ESPN Sees Highest F1 Viewership Since 1995 With 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix

The start of the 2022 Formula 1 season was a hit for ESPN as the “Drive To Survive” effect continues to grow the audience in America.

Viewership for the Bahrain Grand Prix that saw Charles Leclerc win from the pole and Ferrari take P1 and P2 averaged 1,353,000 on ESPN. With the race airing just past 11am ET, it becomes the second most-viewed F1 telecast on both cable and ESPN since the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1995.

The audience peaked at 1.5 million toward the end of the race in 12:30-12:45pm ET quarter-hour.

The race ranks among the top 15 F1 races all-time in the U.S. ESPN saw F1 return to their lineup in 2018, and the Bahrain GP becomes the most-viewed across the Disney-owned networks since then, including last year’s U.S. Grand Prix from the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) that pulled an average of 1.2 million viewers on ABC.

The race on the Worldwide Leader’s main channel outdrew last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix (average viewership of 927,000).

The allure of Formula 1 has increased dramatically since Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries began airing. The series, which gives high access to the camera crew is credited with being able to add an additional race for the 2022 season in Miami on May 8th and places an announcement on the return to Las Vegas as soon as 2023 on the cusp.

ESPN has partnered with Britain’s Sky Sports to air the races in the U.S. All races air live on either ESPN, ESPN2, or ABC with streaming via the ESPN App. Beyond races, practice and qualifying sessions are airing on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, or ESPNU. For 2022, ESPN adds a simulcast on ESPN3.

The next race is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday, March 27, at 12:55 pm ET on ESPN.

Regarding practice and qualifying sessions, not everything is rated by ESPN. The following shows how the Bahrain GP faired leading up to the race:

• Practice 1 (Friday, 7:55 a.m. ET on ESPN2): averaged 190,000 viewers
• Practice 2: (Friday, 10:55 a.m. on ESPNEWS: (ESPNEWS isn’t rated)
• Practice 3: (Saturday, 7:55 a.m. on ESPN2: averaged 250,000 viewers
• Qualifying: (Saturday, 10:55 a.m. on ESPNEWS: (ESPNEWS isn’t rated)