TV News: Last Weekend’s USA TV Ratings
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Last weekend’s TV ratings for the major motorsports races broadcast in the USA – NASCAR, Formula 1 and IMSA
TV Rating Analysis
NASCAR
The USA Network’s broadcast of the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta drew 2.56 million viewers, down 2.51% from 2022 which drew 2.626 million viewers.
Viewership for the Xfinity race on Saturday was up 20.29%
Formula 1
ESPN2’s telecast of the British GP averaged 1.17 million viewers, and peaked at 1.33 million, down 5.33% from 2022 – which was an event record of 1.239 million, also on ESPN2. This year’s telecast was the 2nd largest on record.
An additional 94,000 viewers watched the replay on Sunday night for a total race viewership of 1.264 million.
42% of the viewers tuned in were in the all-important 18-49 age group a percent that continues to be far higher than all other forms of motorsports.
F1 races are averaging 1.26 million viewers across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, ahead of the 2022 full-season average of 1.21 million
IMSA
NBC drew 569 thousand viewers for the IMSA race from Mosport, up 35% from 420 thousand in 2022, but still a horrible number for a linear broadcast channel
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 |
Total Viewers % Chg |
18-49 Viewers % Chg |
| USA | NASCAR Cup race | Atlanta | 2,560,000 | 475,000 | 19% | 1.50 | 1.51 | -0.66% | USA | 2,626,000 | 480,000 | -2.51% | -1.04% |
| ESPN2 | F1 British GP | Silverstone | 1,173,000 | 488,000 | 42% | 0.60 | 0.64 | -6.25% | ESPN2 | 1,239,000 | 490,000 | -5.33% | -0.41% |
| USA | NASCAR Xfinity race | Atlanta | 996,000 | 162,500 | 16% | 0.60 | 0.51 | 17.65% | USA | 828,000 | 178,000 | 20.29% | -8.71% |
| ESPN2 | F1 Qualifying | Silverstone | 685,000 | 300,000 | 44% | 0.40 | 0.36 | 11.11% | ESPN2 | 664,000 | 312,000 | 3.16% | -3.85% |
| NBC | IMSA race | Mosport | 569,000 | 90,000 | 16% | 0.40 | 0.28 | 42.86% | NBC | 420,000 | 86,000 | 35.48% | 4.65% |
| FS1 | NASCAR Truck Race | Mid-Ohio | 523,000 | 125,000 | 24% | 0.30 | 0.36 | -16.67% | FS1 | 627,000 | 152,000 | -16.59% | -17.76% |