Formula 1 signed a new TV Deal with ESPN for a reported $75-90 million, which is right around the same figure ESPN signed MLS to in 2014. Interestingly, F1 was offered more by Amazon, which had ideas on sublicensing rights to linear networks (similar to Apple with MLS), but it was turned down.
The table below shows viewership for F1 and MLS on ESPN from January 1 - June 20, 2022 (more or less YTD).
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| 000s | Event | Details |
| 1,445 | F1 - Race | FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX L: SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX |
| 1,396 | F1 - Race | FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX L: MONACO GRAND PRIX |
| 1,353 | F1 - Race | FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX L: BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX |
| 1,003 | F1 - Race | FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX L: EMILIA ROMAGNA GRAND PRIX |
| 964 | F1 - Qualifying | FORMULA 1 QUALIFYING L |
| 953 | F1 - Qualifying | FORMULA 1 QUALIFYING L |
| 832 | F1 - Race | FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX L: AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX |
| 583 | F1 - Studio | FORMULA 1 SURROUND L |
| 568 | F1 - Race | FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX L: AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX |
| 553 | F1 - Studio | FORMULA 1 SURROUND L |
| 382 | MLS | MLS REGULAR SEASON L: ATLANTA/NEW ENGLAND |
| 350 | F1 - Studio | FORMULA 1 SURROUND L |
| 346 | F1 - Studio | FORMULA 1 SURROUND L |
| 318 | MLS | MLS REGULAR SEASON L: MIAMI/ATLANTA |
| 275 | MLS | MLS REGULAR SEASON L: SEATTLE SOUNDERS/MINNESOTA UNITED FC |
| 252 | MLS | MLS REGULAR SEASON L: INTER MIAMI/NEW ENGLAND |
| 245 | MLS | MLS REGULAR SEASON L: PORTLAND/ORLANDO |
| 240 | MLS | MLS REGULAR SEASON L: NASHVILLE SC/PHILDELPHIA UNION |
| 218 | F1 - Studio | FORMULA 1 SURROUND L |
| 208 | F1 - Studio | FORMULA 1 SURROUND L |
| 206 | MLS | MLS REGULAR SEASON L: LAFC/SPORTING KANSAS CITY |
| 197 | MLS | MLS REGULAR SEASON L: CHICAGO V MIN |
| 192 | MLS | MLS REGULAR SEASON L: ORLANDO/NEW YORK RED BULLS |
| 191 | MLS | SOCCER MLS PRE-GAME STUDIO L |
| 190 | MLS | MLS REGULAR SEASON L |
| 154 | MLS | MLS REGULAR SEASON L: AUSTIN/INTER MIAMI |
| 153 | MLS | MLS REG SEASON PRELUDE L |
source: showbuzzdaily
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The general observation here is that each F1 Race pulls a "MLS Cup Final" number. Outside of that event, MLS viewership swims down around 300-400k on ESPN with highs rarely reaching over 500k and certainly never over one million (outside of the cup final).
I don't know how many races are left for ESPN to air this year, but the F1 season continues on through the fall.
Flipping through MLS figures over the years, I would expect that an MLS deal on ESPN would be worth less than a quarter of F1's new deal ($15-20m or so) had ESPN made a bid for their rights.
As it stands, ESPN (and all other linear networks, for that matter) is set to drop MLS altogether in 2023.
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