Liberty Media ‘likely to take F1 to market’ next year

• Liberty in process of US$4.5bn MotoGP acquisition
• F1 was linked with US$20bn takeover bid from Saudi Arabia’s PIF in 2023

Liberty Media is likely to go to market with Formula One next year, according to The Times.

Citing sources, the UK newspaper claims that the US mass media company is holding off on selling the series for now, but is more likely to explore a sale in 2026 rather than this year.

Formula One’s fanbase and income has grown exponentially since Liberty bought the series in 2017 for US$4.4 billion. The company’s most recent financial figures showed that the championship generated US$3.65 billion in revenue for the year ended 31st December 2024.

For context, Formula One generated just US$1.83 billion in the first year under Liberty’s ownership.

Liberty is also in the process of acquiring MotoGP for €4.2 billion (US$4.5 billion), although it is facing a full investigation by the European Union’s (EU) antitrust department.

Liberty reportedly rejected a takeover bid for Formula One from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in January 2023 worth more than US$20 billion, though Saudi Arabia’s sports minister dismissed the report as “purely speculation“.

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BlackBook says…

Formula One’s revenue growth doesn’t appear to be showing any signs of slowing, so rumours of a Liberty sale seem premature.

As an investor, Liberty will be looking for the right time to cash in for maximum profit. With the likes of Audi, Ford and General Motors all joining the grid from next season, it’s unlikely that the series has reached its commercial peak yet.

Even so, the context of the impending acquisition of MotoGP is important. Could Liberty switch its focus to a smaller, more nimble asset, rather than try to manage both?

If approved by the EU, Liberty may decide that two motorsport assets is too many, but it would still be a surprise to see the company exit the Formula One world this soon.