Miami GP suffers major ratings dip minus NBA lead-in
May 4, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Red Bull driver Max Verstappen (1) leads the start of the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Peter Casey-Imagn Images
The Miami Grand Prix suffered a major drop in television audience for the fourth edition of the South Florida event on Sunday.
The race won by McLaren's Oscar Piastri drew an average of 2.17 million viewers on ABC, according to Nielsen ratings. That represented around a 30 percent drop from last year's race, which set a record for Formula 1 ratings on United States television with an average audience of 3.07 million.
The silver lining is that Sunday's numbers were still up 7 percent from the 2023 Miami GP, and came without a live sporting event on ABC leading into the race. The 2024 Miami GP aired right after Game 7 of a first-round playoff series.
However, this year's Miami GP was seen as an important litmus test with ESPN evaluating whether it intends to pursue an extension of its F1 media rights deal that expires at the end of this season. Two U.S.-based races remain on the schedule with a stop in Austin in October and the third year of the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.
Piastri's win on Sunday, with teammate Lando Norris taking second place, peaked with 2.4 million viewers and rated as the third most-watched F1 race on U.S. television. The top four spots are all occupied by the Miami GP, which last week signed a 10-year extension with F1 through the 2041 season.
--Field Level Media
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