Formula E highlights on BBC’s platforms “a one-off” – for now

Eagle eyed readers and followers of this site will have spotted that highlights from the Mexico City E-Prix appeared across the BBC’s platforms after the Formula E race last weekend.

The short-form content appeared on the BBC Sport website, as well as their social media channels, prompting speculation that the two sides had agreed some sort of deal. However, this site can confirm that there is no formal agreement yet between the BBC and Formula E, yet.

Speaking to this site, a BBC spokesperson said “The video was used as a one-off, rather than as part of a longer-term rights deal.”

The Mexico City E-Prix was, well, electric!⚡⚡⚡ pic.twitter.com/43pkxCkOTu

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 5, 2018

The one-off video appearance was likely brokered by marketing firm CSM, whose partnership with Formula E has resulted in Formula E content appearing on a variety of UK-based news websites, including The Independent, The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mirror.

On the television front, Channel 5’s free-to-air contract with Formula E expires at the end of the current season in July, with no word yet on the series’ destination from season five.

Mexico City E-Prix shows why Formula E needs free-to-air
The E-Prix itself, won by Daniel Abt, peaked with just under 150,000 viewers on Saturday evening according to overnight viewing figures.

Live coverage of the race aired on 5Spike from 21:30 to 23:20, averaging 63k (0.4%). Eurosport 2’s coverage added a further 26k (0.16%), bringing the combined audience for the live race showing to 89,000 viewers.

At its peak, 103k (0.7%) watched the race on 5Spike, with 45k (0.3%) on Eurosport 2. Both 5Spike and Eurosport 2’s viewing shares were in the same ballpark to 1.d.p. between Santiago and Mexico City, even though the latter E-Prix was aired in highlights form on Channel 5 the following morning.

For Santiago, Channel 5 did not air a highlights show on its main channel, whereas for Mexico they opted to do so. Channel 5’s Mexico City E-Prix highlights programme averaged 202k (2.6%) on Sunday morning from 10:45 to 11:50, peaking with 254k (3.2%), marginally above the slot average.

The numbers suggest that the highlights programme attracted ‘new’ viewers, who were unaware that the race aired live on 5Spike the previous evening, showing why Formula E needs prominence on free-to-air television, otherwise races fly under the radar. Three races have aired on 5Spike, and all have peaked with fewer than 200,000 viewers.

If Formula E wants to become mainstream in the UK, it needs to look closely at turning deals with the likes of the BBC permanent, even if it is not necessarily a television deal with the broadcaster. By giving Formula E a ‘shop window’, the exposure of the series increases, hopefully boosting television viewing figures in the medium to long term.

Scheduling: The 2018 Mexico City E-Prix

Following a frantic Santiago E-Prix, the Formula E championship remains in the Americas for the Mexico City E-Prix!

As with Santiago, the E-Prix airs live on 5Spike and Eurosport 2. There is live boxing action on Channel 5 at the same time, so you can understand why Formula E takes the secondary spot for Channel 5 on this occasion. To Channel 5’s credit, highlights of the race are airing on Sunday morning.

For the first time ever in the UK, viewers have a choice of broadcaster for qualifying, with Eurosport also covering the session live.

Elsewhere, the Supercars fire up down under, starting their season off in Adelaide. For UK viewers, the action airs live on Motorsport.tv. And, as widely mentioned, Formula 1 testing starts off this week, for which the schedule can be found here.

Formula E – Mexico City (online via YouTube)
03/03 – 13:55 to 14:55 – Practice 1
03/03 – 16:25 to 17:10 – Practice 2

Formula E – Mexico City
03/03 – 17:30 to 19:00 (Eurosport 2)
=> 17:30 – Preview
=> 18:00 – Qualifying
03/03 – 17:45 to 19:15 – Qualifying (5Spike)
03/03 – 21:30 to 23:20 – Race (5Spike)
03/03 – 21:45 to 23:10 – Race (Eurosport 2)
04/03 – 10:45 to 11:50 – Highlights (Channel 5)

Virgin Australia Supercars – Adelaide (Motorsport.tv)
03/03 – 04:30 to 07:00 – Race 1
04/03 – 04:30 to 07:00 – Race 2

~~Update on March 1st~~ ~~– A late scheduling change, 5Spike have shaved 20 minutes off their race broadcast, now finishing at 23:00 instead of 23:20.~~

Scheduling: The 2018 Santiago E-Prix / Race of Champions

The Formula E season moves to South America and its first visit to Chile for the Santiago E-Prix!

For UK viewers, the championship gets the short straw. The race is not live on Channel 5, largely because it would rate significantly lower than their usual line-up, meaning live coverage airs on 5Spike.

Surprisingly, Channel 5 are not airing delayed highlights either, so the only opportunity for viewers to watch the Chile round in a timely fashion is through 5Spike or Eurosport 2. Formula E moves from Eurosport’s main channel due to live snooker from Germany. So next weekend will be a low rating one for Formula E, more so than usual.

Elsewhere, Sky Sports F1 have secured the Race of Champions event for the third time running (following 2015 and 2017). Although unconfirmed, I suspect Channel 4 will again broadcast highlights in mid-March. Andrew Coley and Neil Cole are providing commentary, with David Croft and Jennie Gow reporting from the paddock.

