The chaotic TV coverage of the Bahrain Grand Prix highlights F1's $180 million issue.

      Mark Sutton - Formula 1

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      Formula 1 revolves around tight margins: a thousandth of a second can secure a place in Q3, a hundredth can lead to a podium finish, and a tenth can spell the end of a driver's career. However, these decimals are hard to grasp without a timing sheet visible alongside the rapid movement of 20 cars on the screen. Last weekend’s 2025 Bahrain F1 Grand Prix faced a significant issue, and it wasn't just the black-and-white flags for drivers going over track limits or Nico Hulkenberg’s disqualification—it was a chaotic television broadcast.

      This season, F1TV, the official race broadcaster for F1, has tried out various new graphics. Since the opening race of the 2025 season in March, fans have taken to social media to voice their discontent, criticizing everything from F1’s font styles to its inconsistent leaderboard. Regardless of the drama on the track, it only matters if viewers around the world are able to watch it.

      On Sunday, a race filled with collisions and defensive maneuvers did not meet expectations, as the crucial decimals that keep fans engaged were often missing from the broadcast. "Not having live timing to constantly look at really ruins the fan experience during a race," tweeted Matt Gallagher of P1 With Matt & Tommy, a well-known F1 podcast.

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      As Oscar Piastri's bright orange McLaren crossed the finish line first and Max Verstappen fought Pierre Gasly for sixth place, the broadcast focused on a different scene: the second McLaren behind George Russell. While the last-minute battles were being shown again, viewers at home missed the crucial final-lap contest.

      However, the issue goes beyond font styles, absent numbers, or poor camera angles. As F1 contends with a bidding war for American broadcasting rights amid limited interest, it risks presenting an unappealing product.

      Currently, ESPN and ABC hold exclusive rights to show F1 in the U.S. After signing a contract in 2018 for $5 million to air races, the network has jumped to a reported $90 million per year deal in 2023. With the media giant reducing its involvement after this season, the television and streaming rights for 2026 are up for grabs. Reports began circulating in February about Netflix’s interest, with Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox, Amazon, and NBC also linked to a potential bid, including F1TV. The main obstacle is the cost: F1 is seeking $150 million to $180 million annually, according to the Wall Street Journal.

      Despite the success of Drive to Survive, the seven-season Netflix docuseries that has sparked F1 enthusiasm across all 50 states, the racing series is not valued at more than $100 million, according to research firm Ampere Analysis. While ESPN reached a record 3.1 million viewers during the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, several factors, including early race times as the sport traveled worldwide, contributed to a 3 percent drop in overall viewership in 2024.

      F1’s strategy for success—a thrilling spectacle on the track complemented by show runs and sprint races in major U.S. cities—depends on making the unique experience of attending a race more accessible through television.

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      Indeed, when Bernie Ecclestone, the former chief of commercial rights for the sport, envisioned F1's future, he focused on television. Influenced by the screen time of American football, the British entrepreneur sold rights to the European Broadcasting Union for all 16 races in the 1982 season. By the end of the decade, Ecclestone recognized that significant profits lay in selling TV rights individually in each country. By the early '90s, the viewership for F1 had surged to 200 million per race, with the sport's TV rights valued at $120 million over five years. After Liberty Media acquired F1's commercial rights in 2017, the aim was to market the series' home viewing potential to Americans. A 2022 poll indicated that 28 percent of Americans saw themselves as F1 fans.

      However, as F1 shifts its focus towards enhancing its off-track appeal—rolling out red carpets and selling VIP suite tickets—the majority of fans still engage with the sport through screens.

      The success of a media rights agreement hinges on several factors: potential audience growth, exclusivity, and most importantly, a future revenue stream. Yet, satisfying legacy fans is a crucial aspect that F1 cannot overlook. Delivering a quality racing experience is essential to that equation.

      On Sunday, numerous storylines provided an engaging spectacle for fans at home: Russell’s various transponder, DRS, and dashboard problems; Charles Leclerc’s defensive tactics; Max Verstappen’s struggling Red Bull. However, many of these storylines were characterized by decimals and visuals that were not visible to fans.

      The absence of those numbers may appear minor, but