P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Formula 1 returns from its annual summer break with this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, the first of 10 races remaining in the sport’s longest season to date. ESPN reports race viewership …
Formula 1 returns from its annual summer break with this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, marking the first of 10 races left in the current longest F1 season. ESPN’s U.S. coverage of F1 races has maintained its positive viewership momentum through the first half of the season, with audiences surpassing last year’s full-season average. After Max Verstappen’s strong start of four wins in the initial five races, competition intensified, leading to increased race viewership numbers, setting five event viewership records. The current average of 1.2 million viewers for live F1 race telecasts on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC exceeds last year’s full-season average of 1.1 million, making the 2023 season the second most-viewed on U.S. television after the record-setting 2022 season. ESPN’s F1 viewership has shown steady growth since the early schedule changes, and the network will continue its commercial-free race presentation through the remaining 10 events, with Mercedes-Benz as the presenting sponsor. Additionally, ESPN+ will simulcast seven of the upcoming races, offering additional viewing options like the Onboard Cameras Channel and the Driver Tracker Channel. SportsCenter and other ESPN platforms will provide expanded on-site coverage for the U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas and the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the remaining U.S. races on the F1 calendar. The live coverage of this Sunday’s Dutch GP on ESPN and ESPN+ kicks off with Grand Prix Sunday at 7:30am ET.
