Scheduling: The 2017 United States Grand Prix

For the first time in a decade, UK viewers will be able to watch the United States Grand Prix live on free-to-air television. The race is the sixth from the Circuit of the Americas and could see Lewis Hamilton clinch his fourth world title.

Channel 4’s live coverage will feature Mark Webber and Eddie Jordan on punditry alongside Steve Jones and David Coulthard. After missing Japan, Lee McKenzie will be back with the team, whilst Rachel Brookes is expected to return to Sky’s F1 team following injury.

On the scheduling front, there is an unusual four-hour gap between the end of practice three and the start of the qualifying. The explanation is that the organisers want to persuade fans to stay for the Justin Timberlake concert following qualifying (yes, really).

Qualifying does not start until 22:00 BST as a result, the latest I believe qualifying has started for viewers in Europe since the 1983 United States Grand Prix West from Long Beach!

On Sunday, to allow for drivers to be introduced individually by legendary announcer Michael Buffer, the pit lane will open 15 minutes earlier. Hopefully the UK broadcasters cover the festivities throughout their race day build-up.

Channel 4 F1
20/10 – 15:55 to 17:35 – Practice 1 (More4)
20/10 – 19:55 to 21:35 – Practice 2 (More4)
21/10 – 16:55 to 18:30 – Practice 3 (Channel 4)
21/10 – 21:00 to 23:35 – Qualifying (Channel 4)
22/10 – 19:00 to 23:15 – Race (Channel 4)
=> 19:00 – Build–Up
=> 19:35 – Race
=> 22:10 – Reaction

Sky Sports F1
Sessions
20/10 – 15:45 to 18:00 – Practice 1 (also Sky Sports Main Event)
20/10 – 19:45 to 22:00 – Practice 2
21/10 – 16:45 to 18:15 – Practice 3
21/10 – 21:00 to 23:40 – Qualifying (also Sky Sports Mix)
22/10 – 18:30 to 23:15 – Race
=> 18:30 – Track Parade
=> 19:00 – Pit Lane Live (also Sky Sports Main Event)
=> 19:30 – Race (also Sky Sports Main Event)
=> 22:30 – Paddock Live

Supplementary Programming
18/10 – 20:30 to 21:00 – F1 Report: Preview
19/10 – 17:00 to 18:00 – Driver Press Conference
19/10 – 20:30 to 20:45 – Paddock Uncut
20/10 – 22:00 to 22:50 – Team Press Conference
20/10 – 22:50 to 23:20 – The F1 Show
25/10 – 20:30 to 21:00 – F1 Report: Review

BBC Radio F1
19/10 – 21:00 to 22:00 – Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)
20/10 – 15:55 to 17:35 – Practice 1 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
21/10 – 21:55 to 23:05 – Qualifying (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
22/10 – 19:00 to 22:00 – Race (BBC Radio 5 Live)

MotoGP – Australia (BT Sport 2)
20/10 – 00:00 to 07:00
=> 00:00 – Practice 1
=> 02:45 – Reaction and Build-Up
=> 04:00 – Practice 2
21/10 – 00:00 to 07:15
=> 00:00 – Practice 3
=> 03:00 – Qualifying
22/10 – 00:30 to 02:15 – Warm Up
22/10 – 02:30 to 07:15
=> 02:30 – Moto3 race
=> 04:15 – Moto2 race
=> 05:45 – MotoGP race

MotoGP – Australia (Channel 5)
23/10 – 19:00 to 20:00 – Highlights

European Le Mans Series – Portimao (Motorsport.tv)
22/10 – 12:45 to 17:20 – Race

World Superbikes – Jerez
21/10 – 09:15 to 14:00 – Qualifying and Race 1 (Eurosport 2)
22/10 – 10:00 to 15:00 – Support Races and Race 2 (Eurosport 2)
24/10 – 20:00 to 21:00 – Highlights (ITV4)

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

Japanese Grand Prix continues positive ratings patch for Formula 1

The Japanese Grand Prix continued what is turning into a stronger than expected ratings period for Formula 1 in the UK, overnight viewing figures show.

Race
The race aired across Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event on Sunday morning from 05:00 to 08:30 to an audience of 384k (20.0%), a strong increase on last year’s figure of 316k (14.8%). These figures include viewers who recorded Sky’s live broadcast and watched it before 02:00 on Monday morning (Live + Video on Same Day as Live [VOSDAL]).

It is Sky’s third highest number for the Japanese round of the championship, only behind 2012 and 2014, which aired an hour later than this year. An audience of 302k (15.9%) watched via the F1 channel, with 82k (4.1%) watching via Main Event.

Live coverage of the race itself started with 594k (40.3%), staying above 500,000 viewers for the duration. A peak audience of 672k (20.8%) watched as Lewis Hamilton won the Grand Prix, this figure split 517k (16.0%) and 162k (5.5%) across F1 and Main Event respectively.

Channel 4’s highlights programme also performed strongly, averaging 2.03m (17.7%) from 15:00 to 17:15. Of course, Formula 1 benefited from no Premier League football action on Sunday, but for Channel 4’s highlights number to be only 300,000 viewers behind the 2.36m (20.9%) who watched the BBC programme in 2012 is a real achievement.

A peak audience of 2.61m (20.4%) caught Channel 4’s highlights show at 16:45 as their edit concluded. Channel 4’s audience figures are comfortably up year-on-year, and higher than both Australia and China earlier this season.

The combined average audience of 2.42 million viewers is an increase of 23 percent on last year’s average of 1.97 million viewers. Japan has historically rated lower than the season average. To give two examples, in 2012, the average audience was 2.77 million viewers, whilst the average in 2015 was 2.64 million viewers. Certainly, Sunday’s average is promising for the rest of the season.

At its peak, 3.29 million viewers watched Channel 4’s and Sky’s programming on Sunday, an increase of around 18 percent year-on-year. Both metrics increased for the fourth race in succession, a rare trend for Formula 1 considering the channel switch from the BBC to Channel 4 at the end of 2015.

Qualifying
Live coverage of qualifying, broadcast across Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event, averaged 240k (8.1%) from 06:00 to 08:40. The average is Sky’s highest ever for a Japanese qualifying broadcast, beating last year’s figure by 4,000 viewers.

Although it is Sky’s highest figure, it should be noted that from 2012 to 2014, qualifying started an hour earlier than what it currently does, so the comparison is not necessarily like-for-like. An average of 196k (6.6%) watched via the F1 channel, with the remaining 43k (1.5%) watching via Main Event.

Channel 4’s highlights programme averaged 1.16m (13.8%) from 13:00 to 14:30, an increase of 151,000 viewers compared with 2016. Both broadcasters posted solid numbers, resulting in a combined audience of 1.40 million viewers, an increase on last year’s audience of 1.24 million viewers, but still below the two million barrier numbers seen when F1 was on the BBC.

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

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.

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.