Liberty reports F1 revenues up 53% in first quarter of 2026

Liberty Media has reported an increase in Formula 1 revenues of 53% in the first quarter of 2026, reaching $617 million, in part due to the hosting of an extra race in March.

The postponements of the two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia fall into the second quarter and so the like-for-like comparison with 2025 includes an additional round held in the opening quarter of the current year: the Japanese Grand Prix was held in March of this year rather than April, as it was last season. Liberty also attributes part of the growth to “the impact of the expected calendar on revenue and cost recognition”.

Strong commercial progress also played a role in the increase in revenue from $403m in 2025, with the future return of the Turkish Grand Prix, extended Salesforce and Allwyn partnerships and new multi-year sponsorship agreements with Marsh, FanDuel and Betway all confirmed.

There have also been extensions to a number of broadcast agreements, including Sky in the UK and Italy (running through 2034 and 2032 respectively), Foxtel in Australia and beIN in pan-Asia.

Adjusted Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization (OIBDA) was also up 102%, rising from $85m in 2025 to $172m across the first quarter of this year, despite the accounts showing team payments increased 61% from $114m to $184m.

“Liberty Media is off to a strong start in 2026, with sustained momentum across Formula 1 and the implementation of our long-term strategy for MotoGP,” Liberty Media president and CEO Derek Chang said. “Formula 1 continues to demonstrate the strength of its global platform, with growing audiences and deepening fan engagement driving robust demand across all commercial elements.

“We are excited by the meaningful opportunities to expand MotoGP’s commercial reach over time. We remain focused on disciplined execution, investing behind our world-class brands and evaluating avenues for capital deployment to deliver long-term value for our shareholders.”