We Watch The Races…For The Stars

Eurodata TV Worldwide released data (July 6) compiled by Finnpannel OY (Finland), Médiamétrie-Médiatmat (France), AGF-GfK (Germany) and TNS Audiencia de Medios (Spain) of the live TV audiences for the early part of the 2005 F1 season. The report on F1 live television audiences was based on data from those four countries. The report strongly suggests that the star power of winning drivers readily converts to bigger TV audiences

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Spain’s TV5 gathered 4.2 million TV viewers per race compared with 2.7 million during the 2004 season.

MTV3 in Finland had about 900,000 viewers per race, increasing from 800,000 the previous season. Finns also spent the most time watching F1 live broadcasts: 149 minutes, on average, followed by Spanish viewers watching 89 minutes.

French viewers spent the least time watching F1 live broadcasts, 59 minutes, and Germans watched 65 minutes on average.

The report shows – not a surprise – that men watch more of F1 races than women. In France, for example, women watched an F1 race, on average, about half as long as men.

Star power or not, F1 is having difficulty holding younger viewers. In Finland, where the average per race market share was 73.9%, 25 to 34 years olds watched 128 minutes while 45 to 64 years olds watched 208 minutes.

Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS) reported in June that the 2005 Canadian Grand Prix drew 50% more viewers to ITV in the UK than the previous year, crediting Jensen Button’s pole position. SMS also called the increase in Spain’s TV audience for F1 “a meteoric rise.”

Audiences for the 2004 F1 season were generally lower than 2003, as the calendar increased from 16 to 18 races.

F1’s dream of capturing the imagination of American race fans collapsed this year as the US Grand Prix in Indianapolis started only six cars, the rest of the field sitting it out in a protest over tires.

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