This year's edition of the World Endurance Championship's (WEC) 24 Hours of Le Mans in June recorded a global audience of 113 million viewers.
Confirmed:
- Global viewership increases 150 per cent year-over-year
- 196 countries broadcast the iconic endurance event
- Key market shifts were seen in the US, Germany, Japan and Denmark
- An additional 35 million viewers saw excerpts of the race on TV news in France
Context:
There are a number of factors that likely contributed to such a significant boost in global viewership. Considerable interest was generated by Nascar’s Garage 56 entry, especially in the US, where MotorTrend recorded a 59 per cent increase in viewership. Notably, the US delivered the second-biggest audience around the world, just behind the traditionally large domestic viewing figures in France. This was the centenary edition of the race, which also will have contributed to the increase. Some 325,000 fans attended the event, which fell below the overall record of 400,000 for the legendary 1969 race.
Coming next:
The 2024 edition of the iconic endurance event returns next year from 12th to 16th June.