Formula 1 viewership continues to rise in what is now its final year with NBC. Also, the NHRA posted one of its stronger audiences opposite the NFL, and NASCAR’s Xfinity Series posted another decline at Dover.
F1 Up Double-Digits on NBC
Last week’s Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix had 287,000 viewers on NBCSN, up 24% from last year (231K) but down 25% from 2015 (384K). Eleven of the 14 F1 races that can be compared to last year have posted an increase in viewership. As its final season with NBC Sports winds to a close, F1 races are averaging a 548,000 viewers on NBC, NBCSN and CNBC this season, up 13% from last year. [Nielsen, Sports Business Daily 10.6]
NHRA Does Better Opposite NFL
NHRA eliminations from St. Louis earned 299,000 viewers on Fox Sports 1 last Sunday, up 10% from last year (273K) but down 12% from 2015 on ESPN2 (339K). It was the second-most watched NHRA telecast opposite the NFL since Fox Sports acquired rights last year, trailing only Las Vegas last October (366K). [Nielsen]
NASCAR Xfinity Series Down at Dover
NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Dover (Del.) earned a 0.5 rating and 829,000 viewers last Saturday, down 29% in ratings and 21% in viewership from 2015 (0.7, 1.1M). Last year’s race was postponed due to rain and had 387,000. It was the fourth-straight race with fewer than one million viewers.
* This post originally reported a 0.9 and 1.3 million for the Xfinity Series race, but those figures were actually for Sunday’s Cup Series pregame show. [ShowBuzz Daily 10.4]
