04/11/2008
NEWS STORY
British F1 broadcaster ITV has revealed that Sunday's Brazilian GP was watched in 13.1 million homes (a 42 per cent share) as fans tuned in to watch Lewis Hamilton fight Felipe Massa for the 2008 title.
According to ITV boss, Michael Grade, the only other sporting event with a higher peak audience this year was the Champions League final which saw 14.6 million homes tune in.
Ironically, earlier this year, ITV opted to end its contract to cover F1, feeling that it was better served by concentrating on football. Consequently, from next season coverage returns to the BBC, which pioneered British F1 coverage in the seventies and eighties.
Despite aiming to run its F1 coverage on a reduced budget, the BBC will fully appreciate the marketability of Hamilton, and the many new fans his success has brought to the sport.
French F1 broadcaster TF1 revealed that Sunday's race had broken the previous (F1) record with more than 5 million homes tuning in, while in German, RTL saw coverage peak at 9.46 million homes.