Less than 18,000 viewers watch Indianapolis 500 in UK

Less than 18,000 viewers watched live coverage of the Indianapolis 500 on ESPN UK, official ratings from BARB show. The official ESPN UK top 10 for that week shows:

1 – 120k – Live Aviva Premiership Rugby (Saturday, 14:00)
2 – 24k – Live Football Friendly (Saturday, 23:01)
3 – 24k – Live Football Friendly (Thursday, 25:20)
4 – 23k – Live UFC (Saturday, 27:00)
5 – 22k – ESPN FC Press Pass (Tuesday, 18:00)
6 – 22k – Live UFC Preliminary Fights (Saturday, 25:05)
7 – 21k – Goal! Special (Saturday, 17:47)
8 – 19k – ESPN FC Press Pass (Wednesday, 18:02)
9 – 19k – ESPN FC Press Pass (Monday, 18:00)
10 – 18k – Pardon the Interruption UK (Monday, 16:30)

I suspect the figure was near to 10,000 viewers on average. It also shows, as I said at this time last year why the race gets little coverage in the UK. This is unlikely to change on BT Sport from August onwards. Yes, IndyCar will still remain on ESPN (but under BT’s ownership), but there will be no incentive for BT to promote IndyCar’s when you look at the figures above. Here are the figures for the year so far:

– 24/03 (St Petersburg) – 25,000 viewers
– 07/04 (Barber) – under 15,000 viewers
– 21/04 (Long Beach) – no ESPN data reported
– 05/05 (Sao Paolo) – 16,000 viewers
– 26/05 (Indianapolis 500) – under 15,000 viewers

Some of last year’s Sky Sports figures can be found here. In my opinion, year-on-year comparisons are largely irrelevant when the figures are so minuscule. If IndyCar finds itself clashing with a more higher priority event from August onwards, it will draw the short straw – again. As far as I can see, there is nothing that will change on that subject any time soon.

Sky Sports F1 – Top 10 ratings (week ending 19th May, 2013) – ratings delayed

Unfortunately there is nothing from BARB this week as the ratings have been delayed, so expect to see them in six weeks.

In its absence, this week is the first full week for Motors TV in its new EPG slot on Sky. The channel reach for the past few weeks has been as follows:

Motors TV – Channel Reach – Week Ending
07/04/13 – 412,000 viewers
14/04/13 – 461,000 viewers
21/04/13 – 414,000 viewers
28/04/13 – 359,000 viewers
05/05/13 – 269,000 viewers
12/05/13 – 243,000 viewers <- channel changes EPG slots on May 9th
19/05/13 – 311,000 viewers

Oddly, the reach dropped before the switch. At this point it is difficult to tell how much of an effect the EPG switch has had. Motors TV’s 311,000 viewers reach compares with 511,000 viewers for Sky Sports F1 in the same week, despite the former getting nowhere near as much promotion as the latter.

USA Ratings: Formula 1 rockets to six year high; Indianapolis 500 slumps to record low

Whilst the Monaco Grand Prix did not do great numbers in the United Kingdom, over in America the picture was significantly different as the sport soared to six year ratings highs. It was not all good news for motor sport, however.

The race, screened on NBC from 05:00 Pacific and 08:00 Eastern, was seen by an average of 1.46 million viewers. The figure makes it the highest figure for a Formula 1 race since the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix, which averaged 1.49 million viewers. In comparison, last year’s Monaco Grand Prix was seen by 427,000 viewers on SPEED Television. FOX’s four race average for 2012 was 1.04 million, so Monaco’s figure was considerably higher than that. Overall, the ratings picture is looking very rosy in America, the fans over there liking the ‘new style’ Formula 1 where tyres, DRS and KERS are concerned. It also shows what happens when a sport moves to a higher profile network, as has happened in America with the rights moving from SPEED to NBC.

NBC’s press release also notes increases versus SPEED’s coverage in two key demographics:

– 461,000 vs 127,000 in the Adults 18-49 demographic
– 674,000 vs 160,000 in the Adults 25-54 demographic

Elsewhere, NASCAR is still king with an average of 7 million viewers over on FOX in primetime. No Indianpolis 500 viewership numbers have been reported, however, Sports Media Watch are reporting that the race scored a 3.8 overnight rating, the lowest since the race began airing live in 1986. After several barren years, Formula 1’s popularity appears to be back on the rise in America, thanks to the success of Formula 1’s return to America last year, and no doubt ratings may improve further if an American such as Alexander Rossi comes onto the scene in the future, the country is such a huge market which the sport needs to exploit.

Monaco Grand Prix ratings improve versus 2012

The Monaco Grand Prix ratings this past weekend improved versus low numbers in 2012, but failed to reach previous highs, overnight ratings show. As in 2012, the weather in the United Kingdom on the day of the race was very warm which no doubt hurt the ratings slightly.

