Ratings: F1, NASCAR and more

Last weekend’s season-opening Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix averaged a 0.75 rating and 1.35 million viewers on ESPN, marking the second-largest F1 audience ever on cable. The 1995 Brazil Grand Prix holds the top spot at 1.74 million. As goes without saying, it also ranks as the most-watched edition of the Bahrain GP, topping last year’s previous mark of 927,000.

Three of the four largest F1 audiences ever on U.S. cable have come in the past year, with last year’s French (1.06M) and British (1.03M) GPs ranking third and fourth, respectively. It should be noted that none of the three rank in the top ten with broadcast networks included, though Bahrain does rank in the top 15.

In adults 18-49, the F1 race on cable came to within 100,000 viewers of the same day’s NASCAR Cup Series race on FOX. F1 had 656,000 viewers in the demo and NASCAR 716,000.

NASCAR Cup Series racing from Atlanta averaged a 2.4 rating and 4.00 million viewers on FOX last Sunday, marking the largest audience for the race since 2019 — the last time it aired on the weekend following the Daytona 500 (5.07M). Ratings increased 7% and viewership 6% from last year’s Atlanta race, which aired one week later in the season (2.2, 3.8M).

The race, which peaked with 4.8 million viewers, was the top sporting event of last weekend outside of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

The corresponding Xfinity Series race averaged a 0.7 (+5%) and 1.12 million (-1%, pending revision).

Including pre-match coverage, Thursday’s United States-Mexico FIFA World Cup qualifier averaged a 1.5 rating and 2.96 million viewers on Univision and TUDN — on par with the rivals’ previous meeting last November (2.9M). English-language coverage aired on CBS Sports Network, which is not Nielsen-rated. … Last Sunday’s IndyCar Series race from Texas averaged a 0.6 and 954,000 on NBC, the second-largest audience for the race since 2013. It drew 1.28 million two years ago, when it aired in primetime on NBC and led off the delayed, shortened season. … Last Saturday’s NCAA wrestling final averaged a 0.32 (+7%) and 632,000 viewers (+8%) on ESPN, the event’s largest audience since 2017 (735K). The previous day’s semifinals were the most-watched ever on ESPN with a 0.28 and 525,000 (+17%).