Verstappen’s Malaysian victory peaks with 4.1 million viewers

A peak audience of 4.1 million viewers watched Max Verstappen claim a surprise victory in the final Malaysian Grand Prix, overnight UK viewing figures for the show.

Race
Live coverage of the race aired on Channel 4 from 07:00 to 10:40, and averaged 1.22m (18.7%), slightly down on last year’s programme average of 1.30m (21.1%) across the same time slot. The decrease in audience share is a result of the total TV audience building faster across the 09:00 and 10:00 clock hour compared to the same day last year.

Alongside Channel 4, Verstappen’s victory aired across three Sky Sports channels: F1, Main Event and Mix. An audience of 361k (5.6%) watched via the F1 channel from 07:00 to 10:30, with 98k (1.5%) and 31k (0.5%) watching via Main Event and Mix respectively. Sky’s combined average of 486k (7.5%), accounting for the shorter run-time on Sky Sports Mix, is an increase of 104,000 viewers on last year’s audience of 382k (4.2%).

Channel 4’s highlights programme performed well later in the day, averaging 941k (9.2%) from 13:30 to 16:10, an increase on last year’s figure of 747k (4.8%), last year’s programme airing much later in the afternoon. The combined audience of 2.64 million viewers is lower than both Italy and Singapore before it, but is a healthy increase of 9 percent on last year’s average of 2.43 million viewers.

The race itself started on Sunday morning with 1.94m (35.8%) at 08:00, growing throughout to a peak audience of 2.88m (33.2%) at 09:30. At the time of the peak, 2.15m (24.8%) were watching on Channel 4, with 730k (8.4%) watching via Sky’s three channels. However, Sky’s coverage peaked earlier in the race: at 08:45, an audience of 739k (10.0%) were watching their broadcast. The peak audience for the live broadcast is up on last year’s peak audience of 2.69m (32.8%)

A peak audience of 1.26m (11.6%) watched Channel 4’s highlights programme, resulting a combined peak audience of 4.15 million viewers, a strong peak to end Sepang’s stay on the Formula 1 calendar. The recent viewing figures have been positive for Formula 1, with increases at the last three rounds compared with 2016, a trend that will hopefully continue with the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.

Qualifying
A similar number of viewers watched Lewis Hamilton’s pole position effort compared with 2016, audience figures show.

Live coverage of the session on Saturday morning aired across Channel 4, Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Channel 4’s broadcast averaged 782k (11.6%) from 08:55 to 11:45, slightly down on last year’s audience of 811k (11.4%) over a slightly shorter slot.

A combined average of 329k (4.8%) watched Sky’s programming, with 274k (4.1%) watching via the dedicated F1 channel and a further 59k (0.9%) tuning into the premier Main Event channel. The slight difference is because Main Event cut away from the F1 to football at 11:30, whereas the live show on the F1 channel ran until 11:40. Sky’s audience is up on last year’s figure of 278k (3.9%).

Later, an audience of 514k (6.8%) tuned into Channel 4’s highlights broadcast from 13:35 to 15:30, down in audience but up in share on last year’s number of 658k (4.8%). The combined audience, across live and highlights of 1.63 million viewers is a decrease year-on-year of around 100,000 viewers.

The live qualifying session peaked with 1.76m (24.7%) at 10:55 as Hamilton clinched pole position. At the time of the peak, the audience split 68:32, with 1.21m (16.9%) watching on Channel 4 and 555k (7.8%) watching via the pay-TV broadcaster.

Channel 4’s highlights programme peaked with 710k (9.2%), resulting in a cumulative combined peak audience of 2.47 million viewers, a drop of 226,000 viewers year-on-year.

The 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix ratings report can be found here.

overnights.tv-bannersF1

Scheduling: The 2017 Japanese Grand Prix

The eyes of the motor sport media will be on two places this weekend: Suzuka and Jerez, both circuits the site of Formula 1 championship deciders of years gone past.

