The live telecast of the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix Sunday morning on ABC drew an average of 1.97 million viewers on the network, which marks the largest U.S. live television audience on record for the event. Additionally, the audience is the third-largest on record for a live Formula 1 telecast on U.S. television, trailing only the 2024 and 2022 iterations of the Miami Grand Prix. The audience for the race peaked at 2.3 million viewers between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m. EST.
The race contained a 45-minute delay because of a major crash on the first lap, yet the audience between 9 and 11:30 a.m. was still up 7% year-over-year. For the 2023 race, which marked the first time the Monaco Grand Prix was broadcast live on ABC, the window averaged 1.83 million viewers. An average of 2.07 million viewers watched the race upon its resumption at 9:45 a.m. through its conclusion, which ended in a victory for Charles Leclerc. The Monaco native crossed the checkered flag first, the actualization of a victory that he had struggled to attain for several years because of a variety of impediments.
In 2022, ESPN agreed to a multiyear extension to broadcast Formula 1 in the United States that runs through the 2025 season. Disney-owned networks broadcast at least 16 races across ESPN and ABC each year. Aspects of the broadcast deal also include the continued commercial-free presentations of live races and more direct-to-consumer rights, including the ability to broadcast competitions on ESPN+. The 2023 Formula 1 World Championship season on ESPN platforms was the second most-viewed season for the league in U.S. television history, averaging 1.11 million viewers across 22 race telecasts.
Earlier in the year, the 2024 Miami Grand Prix established a new U.S. viewership record with an average of 3.1 million viewers on ABC. The previous record was held by the 2022 edition of the race, which had averaged 2.6 million viewers on ESPN. Formula 1 broadcasts on ESPN will resume on Sunday, June 9 for the AWS Canadian Grand Prix from Montréal, Canada airing live on ABC, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes at 1:55 p.m. EST.
