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Despite lingering doubts over its future down under, the Australian Formula One Grand Prix was a ratings winner on the weekend. It received its highest TV audience in seven years, and dominated the weekend’s other sporting fixtures.
The race was watched by a total audience of 1.399 million people on Sunday, a five-city metro audience according to OzTam. This made it the second most watched program on free-to-air television of the day.
Ten’s pre-race coverage garnered 897,000 viewers, and the figures were a big increase from the 2011 Grand Prix. All up, these were the best results for the two days racing since 2005.
This was undoubtedly helped by the two Australians in contention for the Grand Prix – Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo, who both finished in the points in the opening race of the season.
The Formula One figures trounced the weekend’s other sporting events. As usual, the football codes were well represented.
On Sunday the winner on pay television was the NRL. The top-two highest rating programs were the Roosters v Raiders clash (national audience of 226,000 according to OzTam) and the Warriors v Bulldogs game (166,000).
On Saturday in pay TV land the NRL was again strong, with the highest ratings program the Cowboys v Eels (296,000) and the Titans v Storm (290,000), followed by the AFL’s NAB Cup grand final (175,000).
The New South Wales Waratahs versus the Western Force Super Rugby match in Sydney was fourth with 134,000 viewers.
Helped along by the return of a couple of retirees and the emergence of some new stars, the 2012 Australian Swimming Championships was the top rating sports event on free-to-air TV on Saturday with 464,000 people, with Formula One’s day two receiving 420,000 and the NAB Cup grand final on Seven 376,000.
On Friday night on free-to-air, the swimming was watched by 684,000 people but it was pipped by Friday Night Football on Nine. 696,000 people tuned in for the NRL grudge match between Wests Tigers and St George Illawarra.
Cricket just out-rated Super Rugby on pay TV on Friday, with Australia’s ODI against the West Indies receiving 55,000 viewers and the Brumbies v Chiefs clash picking up 53,000.
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