Formula 1 suffered a rare ratings decline last weekend, but still delivered one of its best results for the French Grand Prix. Plus: NASCAR on USA Network topped last year on NBCSN for a third-straight week; and more.
F1 French GP viewership dips, still third-most watched
Last Sunday’s Formula 1 French Grand Prix averaged a 0.58 rating and 1.058 million viewers on ESPN, down slightly from last year (0.60, 1.064M) but still the third-largest audience in the history of the race. The high water mark is 1.3 million for tape delayed coverage on FOX in 2007. Despite the overall decline, viewership increased 11% in adults 18-49 (471K) and the race topped the same day NASCAR Cup Series race on USA Network in both 18-49 (0.36 to 0.34) and 18-34 (0.33 to 0.18).
F1 races are now averaging 1.3 million viewers for the season, up a third from the same point last year (965K).
Leading into the race, qualifying coverage last Saturday averaged 667,000 on ESPN2 — the network’s most-watched program of the day.
NASCAR on USA tops NBCSN for third-straight week
NASCAR Cup Series racing from Pocono (Pa.) averaged a 1.6 rating and 2.59 million viewers on USA Network last Sunday, up a tick in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year on NBCSN (1.5, 2.49M) but down 3% in both measures from two years ago on FS1 (1.6, 2.66M). It was the most-watched sporting event of last weekend.
USA Network has carried three races that aired on NBCSN last year and all three have posted an increase in ratings and viewership.
The previous day’s Xfinity Series race at Pocono drew a 0.57 and 914,000 on USA Network — down from last year’s race, which aired on a Sunday leading into the Cup Series event (0.7, ~1.1M).
Plus: PGA Tour, IndyCar, SRX, Tour de France
Final round coverage of last week’s PGA Tour event in Minneapolis averaged a 1.3 rating and 2.15 million viewers on CBS, up from last year opposite the Olympics (1.2, 1.93M). Rainout coverage the previous day slipped year-over-year. … NBC averaged a 0.61 and 941,000 for race one of last weekend’s IndyCar doubleheader from Iowa and a 0.45 and 719,000 for race two, both up dramatically from the last time the races were run two years ago on NBCSN (0.21, 334K; 0.23, 356K). … The season finale of the SRX racing series averaged a 0.65 and season-high 1.06 million viewers on CBS, marking the second-straight week coverage cracked the million viewer mark. Per Sports Business Daily, SRX viewership dropped about 20% from last year. … NBC’s live coverage of the Tour de France last Saturday averaged a 0.53 and 813,000 viewers, down from its lone live window lat year (0.62, ~965K). NBC aired the penultimate stage this year and Stage 14 last year. A full average for the Tour de France was not immediately available.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 7.26, Sports Business Journal 7.27, network PR]
