Bahrain GP sees bump up in TV ratings in USA

The first night race in Bahrain Grand Prix history produced the most-watched non-domestic Formula 1 race on cable in three years, including the most-watched race on NBCSN since the network began televising the circuit last year, the network reported on Wednesday

Sunday's race (10:30 a.m.-12:53 p.m. ET) averaged 594,000 viewers, the most for a non-domestic F1 race on cable since the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix on SPEED (627,000 viewers). The previous best for an F1 race on NBCSN was last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (354,000 viewers).

The viewership was also up 435% from NBCSN's third race last year (111,000 viewers) for the Chinese Grand Prix.

The first three races have averaged 364,000 viewers, making this season the most-watched through the first three races on cable in a decade (SPEED, 2004, 382,000). The 364,000 average viewers is up 206% vs. the first three in 2013 on NBCSN (119,000) and up 46% vs. SPEED's first three races in 2012 (250,000).

NBCSN motorsports coverage continues this weekend with live coverage of IndyCar's Toyota GP of Long Beach. NBCSN's presentation of the Verizon IndyCar Series race begins Saturday at 6 p.m. ET with qualifying. Coverage continues on Sunday afternoon on NBCSN at 2:30 p.m. ET with the Indy Lights race, leading into live coverage of the Toyota GP.