FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 28th, 2016

NBC SPORTS GROUP PRESENTS FORMULA ONE RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX THIS SUNDAY AT 7:30 A.M. ET ON CNBC

Comprehensive F1 Russian GP Coverage Begins with Practice 2 on Friday at 7 a.m. ET on NBCSN

CNBC Presents Live Qualifying Saturday at 8 a.m. ET

NBC Sports Group 2016 Formula One Viewership Up 24% vs. 2015 Through Three Races

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 28, 2016 – NBCSN, CNBC, and NBC Sports Live Extra will combine to present comprehensive coverage of the Formula One Russian Grand Prix this weekend, culminating with race coverage this Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET on CNBC. Pre-race coverage starts at 7 a.m. ET on CNBC with F1 Countdown.

NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will provide comprehensive streaming coverage of practice, qualifying, and the Russian Grand Prix.

 
F1 RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX – SUNDAY AT 7:30 A.M. ET ON CNBC

Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) looks for his fourth consecutive win to begin the 2016 F1 season this weekend, and his seventh straight dating back to the 2015 season. This marks the third running of the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi – teammate Lewis Hamilton has won both iterations of the race, but Rosberg captured last year’s pole. Rosberg’s three wins have given him an early lead in the drivers’ standings (75 points) ahead of Hamilton (39 points) and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo (36 points), who has finished in fourth place in all three races this season.

Live coverage begins exclusively on NBC Sports Live Extra on Friday morning at 3 a.m. ET with Practice 1, followed by NBCSN’s live coverage of Practice 2 at 7 a.m. ET. Live Extra’s coverage continues Saturday at 5 a.m. ET with Practice 3, followed by live qualifying at 8 a.m. ET on CNBC. Live Russian Grand Prix coverage begins Sunday morning at 7 a.m. ET on CNBC. NBCSN will air an encore presentation of the race on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.

Lead F1 announcer Leigh Diffey will call this weekend’s action, and will be joined by veteran analyst and former racecar driver David Hobbs, and analyst and former race mechanic for the Benetton F1 team Steve Matchett. F1 insider Will Buxton will serve as the team’s on-site reporter from Sochi Autodrom in Sochi, Russia.


NBC SPORTS GROUP 2016 FORMULA ONE VIEWERSHIP UP 24% VS. 2015 THROUGH THREE RACES

Through three races, NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2016 Formula One season on NBCSN is averaging 354,000 viewers, up 24% vs. the same point in 2015 (286,000); the 2015 F1 season on NBCSN was the most-watched ever for a single cable network in two decades. NBCSN’s most recent F1 presentation, the Chinese Grand Prix on April 17 (1:45-3:52 a.m. ET), averaged 272,000 viewers, up 29% vs. last year’s Chinese GP (211,000).

Digitally, F1 on NBC Sports Live Extra is averaging 22,000 uniques and 1.307 million minutes streamed per race through three races, up 161% and 139%, respectively, vs. 2015 through three races (8,500 uniques; 546,000 live minutes).

Following is this week’s motorsports coverage schedule on NBCSN:

Date Program Network Time (ET)
Thurs., April 28 Mecum Auctions (Encore) NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
Fri., April 29 F1 Russian Grand Prix – Practice 1 NBC Sports Live Extra 3 a.m.
  F1 Russian Grand Prix – Practice 2 NBCSN 7 a.m.
Sat., April 30 F1 Russian Grand Prix – Practice 3 NBC Sports Live Extra 5 a.m.
  F1 Russian Grand Prix – Qualifying CNBC 8 a.m.
  F1 Russian Grand Prix – Qualifying (Encore) NBCSN 11 p.m.
Sun., May 1 F1 Countdown CNBC 7 a.m.
  F1 Russian Grand Prix CNBC 7:30 a.m.
  F1 Extra CNBC 10 a.m.
  F1 Russian Grand Prix (Encore) NBCSN 4 p.m.

 

NBC SPORTS GROUP STREAMING, DIGITAL AND SOCIAL CONTENT

NBC Sports Group will provide comprehensive streaming and digital coverage surrounding its motorsports properties via NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – and NASCAR Talk and MotorSportsTalk, NBC Sports Group’s digital home for the latest motorsports news.

NBC Sports Live Extra will provide season-long live streaming coverage of all Formula One practices, qualifying sessions and Grands Prix, including exclusive coverage of practices that will not air on NBC or NBCSN. Live Extra will stream all live NASCAR and IndyCar content that will air on NBC and NBCSN (race coverage and some practice and qualifying). In addition, Live Extra will provide streaming coverage of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and Red Bull Global RallyCross series.


NASCAR TALK: NASCAR TALK provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date NASCAR coverage, including Sprint Cup, XFINITY, and Camping World Truck Series. The site also promotes videos from NBCSN’s NASCAR AMERICA. Fans can follow @NASCARTalkNBC on Twitter.

MOTORSPORTSTALK: MotorSportsTalk (@MotorSportsTalk) on NBCSports.com brings racing fans up-to-the-minute news, video and information on Formula One, the Verizon IndyCar Series, and other open-wheel and off-road racing from around the world. The site also serves as the destination for all news, analysis and video from NBC and NBCSN productions of IndyCar and F1, including contributions from on-air commentators.

 

SOCIAL: NBC Sports Group will continue to provide comprehensive motorsports social coverage across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. On Twitter, fans can follow @MotorsportsTalk for all-encompassing content across NBC Sports Group’s motorsports properties. @NASCARonNBC and@NASCARTalkNBC share the latest NASCAR content, @F1onNBCSports provides the latest news in Formula One, and @IndyCaronNBCSN delivers up-to-the-minute information on the Verizon IndyCar Series.

 

In addition, the NASCAR on NBC Facebook page will provide users with videos, interactive content and much more. Fans should also “like” NBC Sports on Facebook for the most up-to-date news, videos and commentary about NBC Sports Group’s motorsports properties.

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.

– NBC SPORTS GROUP –