Suzuka plays host to round 16 of the 2017 Formula One season. Whilst we will not see the champion crowned this weekend, the events of Sepang means that Lewis Hamilton now has one hand on his fourth championship. Meanwhile, in Jerez, rising star Charles Leclerc could claim the Formula Two title at some stage during the weekend.

Formula Two and the GP3 Series normally play support to Formula 1. This weekend, Formula Two is the lead category at Jerez, with GP3 Series and the Euroformula Championship (broadcast on BT Sport in the UK) supporting acts. I assume Alex Jacques will be on lead commentary as usual for Formula Two and GP3, but do not expect to see Davide Valsecchi alongside him as he will be with Sky Italia in Suzuka.

Channel 4’s coverage from Suzuka will not feature Lee McKenzie, who travelled back to the UK after the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Channel 4 F1
Sessions
07/10 – 13:00 to 14:30 – Qualifying Highlights
08/10 – 15:00 to 17:15 – Race Highlights

Sky Sports F1
Sessions
06/10 – 01:45 to 03:50 – Practice 1
06/10 – 05:45 to 08:00 – Practice 2 (also Sky Sports Main Event)
07/10 – 03:45 to 05:15 – Practice 3
07/10 – 06:00 to 08:40 – Qualifying (also Sky Sports Main Event)
08/10 – 04:30 to 09:15 – Race
=> 04:30 – Track Parade
=> 05:00 – Pit Lane Live (also Sky Sports Main Event)
=> 05:30 – Race (also Sky Sports Main Event)
=> 08:30 – Paddock Live (also Sky Sports Main Event)

Supplementary Programming
04/10 – 20:30 to 21:00 – F1 Report: Preview
05/10 – 07:00 to 07:30 – Driver Press Conference
05/10 – 21:15 to 21:30 – Paddock Uncut
06/10 – 08:00 to 08:50 – Team Press Conference
06/10 – 08:50 to 09:20 – The F1 Show
11/10 – 20:30 to 21:00 – F1 Report: Review

BBC Radio F1
04/10 – 21:00 to 22:00 – Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)
06/10 – 01:55 to 03:35 – Practice 1 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
06/10 – 05:55 to 07:35 – Practice 2 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
07/10 – 03:55 to 05:05 – Practice 3 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
07/10 – 06:55 to 08:05 – Qualifying (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
08/10 – 05:30 to 08:00 – Race (BBC Radio 5 Live)

Euroformula – Jerez (BT Sport/ESPN)
07/10 – 11:30 to 12:30 – Race 1
08/10 – 11:30 to 12:30 – Race 2

FIM CEV Repsol – Aragon (BT Sport/ESPN)
08/10 – 09:45 to 14:45 – Races

Formula Two – Jerez (Sky Sports F1)
06/10 – 14:30 to 15:00 – Qualifying
07/10 – 12:55 to 14:25 – Race 1
08/10 – 12:55 to 14:15 – Race 2

GP3 Series – Jerez (Sky Sports F1)
06/10 – 13:00 to 13:30 – Qualifying
07/10 – 09:55 to 10:55 – Race 1
08/10 – 09:55 to 10:45 – Race 2

Speedway Grand Prix – Poland (BT Sport 2)
07/10 – 17:45 to 21:15 – Races

World Rally Championship – Spain
06/10 – Day 1 Highlights
=> 22:00 to 22:30 (BT Sport 1)
=> 22:35 to 23:05 (Motorsport.tv)
07/10 – 12:00 to 13:00 – Stage 1 (BT Sport 3)
07/10 – Day 2 Highlights
=> 22:35 to 23:05 (Motorsport.tv)
=> 00:30 to 01:00 (BT Sport 1)
08/10 – 07:30 to 08:30 – Stage 2 (BT Sport 3)
08/10 – 11:00 to 12:30 – Power Stage (BT Sport 1)
08/10 – Day 3 Highlights
=> 22:35 to 23:05 (Motorsport.tv)
=> 01:30 to 02:00 (BT Sport 1)
09/10 – 19:00 to 20:00 – Highlights (Channel 5)

As always, if anything does change, I will update this post.

