the sport over the last 12 months.
Last year marked Formula One’s first visit to the country since 2019, with home hero Zhou Guanyu on the grid before moving into his current reserve driver role with Ferrari.
Other key growth markets include Canada (31.5 per cent increase in fans), Argentina and Saudi Arabia (both 25.5 per cent). Formula One’s focus on the US market has resulted in a 10.5 per cent increase, with the American fanbase growing to 52 million fans in 2024.
“Formula One’s growth reflects its growing global appeal,” said Jon Stainer, global general manager at Nielsen Sports.
“With a more competitive season in 2024 and key markets like the US, China, and Brazil experiencing year-over-year fan growth, F1 continues to strengthen its position as a truly global sport.
“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.”
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On the broadcast front, there was a significant increase in cumulative TV viewership in 2024. Several races were up more than ten per cent on 2023, including the United States and São Paulo Grands Prix, according to Nielsen.
Formula One also saw domestic TV viewership records for the Miami Grand Prix and the Canadian Grand Prix. The British Grand Prix set a new record in the UK for a European race.
The series’ digital footprint continued to play a key role in fan engagement, too. YouTube highlights drew an additional 233 million views globally, with standouts being the US (31.5 million), the UK (25 million) and India (13 million).
This year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix also racked up an attendance of 465,498, which is the highest on record in Melbourne.
All this data is drawn from Nielsen Sports’ F1 Audience Measurement Data and Nielsen Fan Insights, which surveyed the opinions and interests of 44,000 respondents across 37 international markets.
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