TV News: USA Motorsports Weekend TV Ratings, F1 USA Record (Update)

We have added the detailed TV Rating Data for last weekend in the table below.

USA Motorsports TV ratings for last weekend. Formula 1 was in Miami for the third running of the Miami GP won by Lando Norris. NASCAR raced in Kansas where Kyle Larson won the closest NASCAR race in history.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Formula 1

Sunday’s F1 Miami Grand Prix averaged a 1.7 rating and 3.1 million viewers on ABC, marking the largest F1 audience ever on U.S. television. The previous high was 2.78 million for taped coverage of the 2002 Monaco Grand Prix and the previous high for a live race was 2.58 million for the inaugural Miami GP two years ago.

Top 10 Local Market Ratings for the race:

Miami-Ft. Lauderdale 3.37
Ft. Myers 3.09
Richmond 2.91
Louisville 2.90
Columbus, OH 2.82
Cleveland 2.70
West Palm Beach 2.67
Indianapolis 2.46
Orlando 2.42
Dayton, Las Vegas 2.30

ABC’s telecast of the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, May 5, attracted the largest live U.S. television audience on record for F1 as an average of 3.1 million viewers watched Lando Norris beat reigning World Champion Max Verstappen to capture his first F1 win.

The race-only viewership (3:55 – 5:30 p.m. ET) shattered the previous F1 record of 2.6 million viewers that was set for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix in 2022. Viewership was up 48 percent over last year’s race, which attracted 2.1 million viewers. The Miami Grand Prix now has the top three live U.S. television audiences in Formula 1 history.

Viewership during the race peaked at 3.6 million. The audience in the Persons ages 18-49 demographic averaged 1.3 million.

Top 10 Local Market Ratings for the race:

Miami-Ft. Lauderdale 3.37
Ft. Myers 3.09
Richmond 2.91
Louisville 2.90
Columbus, OH 2.82
Cleveland 2.70
West Palm Beach 2.67
Indianapolis 2.46
Orlando 2.42
Dayton, Las Vegas 2.30

Also, this weekend, the F1 Sprint race on Saturday averaged 946,000 viewers on ESPN, the largest audience for a Sprint race since F1 introduced the format in 2021. The previous high was 883,000 for Azerbaijan in 2023. Saturday’s F1 qualifying on ESPN averaged 625,000 viewers.

Sprint qualifying for the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix drew 406,000 on ESPN2, more-than-doubling a practice session in the same window last year (202K). It was preceded by a practice session at 265,000. When you think that IndyCar’s 2nd biggest race of the year, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, only got 307,000 viewers on the USA Network, you realize IndyCar continues to flounder.

The next race on the F1 calendar is the Formula 1 MSC Cruises Made in Italy Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday, May 19, at 8:55 a.m. ET on ESPN2.

NASCAR

In a rarity, if not a first, F1 averaged a larger audience than a NASCAR Cup Series race the same day, as rain-delayed Cup Series racing from Kansas drew 1.3 and 2.30 million on FS1. Beyond the rain delay and the fact that the race aired on cable, NASCAR also had no meaningful lead-in.

FS1 got 2.296 million viewers for Sunday’s delayed NASCAR race at Kansas that featured the closest finish in the sport’s history, down 2% from 2.352 million for last year’s race that ran on time.

NASCAR Truck Series racing from Kansas drew a 0.37 and 631,000 on FS1, followed by Cup Series qualifying at a 0.27 and 471,000.

All Important 18-49 Age Group

Once again, the F1 broadcasts had a strong showing in the all-important 18-49 year old age group – blowing NASCAR out of the water with over 40% while NASCAR continues to draw below 20%

TV Rating Data