Update on October 4th – In what can only be described as a fairly major coup, the reigning Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg will be joining the Sky Sports F1 line-up during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend. Rosberg will be part of Sky’s output in the UK, Italy and Germany. This weekend, Anthony Davidson is also part of Sky’s line-up, so a really strong presentation team overall.

Update on October 5th – Further great news is that Louise Goodman is Lee McKenzie’s super sub on Channel 4 for this weekend.

Higgs happy with current BSB UK TV deal

A leading figure in the British Superbikes series believes that the championship currently has the right balance in terms of television coverage in the United Kingdom. The comments came from Stuart Higgs, who is the series’ director for the MCE British Superbikes championship.

Currently, the series airs exclusively live on Eurosport, with highlights broadcast on ITV4. Higgs believes that Eurosport’s presentation of the championship has improved since they first started exclusive coverage in 2008. “We joined Eurosport at a time when they were not taken very seriously, this was before Discovery took them over.”Their presentation standards have massively improved, at the start, the EPG, and the pictures that you were watching would not always match up! Now, they have some serious rights, the US Open tennis, the Olympics, and we are a big part of their platform.”

The most recently development has been with Eurosport’s over the top Player service, where exclusive BSB content has aired on the service since the Cadwell Park of the championship. “We’re very happy with the mix. The premium sports fan gets their fix on Eurosport with qualifying and the race. More of our races are now free-to-air on Quest, which is important for us, getting us back to the position that we were in 2007 [when ITV stopped covering the series live].”

“To have live free-to-air, live premium sport, and tight highlights on a premium-brand free-to-air channel on ITV4, it’s on balance stronger than just being on BT. BT’s presentation values are excellent, but we would be pigeon-holed below MotoGP.”

Higgs appreciates that there is a major challenge for the championship, and other series, when the next round of television rights begin in 2021, with the media landscape radically changing. “The new and emerging sports fans of 2021 are 13 to 15 years old at the moment. I’ve got a twelve-year-old daughter, and she doesn’t watch television, not interested. She’s busy watching things on YouTube or talking on social media. The critical thing for all sports is how to engage and make your product more engaging, more understanding.”

“Television is the most important visibility platform that we have and it will be for the foreseeable future. Integration between social media and other delivery platforms is the challenge. Some sports are massively advanced in that area, you’re seeing live sport appear in weird places like Twitter or Facebook. There is an expectation now from people that you click on something, and you see it, which conflicts with the pay-TV model where you pay to view it. The whole monetisation of sport, content, and broadcasting, I don’t believe anyone has the right answer. There’s a number of theories, and you’ve just got to see what works for your audience.”

> Behind the scenes in the BSB OB truck: the monitor wall
> Behind the scenes in the BSB OB truck: the key roles and responsibilities

According to overnight viewing figures supplied by overnights.tv, highlights of the British Superbikes series on ITV4 have averaged 155k (0.8%) in a Wednesday evening slot this season up until and including August, peaking with around 200,000 viewers. Live coverage of race day across Eurosport and Quest has averaged 98k (1.0%), peaking with 182,000 viewers.

Is BTCC’s live ITV4 programming in need of a refresh?
Higgs also commented on the British Touring Car Championship, which follows a similar schedule to the British Superbikes series. Higgs believes that the BTCC programming on ITV4 needs a refresh.

Since relinquishing Formula 1 at the end of 2008, the touring car series has aired live on Sundays on ITV4 for around seven hours from 11:00 to 18:00. The marathon broadcast contains live coverage of all three BTCC races, with live coverage of the support series’, including the Ginetta Juniors and the Porsche Carrera Cup.

But Higgs claims that this style of broadcast outdated. “It’s not a bad show when it comes to the racing, but their programme is like watching paint dry,” Higgs says. “You’ve got to inject some excitement and personality into it. Being live for seven hours on a free-to-air channel I don’t think works any more.” British Eurosport’s BSB programme is typically presented by Matt Roberts, James Whitham and James Haydon, whereas ITV4’s BTCC coverage is fronted by Steve Rider, Louise Goodman and Paul O’Neil.

