Miami GP sets F1 record for a live U.S. television audience

[May 08, 2024] (Reuters) - Sunday's Miami Grand Prix drew Formula One's biggest live U.S. television audience with an average 3.1 million viewers watching the race on ABC and a peak of 3.6 million, according to broadcaster ESPN.
 
The sixth round of the season gave McLaren's Lando Norris an emotional first win in Formula One with Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen finishing second and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc third.  

Formula One F1 - Miami Grand Prix - Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, United States - May 5, 2024 McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates winning the Miami Grand Prix on the podium alongside second placed Red Bull's Max Verstappen and third placed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo

Verstappen had won four of the previous five races, and taken six poles in a row, raising fears his domination was proving a turn off for viewers after a surge of interest triggered by Netflix docu-series 'Drive to Survive'.

The previous F1 record for a U.S. television audience was 2.6 million, for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix in 2022. Miami now boasts Formula One's top three live U.S. television audiences, with the 2023 race drawing 2.1 million.

ESPN said its coverage of the Saturday sprint race averaged 946,000 viewers, the largest U.S. audience for the format since sprints were introduced in 2021.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Toby Davis)

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