F1 News: American Viewership Dwindling As "Boring" Calendar Continues
In recent years, Formula 1 has seen a surge in popularity within the United States, largely due to the Netflix series Drive to Survive. This surge was evident in the crowds that gathered for the Miami Grand Prix earlier this year. However, despite the huge amount of fans at the event, there has been a notable decline in broadcast viewership numbers for the American race compared to last year.
Last year, sports channel ESPN recognised this growth and renegotiated its broadcasting contract with Formula 1. Previously paying $5 million per season, ESPN now contributes a substantial $90 million annually to Formula 1. As part of this new deal, some Grand Prix events are also broadcast on ABC, one of America's largest television networks.
Last year's Miami race broadcast on ABC drew a record-breaking 2.6 million viewers, marking the largest live F1 audience in US history. This year, however, saw a significant drop, with ABC losing a staggering 25% of its audience from the previous season.
Despite the decline, some areas showed increased interest in F1, particularly in rural regions. States like North Carolina, known for NASCAR, and Oklahoma saw an uptick in F1 viewership.
This presents a challenge for Formula 1 as it seeks to expand its fanbase and maintain its momentum in the US. The sport's organisers will need to identify and address the issues causing this decline to re-engage American viewers. However, there's a silver lining: physical attendance at the Miami Grand Prix increased from 240,000 in 2022 to 270,000 in 2023, indicating growing enthusiasm at the events themselves.
The Austin Grand Prix is set to take place on 20-22 October followed by the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix which will be on 16-18 November.
As Red Bull dominates the 2023 season, winning every race so far (Max Verstappen with nine wins and Sergio Perez with two), fans are complaining of the races becoming "boring" as it is predictable who is most likely to win. One fan posted to Twitter:
"It’ll be another very boring race with no challenge at the front. Not even his team mate can challenge him. The rest will squabble for the other positions. I’m falling out of love with F1."
Another fan wrote:
"Right now it’s a huge concern. F1 is so boring it’s insane. It wasn’t that boring for a long long time. It’s no fault of RB [Red Bull] or MV [Max Verstappen] but of the FIA"