With COTA race, ESPN enjoys F1 viewership bump

With F1 racing in Austin at COTA today, ESPN is averaging 1.2 million viewers per F1 race, "up 30% from last year, which was a record at the time" and the TV numbers "keep jumping." ESPN Dir of Programming & Acquisitions John Suchenski said, "We're on pace for another record-breaking season. F1 has found its footing here, and there is a lot of room for growth." Austin is a “rock-solid top-10 U.S. market” for F1, “often ranking No. 1.” Suchenski: "Typically we're in an 8 to 9 a.m. starting time slot because of the European races, yet we're delivering more than 1 million viewers per race, close to double the audience from 2018." ESPN "airs the races commercial-free,” and they “neatly fit into a two-hour window.” Suchenski: "There is a lot of research showing people don't want to invest in a 3 1/2- or 4-hour game anymore. F1 and soccer have that two-hour model that has gained ground here" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 10/22).