Sky Sports F1’s live coverage averaged 855,000 viewers with an 11.3 percent share according to ITV Media’s top 10. What I do not know is what the average covers. It either covers 11:30 to 16:00 or 11:30 to 17:00, which is when Sky Sports F1 went off air in the end. If it is the former, then the entire average will be nearer 750,000 viewers, but we will only know that for definite when BARB updates next week with the official ratings. In terms of peak viewership, I think we are looking at between 1.5 million to 1.7 million viewers. Sky will be happy with that all considering, as the weather could have hit the Grand Prix harder. I should note that the ratings do not include anyone who watched via Sky Go or NOW TV, but they will only add about 100,000 viewers at most to the viewership numbers.

BBC One’s highlights programme averaged 3.11 million viewers from 17:35 to 19:05, a 22 percent share. The combined figure is therefore in the region of 3.9 million viewers, marginally up on 2012. I really don’t think you could have expected much more than that, it was a Bank Holiday weekend, the weather was fantastic so the Formula 1 was bound to be affected – as it was in 2009 and 2012. Here are the past Monaco Grand Prix ratings:

Monaco Grand Prix – Official Ratings
2002 – 4.16 million
2003 – 3.76 million
2004 – 3.19 million
2005 – 3.33 million
2006 – 2.64 million
2007 – 3.70 million
2008 – 3.98 million
2009 – 3.64 million
2010 – 4.74 million
2011 – 5.15 million
2012 – 3.77 million / 3.97 million (using ‘35 percent theory‘)
2013 – 3.96 million / 4.26 million*

* note, assuming that the programme average is indeed 855,000 viewers

Qualifying averaged 2.35 million on BBC One, with Sky’s live coverage bringing 413,000 viewers to the channel from 12:00 to 15:05. GP2 after the Formula 1 averaged 54,000 viewers. The combined Qualifying rating is therefore 2.76 million viewers, a nice rise on last year’s 2.49 million, and is the second highest Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying rating on record. It peaked with 3.66 million viewers – 2.80 million on BBC and 857,000 on Sky. Only 2011 recorded higher, that particular Qualifying session recording a mammoth 3.30 million viewers and a peak of 4 million viewers.

Looking ahead to Canada, and the rating will definitely be higher than last year as there will be live free to air coverage in primetime, which will help.

The 2012 Monaco Grand Prix ratings report can be found here. Note: The ratings information comes from Digital Spy, TV Ratings UK and BARB.

Sky Sports F1 – Top 10 ratings (week ending 12th May, 2013)

From BARB:

1 – 383k – Live Spanish Grand Prix (Sunday, 11:30)
2 – 303k – Live Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying (Saturday, 12:00)
3 – 92k – Live Spanish Grand Prix Practice 3 (Saturday, 08:45)
4 – 77k – The F1 Show (Friday, 17:00)
5 – 71k – Live Spanish Grand Prix Practice 2 (Friday, 12:45)
6 – 48k – Legends (Saturday, 11:10)
7 – 42k – The F1 Show (Friday, 20:15)
8 – 41k – Legends (Saturday, 11:30)
9 – 36k – Inside Track: Brundle and Hamilton (Saturday, 11:17)
10 – 34k – Spanish GP3 Race 2 Replay (Sunday, 17:23)

A really bad set of ratings for the channel, highlighted by the fact that their main race day rating being their second worst ever for a European round, only ahead of last year’s Belgian Grand Prix. In their first season you could make the excuse that the channel is still getting up to speed, but across the board, ratings were down versus 2012 (it is worth noting also that the 2012 race day programme was longer than the 2013 race day programme due to the Williams pit fire).

The only bright spot for the channel is The F1 Show which appears to have settled at about 70,000 to 80,000 viewers. I think what is not helping Sky Sports F1 this year for the non-exclusive races is that BBC are now screening practice sessions live on BBC Two. BBC Two is more accessible than the Red Button, meaning that some viewers may be more enticed to watch on BBC instead of Sky. So whilst BBC Two gets about 600,000 viewers for practice, it depletes Sky’s figures slightly but more importantly means that those viewers get into the habit of watching BBC’s coverage for that particular weekend, denting Sky for the remainder of the weekend.

Elsewhere, the lack of GP2 and GP3 live action in the top ten is depressing, but unsurprising. The same applies for the fantastic Max Mosley programme which aired straight after the race programme ended. If you don’t promote with supplemental material and social media promotion, you don’t get viewers. Colour is needed. Interaction is needed. Bring it to life. Here is the weekly reach for the channel for all race weeks since the channel began:

Sky Sports F1' s weekly viewership reach as of the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix race week. Source: BARB. — Sky Sports F1′ s weekly viewership reach as of the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix race week. Source: BARB.

As you can see the viewership reach was the second lowest ever, only behind the race week for the Korean Grand Prix in 2012. Heading into 2013, Sky would have been wanting to keep their existing audience, at the moment the ratings appear to only be going in reverse gear.