Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix Earns Double-Digit Viewership Growth on ESPN2 (Update)

F1 on ESPN networks. Imagine the ratings if the races were on ESPN instead of ESPN2

UPDATE The two replays delivered an additional 100,000 viewers. Total viewers for the Brazilian GP was 720,000.

11/19/19 The live telecast of Sunday’s Formula 1 World Championship Brazilian Grand Prix on ESPN2 attracted a U.S. television audience that averaged double-digit increases over viewership for the last two editions of the race, continuing F1’s trend of season-long audience growth across ESPN networks.

The race had an average audience of 620,000 viewers on ESPN2, an increase of 32 percent over the race on ESPN2 last year (469,000) and up eight percent from the NBCSN audience of 571,000 in 2017. The Brazilian Grand Prix audience peaked at 757,593 as Max Verstappen drove to victory.

Through 20 races this season, Formula 1 is averaging 681,000 viewers on ESPN networks, an increase of 22 percent over the average of 557,000 at this point last year on ESPN networks and up 25 percent from the average of 544,000 on NBC networks in 2017.

Seventeen of the 20 races this season have seen year-over-year viewership increases on ESPN networks.

The 21-race Formula 1 season concludes on Sunday, Dec. 1, with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The race airs at 8:05 a.m. ET on ESPN2.