- Saudi Arabia set record cumulative viewership of 65m earlier this year
- 13% increase in video views; 12% increase in social engagement; 10% increase in social followers
Formula E has claimed it is on track to surpass 500 million cumulative audience by the end of this season.
Headline figures from data partner Kantar Media this season include a cumulative audience of 44 million for the Mexico City E-Prix. This was then surpassed by the double-header in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, that set a new record for a Formula E race weekend with 65 million cumulative viewers.
Furthermore, races in Monaco and Japan delivered 20 per cent and 25 per cent year-over-year (YoY) audience increases, respectively. Plus, the latter race achieved Formula E’s largest-ever audience in Japan.
There was more positive news from Formula E’s digital audience, with a 13 per cent YoY increase in video views, 12 per cent YoY increase in social engagement, and a ten per cent YoY increase in social media followers, according to data analyst Emplifi.
“The latest figures from our external providers are truly phenomenal and show the tremendous momentum behind the growth of our sport,” said Jeff Dodds, chief executive of Formula E.
“They highlight that not only do we have world-leading technology and acceleration in the cars, but that it’s producing some of the best most-competitive racing that old and new fans can’t get enough of.
“We’re building fan bases and fan loyalty in key and new markets, with Mexico and the US examples of where our investment and longevity in the market is paying dividends. As the world’s fastest growing motorsport though, we know we can’t stand still.
“We know we need to continue offering the best racing, the best rivalries and the best most-inclusive events to continue on our steep trajectory and build a strong community of electric super fans.”
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BlackBook says…
Using figures from data partner Kantar Media, the all-electric series has previously made some bold claims, including being the fastest-growing motorsport series in the world and achieving an audience of 10.5 million on CBS for the Mexico City E-Prix earlier this year.
In truth, Formula E is entering dangerous territory by reporting purposely misleading viewership figures.
Cumulative audience calculates the total number of unique individuals who tuned in for at least one minute and extrapolates a wider figure from this data. This is very different to the average audience data that Formula One uses, which is problematic when its press release claims it ‘significantly surpassed competitor viewership in the same market’.
Formula E had claimed it converted Formula One’s average viewership into a cumulative audience figure, but this isn’t possible. BlackBook Motorsport has spoken to Formula One executives that were understandably perplexed by these estimations.
Plus, Formula E’s previous claim of having a global TV audience of 491 million came from a survey of 33,000 adults across 16 markets.
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