F1 TV ratings continue to break records with each race. How did viewership look in America for the Dutch Grand Prix?
On September 4th, F1 went racing in Zandvoort, Netherlands for the Dutch Grand Prix. Hometown favorite, Max Verstappen took the chequered flag and continued his dominance this season. And like Verstappen’s streak, American viewership continues to break F1 TV Ratings records. ESPN’s decision to leverage SkySports’ coverage and F1 expertise has proven to be an excellent strategy. According to ESPN, the viewership averaged 1.15 million people.
ESPN telecast of #F1 #DutchGP averages 1.15 million viewers
🏁Largest U.S. TV audience ever for #DutchGP
🏁Viewership up 32 pct over '21 (870K)
🏁P18-49 demo avgs 524K
🏁@F1 races avg 1.3 million, up 33 pct over '21NEXT: #ItalianGP Sunday 8:55am ET | ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/rjlpP6vSvz
— Andy Hall (@AndyHallESPN) September 7, 2022
Table data can be found here.
Is this growth sustainable?
The growth of the sport in America has continued for the last few years thanks to the Netflix Documentary “Drive to Survive.” It is clear that the trend will continue in America for the foreseeable future. It is hard to say exactly what the ceiling on F1 TV ratings can be in the coming years, but it is a safe bet that the growth will continue. The 2023 calendar has three races in America – Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas.
Another main factor in growing the series is the arrival of a new American driver in F1. While AlphaTauri has shown interest in helping IndyCar’s Colton Herta gain his Super License, it looks doubtful. The best chance of an American driver might instead be Williams’ Academy prospect and current F2 driver, Logan Sargeant. Sargent is currently third in his rookie season in F2.
The United States will be the only country with three races, possibly an advantage of being owned by an American company. With a rich history of support for NASCAR and IndyCar, Americans love Motorsport. With F1 being different from the other two in many ways it can build its own unique space in the sports landscape. I myself am one of those new F1 fans, with the 2021 Grand Prix in Mexico City being the first F1 race I watched live. I’ve been hooked ever since.
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