Zak Brown believes Formula 1 still faces a major challenge in the United States despite the sport’s rapid growth in recent years. The McLaren CEO stated that television viewership remains the biggest area Formula 1 must improve if it wants to establish itself as a mainstream American sport.
Formula 1 has significantly expanded its presence in the United States over recent seasons through permanent grands prix in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas. That growth has also been strengthened by a new five-year broadcasting agreement with Apple reportedly valued at around $750 million.
Although race attendance figures continue to rise across the country, Brown argued that Formula 1’s domestic television audience still remains far behind major American sports such as the NFL. According to Brown, increasing TV ratings is now the key objective if Formula 1 wants to fully maximise its commercial potential in the US market.
“I think the next area we need to grow is television ratings. We already have three fantastic grands prix and America could probably support four or five races, but that also has to be balanced with growth opportunities in other regions,” Brown said.
Brown also stressed that Formula 1 should avoid becoming overly concentrated in the United States because there are still important global expansion targets such as South Africa and South Korea. In his view, maintaining international balance remains essential for Formula 1’s long-term global strategy.
From a commercial perspective, the American market has become one of Formula 1’s biggest priorities since Liberty Media took over the sport’s commercial operations. The success of the Drive to Survive documentary series has also played a major role in attracting younger audiences and new fans who previously had limited exposure to motorsport.
However, Formula 1 still faces the difficult challenge of competing against deeply established domestic sports leagues in the United States. The NFL, NBA, and MLB continue to dominate the American sports landscape with television audiences significantly larger than Formula 1’s current numbers.
Even so, Formula 1’s US audience continues to show positive growth trends. ESPN previously reported a record-breaking average audience of approximately 1.3 million viewers per race during the most recent season, representing the highest single-season average in Formula 1’s history in the United States.
With the arrival of the new 2026 regulations, increased manufacturer involvement, and more aggressive digital media expansion, Formula 1 now views the United States as one of the most important long-term growth markets in the sport’s global future.
Baca Juga
Kimi Antonelli mengungkap Mercedes memberi kebebasan bertarung melawan George Russell dalam perebutan gelar F1 2026 dengan syarat khusus.
Jolyon Palmer menilai Ferrari akan kesulitan mengendalikan rivalitas Lewis Hamilton dan Charles Leclerc jika keduanya bersaing memperebutkan gelar dunia.
Daniel Ricciardo mengaku belum menutup peluang kembali balapan meski saat ini menikmati kehidupan setelah meninggalkan Formula 1.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!