Formula 1 is popular.

[se7en]

[edit] Formula One and Television
See also: List of Formula One broadcasters
Formula 1 can be seen live or tape delayed in almost every country and territory around the world and attracts one of the largest global TV audiences. The 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix attracted an average live global TV audience of 83 million viewers, with a total of 154 million viewers tuning in to watch at least some part of the event.[15] Official figures from FOM, show Formula One television broadcasts are witnessed on average 58 billion times per season.[citation needed] It is a massive television event, the cumulative television audience was calculated to be 54 Billion for 2001 season, broadcast to 200 countries.[16]

The Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal is the most watched of the races, and the third most watched sporting event in the world every year.

During the early 2000s, Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Administration created a number of trademarks, an official logo, and an official website for the sport in an attempt to give it a corporate identity. Ecclestone experimented with a digital television package (known colloquially as Bernievision), which was launched at the 1996 German Grand Prix in cooperation with German digital television service "DF1", thirty years after the first GP colour TV broadcast, the 1967 German Grand Prix. This service offered the viewer several simultaneous feeds (such as super signal, on-board, top of field, backfield, highlights, pit lane, timing), which were produced with cameras, technical equipment and staff different from those used for the conventional coverage. It was introduced in many countries over the years, but was shut down after the 2002 season for financial reasons.

TV stations all take what is known as the 'World Feed', either produced by the FOM (Formula One Management) or the 'host broadcaster'. This is made up of one of the home nations stations such as TF1 for the French Grand Prix. The only station that has any difference is 'Premiere' - a German channel that offers all sessions live and interactive, with features such as the Onboard channel. This service was more widely available around Europe until the end of 2002, when the cost of a whole different feed for the digital interactive services was thought too much. This was a large part because of the failure of the 'F1 Digital +' Channel; launched through Sky Digital in the UK. Prices were too high for viewers to pay when they could watch the Qualifying and Races for free on ITV1.

Bernie Ecclestone has announced that F1 will adopt the HD (High Definition) format near the end of the current World Championship. However, details of the races to be covered and the means of showing the content have yet to be announced.[citation needed]

Now, the only reason I looked this up was because I wondered as to how popular it was versus NASCAR. Which I didn't think would be even close, however, I did remember getting into a debate about NASCAR vs. WRC. So I decided to try and find some ratings/information on the two motorsports to settle this for good:

Daytona 500 ratings matter because the race draws NASCAR's largest audience. According to Nielsen Media Research, 17.5 million people watched this year's race. That's the lowest total since 16.8 million viewed the 2003 race.

Higher TV ratings allow NASCAR to charge networks more for rights fees and encourages team sponsors to stay involved in Nextel Cup racing. Fox, TNT, ESPN/ABC and Speed will pay an estimated $4.5 billion combined to air NASCAR races from this season through 2014.

WRC TV Audiences up

New figures out today (17th Feb 2006) show that the number of people watching the FIA World Rally Championship on TV around the world has risen by 44% over the last three years.

The figures come as welcome news, in a marketplace where information is available in an increasing array of formats and competition for audience share is fierce, particularly for sports viewers. This increase puts the world-wide audience at 802 million viewers during 2005.

Part of the success for the WRC comes from an increase in the amount of coverage, by 158% in the same three-year period. Coverage in specific markets has also risen significantly, with Japan seeing a 36% increase in viewers, Spain 35% and France 19%.

In addition, the official website, which you're familiar with because that's where you're reading this, has seen its monthly visitors increase by 25% in the last year. In 2005, it saw a peak of almost 600,000 visitors during the Wales Rally of Great Britain.

So basically, NASCAR gets *on it's best day* 17.5 Million television viewers and up to 170,000 people attending an event. Whereas WRC has an average of 50 million viewers and an attendance of up to 600,000 people (However, you're talking about 3 days of racing versus 1).

This was somewhat of a shocker to find. Mostly because of how ignorant I was to think that it would even be close. I'm sure if I were to dig deeper I could find a bigger case for NASCAR, but plain and simple, NASCAR doesn't race internationally, therefore making it much less expensive to hold races which makes it easier to have more events. So I'm sure that NASCAR's total amount of viewers gets somewhat close to that of WRC's 802 million (44% increase since 2002, thanks Richard Burns!).

Sorry, it's a lot of reading. I got bored watching Ferrari lose in Monaco and decided to do a bit of research before I went to bed. Hope someone finds this information somewhat interesting.

Cheers,
-Brian

[302@12psi]

F1 and WRC huge in international viewers. Nascar....US mainly and mexico/canada.

I personally can not stand to watch F1. I just dont find it interesting. Then again I cant stand Nascar any more either.

WRC isnt shown on regular TV here so I dont watch that either.


Grand-Am racing FTW.

[xMDxWRX]

Nascar FTL? I am glad that WRC is more widely appreciated, i am sure if you asked any here in frederick they wouldn't know what WRC is

[SD_GR]

Perhaps in Frederick they'd not know, but rallying remains the most popular motorsport in the world, despite concerted efforts to reduce it's popularity by... its organizers (!?!?) under various guises. F1 remains the cash cow but rallying cannot be beat as far as live spectators are concerned (be default, since it is not limited to grandstands and can use entire countries).

[cavallino333]

I like F1 and ALMS the best. I've tried to watch NASCAR, IRL and Cart but couldn't get into it.

F1 is the only one I watch religiously.

I personally can not stand to watch F1.

