IndyCar is off to its best start in the ratings since 2003; NASCAR Martinsville viewership slipped in its new Saturday night slot; the F1 Australian GP neared a record-high despite a decline; and more.
IndyCar viewership highest through three races since 2003
The IndyCar Series season is averaging 1.15 million viewers as of last weekend, up 34% from last year (858K) and the series’ best start since 2003. Keep in mind all of the races have aired on broadcast television.
Last Sunday’s IndyCar Series race from Long Beach averaged a 0.6 and 1.06 million on NBC (1.08M including additional streaming data not tracked by Nielsen), the largest audience for the race since NBC began carrying IndyCar in 2009 — with the caveat that it had not previously aired on broadcast.
NASCAR Martinsville viewership down in Saturday night slot
Last Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville averaged a 1.1 rating and 1.89 million viewers on FS1, actually down 21% in ratings and at least 18% in viewership from last year’s rain-postponed race, which took place in a Sunday afternoon window (1.4, 2.30M*). The race had not previously aired in a Saturday night window.
The previous day’s Xfinity Series race had a 0.51 and 854,000.
F1 Australian GP down, but third-best on record
The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix averaged a 0.34 rating and 568,000 viewers on ESPN in the early morning hours of last Sunday, down 15% in ratings and 14% in viewership from the previous edition of the race in 2019 (0.40, 659K), but nonetheless the third-largest audience ever for the race. It trails only 2019 and 1994 (633K).
The first three F1 races of the season averaged 1.14 million viewers, up 24% from the first three last year (920K).
Plus: WNBA Draft, EPL, UFC
Last Monday’s WNBA Draft averaged 403,000 viewers on ESPN, up 20% from last year and the largest audience for the event since 2004. The previous high was 378,000 two years ago, when it was the only live sportscast for weeks. Viewership outpaced last year’s NHL Draft on ESPN2 (268K). … Last Sunday’s Manchester City-Liverpool English Premier League match averaged a 0.55 rating and 1.09 million viewers on USA Network, with that figure rising to 1.15 million including additional streaming data not tracked by Nielsen — the second-largest EPL audience ever on U.S. cable television behind the 2015 Manchester Derby. … UFC 273 prelims averaged a 0.40 and 715,000 on ESPN last Saturday night, down sharply from UFC 272 prelims in March, which followed a North Carolina-Duke men’s college basketball game (1.53M).
