JUNE 14, 2005

Formula 1 audiences are growing again

Formula 1 TV audiences have increased dramatically compared to 2004. In the United Kingdom, ITV1's live broadcast of the race in Montreal attracted 50% more viewers than last year, in part because of the return of a single qualifying session on Saturday, in part because Jenson Button was on pole and in part because we have not seen the same kind of Ferrari domination that drove fans away last year.

Other European countries are also rising with Germany up two percent and Italy adding 10% more viewers in Canada. The Spanish market remains the biggest gainer, however, with an audience which is almost double that of last season. The Canadian GP figures, produced by Sports Marketing Surveys Ltd, indicate that F1 is on the up, despite the fact that the French coverage suffered badly because the live transmission was cut short because of breaking news of the return of French hostages from Iraq.