Viewership of Sunday's United States GP up 47 percent compared to 2012

STAMFORD, Conn. – NBC Sports’ live broadcast of the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX (F1 USGP) on Sunday, Nov. 17, drew 1.010 million viewers, up 47 percent versus last year on SPEED (688,000), according to final national data provided today by The Nielsen Company. The rating was achieved despite blackouts due to news pre-emptions for severe weather in the Midwest, including the Chicago and Indianapolis markets.

The F1 USGP (1:56-3:49 p.m. ET) from Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, scored a 0.65 household rating according to final national data, up 67 percent versus last year’s race on SPEED (0.39). Sunday’s race, in which four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) won for his eighth consecutive victory, also surpassed NBC’s coverage of the Canadian Grand Prix (950,000) in June by 6 percent.

Among Adults 18-49 (387,000), the F1 USGP was the second-most watched race of the season on NBC behind the Monaco Grand Prix (441,000). NBC tallied double-digit increases vs. SPEED’s telecast last year among Adults 18-49 (+45 percent) and Adults 25-54 (+39 percent).

Viewership for the race peaked in the 2:45-3 p.m. ET quarter-hour with 1.233 million viewers. Austin led the nation with a 6.88 rating for the race. Following are the top five markets:

1. Austin – 6.88
2. Greensboro – 1.90
3. San Diego – 1.69
4. Columbus, OH – 1.66
5. Orlando-Daytona – 1.60

For its three F1 races so far this season, NBC is averaging 1.152 million viewers, up 11 percent compared to FOX’s four-race F1 race average last year (1.038 million).

The F1 season concludes this weekend with the Brazilian Grand Prix, which will air live on NBC at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 24.

Circuit of The Americas on behalf of NBC Sports Group