Why? I don't see how this is possible, it is quite possibly the best form of racing ever developed and anyone who says otherwise is clearly wrong.

[WRX13oy]

i watch MOTOGP

[blackshadow]

I'm pretty consistent in watching F1. It is by far the most marketed form of motor racing. It really is THE top level. For global recognition NASCAR comes nowhere close to the level of F1. Unfortunately WRC is so limited in its television broadcasts. This has, from my understanding, been mostly on purpose, so as to keep F1 as the top level.

[capnChunk]

I couldn't bring myself to watch NASCAR until I started working for a company that paid some money to get a driver that has a chance. So now I tune in for the first 5 minutes to see where he started and the last 5 to see where he ended up. Everyone talks about the crashes, until you show them some WRC "best of" videos.

You're right that more people are watching F1 and WRC - but you have to look at it in context. 17 million is a smaller number than 50 million for WRC - but that 17 million tuning in is out of a possible 335 million (US and Canada est. population from census depts.) or 5% of the gross population. 50 million people worldwide tuning in out of 6.4 billion people on the planet is about .78% watching. Even taking out 3 billion people that don't have TVs just to make it fair is only 1.5% tuning in to watch.

I dislike NASCAR - but you have to give them credit for pulling it all together. The drivers know to mention the sponsors any time they mention the car and they always have the labels pointing out. I'd still pay money for a WRC only channel - or even one that'd show the World Challenge at some time other than 3am.

[blackshadow]

You make some good points, but your figures do distort the truth a slight bit.

Seeing as Nascar is broadcast to some extent in Europe and Asia (just no one watches it). It also airs on basic free access channels in the U.S.so everyone can tune in.

And WRC for example is not broadcasted in many markets. Also wherever it is broadcast it's only on premium channels. Even in Europe it's only shown on specific pay channels... Not to mention the problems in airing live, since races take place in so many different time-zones.

This is of course part of the marketing, and where I agree with you is that Nascar does a better job. But should WRC be more available in all markets, then I think it would probably gain similar ratings...

[capnChunk]

Seeing as Nascar is broadcast to some extent in Europe and Asia (just no one watches it). It also airs on basic free access channels in the U.S.so everyone can tune in.

I knew I was missing something in those numbers - I was even trying to Google how many people worldwide even have a TV set. I never realized that the broadcast NASCAR everywhere - and I'm sure it keeps the stereotype of American racing alive and well. "Go fast and turn left" or "go fast and stop."

I feel good that (at least in my area) some of the public channels are now starting to show parts of American Le Mans and Indy Racing. The X Games are even starting to show a bit of WRC. The kids might not know some of the classic cars or the drivers - but most of them doing "extreme sports" drinking a Mountain Dew can tell you about McRae's crash on the last corner.

I think the drivers and fans of F1 and WRC are more passionate about the sport and the cars. It just kills me when the announcer says more about the sponsors - or at least mentions their names - more than the driver. It's the advertising money that will put this stuff on more TVs if the sponsors are seeing a return. I read an article where some team owners said that the only thing NASCAR does well is get return for the sponsors.

[se7en]

Perhaps in Frederick they'd not know, but rallying remains the most popular motorsport in the world, despite concerted efforts to reduce it's popularity by... its organizers (!?!?) under various guises. F1 remains the cash cow but rallying cannot be beat as far as live spectators are concerned (be default, since it is not limited to grandstands and can use entire countries).

F1 is by far the most popular motorsport in the world.

The 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix attracted an average live global TV audience of 83 million viewers, with a total of 154 million viewers tuning in to watch at least some part of the event.

An *AVERAGE* of 83 million viewers. While WRC gets an average of 50 million viewers, which is quite a few viewers, WRC takes up a lot more coverage time then that of F1, NASCAR, Indy...etc. When it comes to live spectators, again you're spreading it across 3 days, so that attributes to their attendence levels as well.

F1 can't even be put in the same bracket as WRC or Nascar. And yeah, if 6.4 billion people had access to watch WRC, your case would have more relevence capn. But I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for how many televisions there are in the world. WRC is broadcast in ~150 nations, so they do carry a "larger" market, but a lot of those countries are probably very small.

Regardless, NASCAR is painfully boring.

[cavallino333]

I never knew WRC was so popular.

[se7en]

Because it's a European sport, so Americans want to deny it's greatness.

[cavallino333]

Because it's a European sport, so Americans want to deny it's greatness.

I like WRC, it is quite entertaining if it was on TV more I'd watch it all the time.

[capnChunk]

F1 can't even be put in the same bracket as WRC or Nascar. And yeah, if 6.4 billion people had access to watch WRC, your case would have more relevence capn. But I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for how many televisions there are in the world. WRC is broadcast in ~150 nations, so they do carry a "larger" market, but a lot of those countries are probably very small.

Regardless, NASCAR is painfully boring.

Wow - that's some serious pent up F1 rage. My comment was not some glowing comment on the market capitalization of NASCAR - it's that somehow driving the same car as everyone else into left turns has become such a marketing monster. It's the marketing that keeps these races running. If F1 or WRC or KART or anything else stopped making money - it wouldn't be on TV. Ferrarri even has a deal to brand laptops through Acer. It's all dollars.

Besides - I'd like to see F1 and WRC get more popular and sell t-shirts and make NBA levels of money. F1 and WRC still allow for innovation and developement of cars - which eventually trickle down to the four door cars we all drive.