The live telecast of Sunday’s Formula 1 World Championship Brazil Grand Prix on ESPN2 attracted a U.S. television audience that averaged double-digit increases in viewership.
Over the last two editions of the race, the increase in audience is continuing F1’s trend of season-long audience growth across ESPN networks.
The race in Brazil had an average audience of 620,000 viewers on ESPN2, an increase of 32 percent over the race on ESPN2 last year (469,000) and up eight percent from the NBCSN audience of 571,000 in 2017. The Brazil Grand Prix audience peaked at 757,593 as Max Verstappen drove to victory.
Through 20 races this season, Formula 1 is averaging 681,000 viewers on ESPN networks, an increase of 22 percent over the average of 557,000 at this point last year on ESPN networks and up 25 percent from the average of 544,000 on NBC networks in 2017.
Seventeen of the 20 races this season have seen year-over-year viewership increases on ESPN networks.
The 21-race Formula 1 season concludes on Sunday, Dec. 1, with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The race airs at 8:05 a.m. ET on ESPN2.