The inaugural Miami Grand Prix racked up an average viewership of 2.6 million on commercial network ABC, smashing the previous record for a live race telecast in the US when 1.74 million tuned in on ESPN for the 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix.
The Miami Grand Prix attracted 2.9 million viewers. The race also did well in the 18-to-49 demographic, with an average of 735,000 viewers.
On Disney-owned channels, the first five races of the 2022 Formula One season averaged 1.4 million viewers each race, up 53 percent from the first five races of the previous season.
This is especially encouraging for the global motorsport series, as the 2021 season was the most-watched Formula One season in the United States ever.
The first five races' average viewership compares well to the 2021 season average of 949,000 viewers and the 2020 season average of 609,000 viewers, representing increases of 49 percent and 131 percent, respectively.
953,000 viewers watched Formula One qualifying on ESPN and 398,000 saw the first practice session on ESPN2 in the build-up to the Miami Grand Prix on May 8th. Both are the highest viewership figures for a qualifying or practice session since ESPN acquired Formula One rights in 2018.
While the Miami Grand Prix attracted the greatest live attendance for a Formula One race in US history, it fell short of the record set by the Monaco Grand Prix in 2002. Due to a scheduling conflict with the 86th, this episode was delayed.
