TV News: Weekend USA TV Ratings (Update)

Some additional context for the F1 broadcast per ESPN. What’s interesting is the race, on ESPN2, not ABC or ESPN, had more viewers than the Indy Qualifying audience on over-the-air NBC, despite the record speeds:

Another big @F1 audience on ESPN networks

🏁 Most-viewed live #SpanishGP telecast on record
🏁 1.1M avg. viewers, peak 1.4M
🏁 Avg. race audience up 32% over ’21 (870K)
🏁 546K avg. P18-49 viewers
🏁 #F1 races averaging 1.4M viewers through 6 races, up 44% vs ’21 pic.twitter.com/HjELMuGaHT

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) May 24, 2022

This weekend’s Monaco GP will air on both free-to-air and cable, with the race airing live on ESPN and being replayed later in the afternoon on ABC.

Highlights

• Indy 500 Qualifications on NBC saw the biggest jump in TV ratings – a 43.6% increase. However, the percent of viewers that were of prime age (18-49) that sponsors are looking for was a horrible 19%, indicating once again that IndyCar’s fan base is growing old and aging out, something Roger Penske appears unable to improve since buying the series and IMS.
• The Spanish GP F1 race from Barcelona on ESPN2 was up 7.2%. What is more important is that the percent of viewers that were of prime age (18-49) that sponsors are looking for was an unheard high of 48%, indicating once again that F1’s fan base is growing younger – a major uptick in popularity since liberty media bought F1. This despite a race that broadcast early on a Sunday morning.
• NASCAR saw an across the board decrease in ratings for its All-Star weekend at Texas Motor Speedway as well as the percent viewers of prime age of only 21-22%

Weekend Ratings