US viewership: F1 within 1m viewers of Nascar for fourth race running

Formula One has recorded an audience within one million viewers of Nascar for the fourth consecutive race.

Confirmed:

• ABC’s coverage of the Formula One Mexican Grand Prix averaged 1.4 million viewers for the race-only portion of the telecast
• Second-highest viewership for race on record, down four per cent from last season
• Nascar’s playoffs race at Homestead-Miami averaged 2.34 million viewers on NBC
• Audience increases four per cent year-over-year (YoY), but third-lowest viewership for race on record

Context:

Formula One may not be at the level to consistently challenge Nascar for viewership, but getting inside one million viewers for four straight races is unprecedented. It emphasises the shifting fortunes of both series, with Formula One’s particular strength being in the key 18 to 49 demographic as 503,000 viewers watched the Mexican Grand Prix in this segment, up six per cent on last year.

Nascar’s product remains strong and Homestead-Miami was undoubtedly a great race, but viewers are no longer tuning in to watch in the same way. Over the last three years, the playoffs race has averaged 2.3 million viewers – the three years prior to that averaged 3.6 million viewers.

With seemingly opposite trajectories, both Formula One and Nascar will be anticipating the impact of the latter’s new TV deal from next season, but for different reasons.

Formula One and its broadcast partner ESPN will sense an opportunity as the stock car racing series bounces between four different broadcasters through the season, especially when Nascar’s mid-season run of races straddles new partners in Prime Video and TNT Sports.

Nascar, meanwhile, will hope that its messaging around the various different broadcasters from 2025 has been effective enough to encourage viewers to follow the season. There is bound to be some teething issues in the first year of a new deal, but it remains to be seen just how much of an impact this will have.

Coming next:

There are just two races left in the Nascar season, but only one more chance for a direct comparison to be drawn with Formula One. Nascar's penultimate race of the season at Martinsville and Formula One's Brazilian Grand Prix both take place this weekend on 3rd November, but the latter goes on a two-week break afterwards to leave Nascar's championship finale standing alone on 10th November.

Go deeper:

• F1 viewership analysis: Has the series cracked the US TV market?
• Nascar’s US$7.7bn TV deal: Why the annual value went up, who gets what, and the impact on fans