Weak figures for the German-language TV channels at the Formula 1 classic in Monza with below-average ratings for Sky, RTL and ORF
The TV partners of Formula 1 in Germany and Austria all achieved below-average results at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix in Monza
A new low for RTL: The private broadcaster’s live coverage on Sunday only attracted 1.52 million viewers, fewer than in the 2024 season so far and significantly fewer than in previous years.
RTL had reached its previous low just a week ago at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort with 1.7 million viewers, thus clearly undercutting this mark. However, RTL was a far cry from the best figures of the current racing season with 1.9 million viewers at the season opener in Bahrain or even in previous years with over four million viewers in some cases, such as at Imola in 2021.
RTL also last showed the Italian Grand Prix live in 2021. Back then, 2.41 million viewers tuned in, giving the Cologne-based broadcaster a market share of almost 20 percent. In 2024, the market share was the only positive thing about RTL’s results, as it was stable at 14.2 percent and on a par with the previous season average.
Sky not as weak as in Zandvoort, but …
Sky’s performance at Monza was slightly stronger than at Zandvoort, but still below average. The pay-TV channel’s broadcast was watched by 525,000 viewers, 10,000 more than in the previous week, but around 20,000 fewer than the season average so far. The current Sky leader in 2024, Monaco with 706,000, was a good way behind.
The losses compared to the previous year are also clear: never in the past four years has Sky’s TV audience for Monza been as low as this season. From 2023 to 2024 alone, Sky attracted around 115,000 fewer TV viewers to its coverage of Monza, after as many as 800,000 had watched the Italian race live on Sky in 2022.
A further 137,000 watched the 2024 race via the Sky stream on alternative platforms, bringing the pay-TV broadcaster’s total audience to 662,000, roughly the same level as the previous year without streams.
However, there were also losses in terms of market share: just 4.9 percent also represents a new low for Monza and a worse performance than the previous season average of around 5.6 percent.
Second-weakest result for ORF 2024
ORF also has to make friends with falling figures in Austria: Only 532,000 Formula 1 fans watched live on Austrian television. Only the early morning Grand Prix in Australia in 2024 delivered even worse results with 302,000.
And, similar to Sky, the previous years delivered far better figures: 570,000 in the 2021 season, 744,000 in the 2022 season and 645,000 in the 2023 season. ORF therefore lost a similar amount of TV viewership as Sky for the Italian race compared to the previous year
The market share of 44 percent is in the normal ORF window and is even slightly above the previous season average. In previous years, however, almost 50 percent had been achieved in Monza.
RTL is live once again, then …
For the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku on September 15, RTL will once again be present in Germany as a live broadcaster alongside Sky. The private broadcaster will then take a longer break and will only show the city race in Las Vegas live on free TV in 2024.
In Austria, the broadcast will switch from ORF back to ServusTV, which will take over again on a rotational basis. ORF will then make its Formula 1 comeback in Singapore