An alternative approach suggested by Higgs is a short live programme, with both race one and two of the day airing on tape-delay. “They’d be better off by doing a tight edit of race one and race two, then coming live for race three, with a big build-up and big audience. In this day and age, people’s lifestyles have changed. Not many people have the luxury of staying in on a Sunday afternoon for seven hours, your wife will be nagging you, the kids will be bored,” claims Higgs.

Viewing figures for the British Touring Car Championship dipped to a low of 154k (1.7%) in 2016 live on ITV4. However, audiences have rebounded so far this year, bringing in an average of 200k (2.2%), peaking with 370,000 viewers per race.

News round-up: Harris to hang up his microphone; F1 heading back to FTA in France

In the news round-up, fans of MotoGP will hear a slightly different tone to broadcasting from 2018 onwards, whilst Formula 1 is making a return to free-to-air television in a key territory.

Formula 1 returning to free-to-air television in France
The return of the French Grand Prix in 2018 is not the only good news for Formula 1 fans in France. Earlier this month, it emerged that the sport would also be returning to free-to-air television, in the first major deal signed by the F1 Group under Liberty Media’s ownership.

For the past few years, Formula 1 has stagnated in France with the sport hidden behind a pay-wall, exclusively on Canal+. Now, Liberty have signed a deal with free-to-air broadcaster TF1 for three years from 2018. TF1 will air four Grand Prix live, including Monaco and the home race at Paul Ricard, with all other rounds covered in highlights form.

Some outlets interpreted the deal as a new direction for Formula 1. Not quite. Article L333-9 of the French Sporting Code states that “sporting events of major importance shall be retransmitted under the conditions laid down in Articles 20-2 and 20-3 of Law No 86-1067 of 30 September 1986 on freedom of communication.”

And Article 20-2, referenced above, explicitly says “Events of major importance can not be retransmitted exclusively in a way that deprives a significant portion of the public of the possibility of following them live or delayed on a free-to-air television service.” In other words, there was an obligation for the F1 Group under French law to offer the French Grand Prix to a free-to-air broadcaster, it was not by choice.

The other three races and the remaining highlights were by choice, although Liberty might have been in a weaker position here if TF1, or any other broadcaster, were unwilling to play the French Grand Prix without any other races alongside it. Either way, the narrative painted by the mainstream media has missed a significant fact.

However, the deal signed by the F1 Group and TF1 does align with quotes from F1’s Managing Director for Commercial Operations, Sean Bratches earlier this year, who suggested a 30-70 relationship where free-to-air and pay-TV were concerned.

Harris to retire from MotoGP duties at end of the season
The big broadcasting news from the Aragon MotoGP weekend is that their World Feed commentator Nick Harris will retire at the end of the year. Harris has been in and out of paddocks, pit lanes and various other fora for 36 years. The paddock came together on the Thursday prior to Aragon to celebrate Harris’ career at the Alpinestars motor home.

I have not spoken to Harris during my stints in the MotoGP paddock, however Harris seems respected and liked by just about anyone you speak to within the paddock. 36 years is an astounding career, I imagine he has many stories to tell post retirement, whatever the future may hold for him!

Harris currently commentates on MotoGP alongside Matt Birt and Dylan Gray in pit lane, with Steve Day leading on Moto2 and Moto3. I imagine Day will lead on MotoGP commentary as well from 2018, unless Dorna bring in someone from the outside to take on Harris’ duties.

Carrasco’s win generates headlines
Elsewhere on the motor cycling front, Ana Carrasco helped generate significant headlines for the Supersport 300 Championship, a feeder series to the Superbikes World Championship. Last weekend’s Supersport 300 race at Portimao saw Carrasco’s maiden victory at world motorcycle level, the first woman to achieve that feat.

Outlets in the United Kingdom and abroad reported on Carrasco’s victory. In the UK, The Guardian and the BBC reported Carrasco’s achievement, whilst aboard, outlets such as the New York Times and Rolling Stone covered her achievement.

