F1 sponsorship hits $2.5B

Formula 1 sponsorship is no longer a nice side business. It is one of the main engines of the sport. The new number that matters is $2.04 billion — that’s what F1 teams generated from sponsorship in 2024, and it puts the series behind only the NFL among major sports properties. Basically, the commercial pitch has changed. F1 is not just selling logos on cars anymore — it is selling access to a global audience, a luxury setting, and a traveling corporate-entertainment machine. (sponsorunited.com) ### What actually got bigger? The jump is team sponsorship revenue. SponsorUnited’s 2025 F1 report puts the 2024 total at $2.04 billion, which is a record and enough to move Formula 1 ahead of the NBA, MLB, and NHL on this measure. That matters because F1 only has 10 teams and a much smaller event calendar than those leagues, but it still monetizes each commercial slot at a premium. (sponsorunited.com) ### Why are brands paying that much? Because F1 gives them three things at once — global reach, constant TV visibility, and high-end hospitality. A sponsor gets signage on a car, yes, but also paddock access, client entertainment, social content, and a presence at races that double as luxury business gatherings. That mix is(sponsorunited.com)o tech, finance, and B2B companies, not just consumer brands. (forbes.com) ### Which category is spending the most? Tech is the clearest answer. SponsorUnited says technology accounted for $543 million of F1 team sponsorship revenue in 2024, making it the biggest sector in the sport. That fits the way teams now pitch themselves — less as traditional sports properties, more as engineering, data, and innovation brands that happen to race on Sundays. (sportspro.com) ### Why does Ferrari keep coming up? Because Ferrari is still the commercial outlier. SponsorUnited’s report says Ferrari led all teams in sponsorship revenue, and Ferrari’s own results show sponsorship, commercial, and brand revenue reaching €572 million in 2023. Ferrari is not just a team with partners(sportspro.com) few rivals can match. (sponsorunited.com) ### What about Mercedes? Mercedes shows the other version of the story — efficient monetization. The team’s 2024 accounts showed revenue of £636 million and after-tax profit of about £120.3 million, a record result helped by stronger commercial income. In dollar terms, that profit is roughly in the neighborhood of $150 mill(sponsorunited.com)ous, they are increasingly profitable businesses. (crash.net) ### Why does Miami matter so much? Because U.S. races prove how far the model can stretch. Miami has already talked up record sponsorship revenue for the event, and the race’s long contract extension shows promoters believe demand will hold. The U.S. is where F1 can charge premium ticket prices, premium hospitali(crash.net) about TV ratings — it was about yield per weekend. (newsweek.com) ### Is this just a one-year spike? Probably not. F1’s broader revenue has been climbing for several years, helped by bigger attendance, more races, richer media deals, and stronger sponsor demand. Turns out the cost-cap era helped here too — teams can now convert more commercial growth into actual profit instead of burning it all in an arms race. (forbes.com) ### So what’s the real takeaway? F1 has crossed into a different commercial tier. The sport still looks like motorsport on the surface, but the business underneath looks more like a global luxury-media platform with racing attached. That is why the sponsorship number matters — it shows Formula 1 is no longer chasing the big leagues on business. It is already sitting with them. (sportspro.com)