Liberty Media Formula 1 revenue tops $1 billion in third quarter
Liberty Media generated $1.115 billion from Formula 1 in the third quarter of 2026, marking the first time quarterly revenue has exceeded $1 billion. Team prize money payments rose to $422 million during this period despite the sport holding two fewer races than in 2025.
Record third-quarter income
Liberty Media generated $1.115 billion from Formula 1 during the three months ending September 2026, marking the first time that revenue for the quarter has topped $1 billion. This result is the strongest third quarter for the commercial rights holders, as income rose $246 million compared to the $869 million recorded during the same period in 2025. Teams received $422 million from this revenue, an increase from the $341 million paid out in the third quarter of 2025. Total prize money payments have reached $1.51 billion thus far, which is a significant result compared to the $341 million in team payments from the third quarter of 2025. While the sport held two fewer races than it did in 2025, revenue for the opening nine months of this year reached $2.496 billion, which stays nearly identical to the $2.498 billion recorded during the same period last year. One additional event in the quarter contributed to this growth, though this does not include the rescheduled and relocated Bahrain Grand Prix held at Sepang in Malaysia, which will fall into the final quarter financial results.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 F1 Revenue | $1.115 billion |
| Q3 2025 F1 Revenue | $869 million |
| Team Prize Money (Q3 2026) | $422 million |
| Nine-month Revenue (2026) | $2.496 billion |
| Potential Revenue Loss | $150 million |
Regional risks and future plans
The projected $4 billion annual revenue faces a threat because the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix could be cancelled due to high regional tensions. If these Middle East events do not proceed as scheduled, Liberty Media could see a $150 million revenue hit, which would drop income to roughly $3.87 billion, a level similar to 2025. Imola remains on standby as an "oven-ready" replacement if the situation in the Middle East deteriorates sufficiently. This growth follows a difficult second quarter in 2026 when revenue dropped by $462 million compared to the previous year.
Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1 President and CEO, said the sport has "never been stronger" and that Kimi Antonelli was crowned as F1’s youngest ever champion. Every race this season sold out, and more than half of those events set attendance records. Liberty Media also secured a ten-year agreement to return to Africa with a future race in Rwanda. The sport plans to start the year in Milan in 2027 with an expanded three-day "F1 Live" spectacle and will bring the Sprint race format to ten races.