Scheduling: The 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix

The 2017 Formula One season heads into its last third, with the final running of the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Sepang circuit has been a fixture on the calendar since 1999, initially in an October slot, before moving to March in 2001. Last year, the race returned to an October slot, but that was not enough to save Malaysia from the axe as attendances have dropped in recent years.

The final Malaysian round will air live on both Channel 4 and Sky Sports. Mark Webber and Susie Wolff are alongside Channel 4’s usual line-up fronted by Steve Jones and David Coulthard. Over on Sky, Rachel Brookes remains on the sidelines due to knee injury, Brookes out of both the Malaysia and Japanese Grand Prix next weekend. Sky’s coverage is simulcast across both Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Mix at various points during the weekend.

Elsewhere, this weekend marks the end of the British Touring Car Championship season, its final round taking place at Brands Hatch.

Channel 4 F1
Sessions
29/09 – 03:40 to 05:40 – Practice 1
29/09 – 07:55 to 09:35 – Practice 2
30/09 – 06:55 to 08:25 – Practice 3
30/09 – 08:55 to 11:45 – Qualifying
30/09 – 13:30 to 15:30 – Qualifying Replay
01/10 – 07:00 to 10:45 – Race
=> 07:00 – Build–Up
=> 07:35 – Race
=> 10:00 – Reaction
01/10 – 13:30 to 16:15 – Race Replay

Supplementary Programming
30/09 – 08:25 to 08:55 – F1 Meets… Nigel Mansell

Sky Sports F1
Sessions
29/09 – 03:45 to 05:45 – Practice 1
29/09 – 07:45 to 10:00 – Practice 2 (also Sky Sports Main Event)
30/09 – 06:45 to 08:10 – Practice 3
30/09 – 09:00 to 11:40 – Qualifying (also Sky Sports Main Event)
01/10 – 06:30 to 11:15 – Race
=> 06:30 – Track Parade
=> 07:00 – Pit Lane Live (also Sky Sports Main Event)
=> 07:30 – Race (also Sky Sports Main Event and Mix)
=> 10:30 – Paddock Live (also Sky Sports Mix)

Supplementary Programming
27/09 – 20:30 to 21:00 – F1 Report: Preview
28/09 – 08:00 to 08:30 – Driver Press Conference
28/09 – 20:45 to 21:00 – Paddock Uncut
29/09 – 10:30 to 11:15 – Team Press Conference
29/09 – 11:15 to 11:45 – The F1 Show

BBC Radio F1
28/09 – 21:00 to 22:00 – Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)
29/09 – 03:55 to 05:35 – Practice 1 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
29/09 – 07:55 to 09:35 – Practice 2 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
30/09 – 06:55 to 08:05 – Practice 3 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
30/09 – 09:55 to 11:05 – Qualifying (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
01/10 – 07:30 to 10:00 – Race (BBC Radio 5 Live)

British Superbikes – Assen
30/09 – 14:30 to 17:00 – Qualifying (Eurosport 2)
01/10 – 11:15 to 12:00 – Race 1 (Eurosport 2)
01/10 – 13:00 to 18:00 – Race 2 (Eurosport 2)
04/10 – 20:00 to 21:00 – Highlights (ITV4)

British Touring Car Championship – Brands Hatch (ITV4)
01/10 – 10:30 to 18:35 – Races

Euroformula – Monza (BT Sport/ESPN)
30/09 – 14:00 to 15:00 – Race 1
01/10 – 12:00 to 13:00 – Race 2

International GT Open – Monza (BT Sport/ESPN)
30/09 – 15:00 to 16:30 – Race 1
01/10 – 13:00 to 14:30 – Race 2

World Superbikes – Magny Cours
30/09 – 09:15 to 14:00 – Qualifying and Race 1 (Eurosport 2)
01/10 – 10:00 to 11:15 – Support Races (Eurosport 2)
01/10 – 12:00 to 13:00 – Race 2 (Eurosport 2)
03/10 – 20:00 to 21:00 – Highlights (ITV4)

World Rallycross Championship – Germany (Motorsport.tv)
01/10 – 13:00 to 15:05 – Race

As always, the above schedule will be updated if anything changes.