TV News: Weekend TV Ratings (Update)
Some additional context from ESPN on the F1 numbers:
F1 on ESPN starts strong for ’23:
• 1.32M avg viewers for #BahrainGP
• +9 pct over record 1.21 million ‘22 season avg
• +22 pct over ’22 season avg 18-49 demo
• 1.46 million audience peak
• Qualifying audience of 652K was largest of day on ESPN2
• Qualifying P18-49 demo also largest of day on ESPN2 (281K)
• Race audience was 5th-largest F1 cable audience on record
Top 10 local markets for #BahrainGP
Hartford 1.5
Philadelphia 1.3
Norfolk 1.2
Sacramento 1.2
Tampa1.2
Detroit1.1
Miami1.1
Baltimore1.1
West Palm Beach1.1
Pittsburgh1.0
March 7, 2023
by Mark Cipolloni
TV Rating Analysis
NASCAR crashes and Burns
Fox TV got 3.991 million viewers for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race, down 12.17% from 4.544 million last year. The TV rating was 2.22, down 18.08% from last year’s 2.71. Only 20% of the viewers tuned in were in the all-important 18-49 age bracket, continuing the trend of an aged-out fan base.
The NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series fared slightly better as both saw a sight bump up in viewership as shown below.
Formula 1 down slightly, but rules where it counts
ESPN got 1.318 million for Sunday’s F1 Bahrain GP season opener, down 2.59% from 1.353 million last year. Most important was that 48% of the viewers tuned in were in the all-important 18-49 year old age bracket, indicating F1 is the future in America as it is attracting a much younger fan base and a strong percentage of female viewers. F1 is an advertiser’s dream – 48% in the 18-49 bracket is phenomenal. No other form of motorsports comes close.
IndyCar – Very troubling signs
NBC got 1.189 million viewers for Sunday’s IndyCar opener in St. Petersburg, down 15.37% from 1.405 million last year. The TV rating was a 0.76, down 14.61% from a 0.89 last year. Only 18% of the viewers tuned in were in the all-important 18-49 year old age bracket, as its fan base continues to age-out. Perhaps most telling was that F1 on a cable channel (ESPN) had more viewers than IndyCar had on over-the-air NBC. IndyCar was expecting a bump up in ratings with the big advertising push they made and the fact they had 27 cars starting, which was expected to attract more TV viewers, so they have to be disappointed with these numbers. Let’s see how they spin it.
TV Rating Data
| Network | Event | Location | Total Viewers |
18-49 Viewers | Ratio: 18-49 Yr Old/ Total Viewers |
2023 Rating |
2022 Rating |
Rating % Chg. |
2022 Network |
2022 Viewers |
2022 18-49 Viewers |
Viewers % Chg |
| FOX | NASCAR Cup race | Las Vegas | 3,991,000 | 813,000 | 20% | 2.22 | 2.71 | -18.08% | FOX | 4,544,000 | 963,000 | -12.17% |
| ESPN | F1 Race L | Bahrain | 1,318,000 | 633,000 | 48% | 0.69 | 0.75 | -8.00% | ESPN | 1,353,000 | 656,000 | -2.59% |
| NBC | IndyCar Race L | St. Petersburg | 1,189,000 | 216,000 | 18% | 0.76 | 0.89 | -14.61% | NBC | 1,405,000 | 337,000 | -15.37% |
| FS1 | NASCAR Xfinity race | Las Vegas | 1,133,000 | 210,000 | 19% | 0.67 | 0.63 | 6.35% | FS1 | 1,055,000 | 213,000 | 7.39% |
| FS1 | NASCAR Truck race | Las Vegas | 623,000 | 170,000 | 27% | 0.36 | 0.33 | 9.09% | FS1 | 543,000 | 120,000 | 14.73% |