F1: ABC’s Telecast numbers of Canadian GP make the AP look silly

–by Mark Cipolloni–

So much for the AP’s hatchet job against F1 as the TV numbers from this past weekend, destroy the author’s theory.

The author’s beloved IndyCar race from Road America got far fewer viewers than the F1 qualifying show on Saturday.

–Press Release–

ABC’s live telecast of Sunday’s Formula 1 Pirelli Canadian Grand Prix attracted an average audience of 1.76 million viewers for the race telecast window, the fourth-largest live audience ever for a Formula 1 race on U.S. television.

Three of the four largest live U.S. F1 television audiences in history have occurred in 2023. In addition to Canada, the Miami Grand Prix averaged 1.96 million viewers and the Monaco Grand Prix averaged 1.79 million. The inaugural Miami Grand Prix in 2022 averaged 2.6 million viewers, the largest live audience ever for an F1 race on U.S. television.

The race, which ran from 2-4 p.m. ET, also was the largest audience on record for the Canadian Grand Prix. The full telecast, which started at 12:30 p.m. with the Grand Prix Sunday pre-race show, averaged 1.39 million viewers.

Viewership peaked at 1.924 million average viewers in the quarter-hour starting at 3:15 p.m. ET.

The top 10 local market ratings: 

Through nine races, F1 events are averaging 1.28 million viewers across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, up from last year’s record-setting season average of 1.21 million.

Also on Sunday, the debut of ESPN’s new alternate telecast The Grandstand with Daniel Ricciardo and Will Arnett on ESPN2 attracted an average audience of 114,000, with half of the audience in the Persons ages 18-49 demographic. The Grandstand will return for the two remaining U.S. rounds of the F1 schedule this year.

The next race on the F1 calendar is the Rolex Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, July 2, airing on ESPN and ESPN+ at 8:55 a.m. ET.

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