The way we watch motorsports is changing—and fast. NASCAR and Formula 1, two of the biggest racing series in the world, are both making major moves in their media rights strategies, but they’re taking very different approaches. NASCAR is blending traditional TV with streaming, while F1 is gearing up for a high-stakes bidding war that could bring in new broadcast partners, possibly even a modern giant.

Formula 1 is readying itself for the biggest shake-up in its United States media rights market. Sources reveal that the sport will be looking for a significant boost in its broadcasting deal. ESPN’s exclusive negotiation period with F1 has expired without an agreement, and main streaming services including Netflix might bid.

F1 is making big waves in 2025 in terms of viewing experience

ESPN currently pays between $75 million and $90 million a year for F1’s rights under a deal that runs through the 2025 season. The sport, whose popularity has continued to increase with corporate interest growing, will see a dramatic jump in its next contract cycle, according to industry experts. According to sources, the new deal could thrust F1’s media revenue into the nine-figure range per year.

Reports from the London Times suggest that Netflix, which has played a crucial role in F1’s meteoric rise in the U.S. through its hit docu-series Drive to Survive, is looking to make a bid for the live broadcasting rights of the sport. This could be a major shift in F1’s U.S. broadcasting strategy if it goes through. Other potential bidders include NBC Sports, Fox Sports, Prime Video, WBD, and The CW.

If I’m Formula 1, I’m looking at the growth of Tier 1 sports in this marketplace and I’m saying I want my cut, and I’d be going to market very aggressively,” Dan Cohen, executive vice president of media rights advisory at Octagon, which has advised several motorsports properties, said.

In other words, whereas NASCAR and IndyCar are extremely popular in the United States, F1 can be marketed as a global sport. As Cohen put it: “(F1 is probably) referring to not only the fact that I am coming in with 1.3-1.4 million [viewers] week in, week out, but also providing them with global reach as a sport, which is unique to Formula 1 versus any other forms of motorsports… It’s also the best motorsport property to work with if you are looking for high-end, high-value brands.”

ESPN won the F1 rights for free back in 2018 after it pulled out from NBC Sports, and it was only paying $5 million per year from 2020 to 2022. It was only after F1 burst into being a huge entity that ESPN’s bill rose to the figure quoted currently. Now, with the exclusive negotiating window having elapsed, ESPN is going to face stiff competition from deep-pocketed streaming giants.

While F1 is looking to increase its media rights revenue, the need for improvement remains since there is still much to be bridged until such a point where F1 can overtake NASCAR in very lucrative TV contracts. Meanwhile, NASCAR commands annual U.S. rights fees of approximately $1.1 billion, while IndyCar stands at a disappointing $20 million per annum. To sugarcoat the appeal, F1 is counting on two big talking points for 2025: Lewis Hamilton’s highly anticipated switch to Ferrari and Apple’s new F1 feature film starring Brad Pitt.

With Formula 1’s media rights now up for grabs, the sport is at a critical crossroads. Whether it stays with ESPN, moves to a streaming-first model, or lands a hybrid deal will shape its trajectory in the U.S. market for years to come. What’s clear, however, is that F1 is no longer content with being a secondary player—it’s aiming straight for NASCAR’s turf.

NASCAR’s bold media rights gamble: Balancing tradition with the future

For years, NASCAR fans have tuned in to Fox and NBC for their weekly dose of high-speed action, from the Daytona 500 to the championship finale. But in 2025, the way we watch NASCAR is changing—maybe for the better, maybe not. The sport’s new $7.7 billion, seven-year media rights deal brings in streaming giants like Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports, marking a major shift in how races will be broadcast.

Fox and NBC remain in control of the bulk of the schedule—Fox airing the first 14 races, NBC the last 14, concluding with the championship race in Phoenix. The summer doldrums, however, are where the network gets a bit of a polish. That is where Amazon Prime and TNT Sports come in filling select June and July races into the schedule. It’s an idea that’s designed to keep the sport from getting stale and give it a shot at appealing to the younger, digital-first crowd.

According to industry experts, this is an evolutionary step that NASCAR needs. “The sports media landscape is changing, and NASCAR is adapting,” said a source close to the negotiations. “They’re blending streaming with traditional TV to maximize exposure while still keeping longtime fans engaged.”

However, change isn’t always easy. Some fans are concerned that running races on a streaming platform can cause accessibility problems. “It’s a tricky balance,” media analyst Dan Cohen explained, “You don’t want to alienate core fans who expect to flip on their TV and find a race, but you also need to grow the sport in the modern digital era.”

It now seems with Formula 1 aggressively negotiating its next media deal, and with streamers investing so much into live sports, NASCAR’s strategy is simply to evolve or else get left behind. One thing is for sure: racing into the future has never been more unpredictable.