Formula E – Santiago (online via YouTube)
03/02 – 10:55 to 11:55 – Practice 1
03/02 – 13:25 to 14:10 – Practice 2

Formula E – Santiago
03/02 – 14:45 to 16:10 – Qualifying (5Spike)
03/02 – 18:00 to 20:15 (Eurosport 2)
=> 18:00 – Preview
=> 18:15 – Qualifying [tape delay]
=> 19:00 – Race
03/02 – 18:30 to 20:20 – Race (5Spike)

Race of Champions – Riyadh (Sky Sports F1)
02/02 – 17:00 to 20:00 – Race of Champions (also Sky Sports Main Event until 19:30)
03/02 – 13:00 to 16:00 – Nations Cup (also Sky Sports Mix)

The above schedule will be amended if anything changes.

Scheduling: The 2018 Marrakesh E-Prix

After a break for Christmas, the Formula E series returns with race three of the 2017-18 season taking place in Marrakesh.

Channel 5 are airing live coverage of the race, having broadcast the double-header from Hong Kong on tape-delay. The broadcaster appears to complimenting their coverage with an hour-long build-up, the longest since ITV covered the championship. I did wonder if the first half hour was an episode of Formula E’s Street Racers magazine show, but there is no indication that this is the case.

In further good news, Channel 5’s sister channel 5Spike (previously Spike) are airing qualifying live. As in Hong Kong, Vernon Kay will be on hand to present their output, including qualifying, with Jack Nicholls, Dario Franchitti and Bob Varsha providing World Feed commentary.

Eurosport will also air the race live, with qualifying on tape-delay. Expect to see them add their own flavour over the World Feed broadcast, with Tom Gaymor and Mike Conway at the helm.

Formula E – Marrakesh (online via YouTube)
13/01 – 07:55 to 08:55 – Practice 1
13/01 – 10:25 to 11:10 – Practice 2

Formula E – Marrakesh
13/01 – 10:30 to 11:25 – Preview (Channel 5)
13/01 – 11:45 to 13:10 – Qualifying (5Spike)
13/01 – 15:00 to 17:15 (Eurosport)
=> 15:00 – Preview
=> 15:15 – Qualifying [tape delay]
=> 16:00 – Race
13/01 – 15:30 to 17:15 – Race (Channel 5)

If the schedule changes, I will update the above.

Update on January 13th at 11:40 – It looks like Channel 5’s schedule changed late in the day, as the Preview show was actually a Season Preview, and moved to 10:30, extended to an hour in length. So, their live Marrakesh show actually starts at 15:30 UK time.

Formula E season opener peaks with 329,000 viewers

The Formula E season started in Hong Kong last weekend, with the UK television audience peaking with 329,000 viewers, overnight viewing figures show.

Live coverage of both races aired exclusively on Eurosport across the weekend. Race one aired in an extended time slot from 06:45 to 08:45 due to the red flag on lap 1, and averaged 14k (0.40%). Eurosport’s broadcast peaked with 24k (0.72%) as the race restarted at 07:40. It is the lowest audience for a Formula E race that has broadcast live on television, just behind the 20,000 viewers who watched BT Sport Europe’s coverage of the 2016 Mexico City ePrix.

As anticipated, Channel 5’s as-live coverage comfortably outstripped Eurosport’s audience. Their programme, also extended from 09:00 to 11:10, averaged 176k (2.5%). The audience is Channel 5’s second lowest for a Formula E race, only ahead of the second Montreal ePrix race from July which aired live on Spike and in highlights form on Channel 5. The free-to-air broadcaster’s coverage peaked with 207k (3.1%) before the race coverage started.

Viewing figures perked up for Sunday’s action. Eurosport’s coverage of race two aired from 06:45 to 08:10 on Sunday morning, averaging 17k (0.61%). A peak audience of 33k (1.19%) watched their coverage at 07:30 as Daniel Abt headed to victory prior to his post-race disqualification.

Channel 5’s highlights programme aired from 08:55 to 10:40, averaging 228k (3.4%), beating ITV in the time slot. Their coverage dipped before the race started to under 200,000 viewers but encouragingly climbed to a peak of 297k (4.2%), both metrics marginally higher than their live Hong Kong programme last year.

The combined Formula E audiences across the weekend of 190,000 viewers on Saturday and 245,000 viewers on Sunday paints an interesting picture. Sunday’s combined audience is up year-on-year on the 2016 Hong Kong race, which also took place on a Sunday.

There is a fair difference between the Saturday peak of 231,000 viewers and the Sunday figure of 329,000 viewers, suggesting that Sunday’s race may have attracted extra viewers to Channel 5 who were not aware that the Formula E season was starting last weekend.

Saturday’s numbers are poor, but Sunday is a vast improvement. If Channel 5 make the effort for the remainder of the year scheduling wise, with the on-site effort that they showed in Hong Kong, the viewers will hopefully come.

Elsewhere, Sunday afternoon hosted Sky Sports’ and Channel 4’s Formula 1 season reviews. Sky’s show played out at 12:00 and attracted an audience of 12k (0.2%), with 439k (5.4%) tuning into Channel 4’s review an hour later.