This past weekend, F1 broke a two-year-old viewership record for its Miami Grand Prix broadcast.
The Miami Grand Prix airing on ABC averaged 3.1 million viewers, good for the most-watched Formula 1 race in the United States.
The previous record was set by the inaugural Miami Grand Prix back in 2022, which averaged 2.6 million viewers. Last year’s Miami Grand Prix averaged 1.96 million viewers. The three Miami Grand Prix races have been the three most-watched live races in the United States.
Viewership for the race peaked at 3.6 million viewers, with 1.3 million viewers in the P18-49 demo watching.
One big reason the Miami Grand Prix has thrived so much is the start time. Sunday’s race began at 3:55 p.m. ET, a far more palatable time for American viewers than the usual early morning start times. For instance, the next race is the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday, May 19, which begins at 8:55 a.m. ET. The network assignment is another big factor. The Miami Grand Prix aired on ABC, while the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix airs on ESPN2.
The success of F1 this weekend wasn’t limited to just the Miami Grand Prix. Saturday’s F1 Sprint race averaged a record 946,000 viewers on ESPN, up from a previous record of 883,000 in 2023. Qualifying on ESPN Saturday averaged 625,000 viewers.
[ESPN]
About Joe Lucia
I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.