FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 11th, 2017

NBC SPORTS GROUP PRESENTS COMPREHENSIVE LIVE COVERAGE OF FORMULA ONE SPANISH GRAND PRIX THIS WEEKEND

Formula One Spanish Grand Prix – Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN

Live Qualifying – Saturday at 8 a.m. ET on CNBC; Encore at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

NBC Sports Group’s 2017 Formula One Viewership Up 5% vs. 2016

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 11, 2017 – The 2017 Formula One season enters its traditional European swing this weekend in Barcelona as NBC Sports Group presents comprehensive coverage of the Spanish Grand Prix, culminating in live race coverage on Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN. Pre-race coverage on NBCSN begins Sunday with F1 Countdown at 7 a.m. ET.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will provide comprehensive live practice, qualifying, and race coverage from Spain.

Variety and unpredictability have been the themes at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya which has produced 10 different winners in the past 10 years. That group of victors includes four-time World Champions Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). Max Verstappen (Red Bull) stunned the F1 world last season when he won in Spain to become the youngest race winner in F1 history at the age of 18.

Vettel leads the driver standings with 86 points, followed by Hamilton (73 points) and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas (63 points), who boasts three podium finishes this season, including his first career F1 win in Russia on April 30. It’s the first time since 2013 that at least three different drivers have won the first four races of the season.

Native son Fernando Alonso (McLaren Honda) notched his most recent career win at his home Spanish Grand Prix in 2013, a drought of 74 races. This marks his last F1 race before heading to Indianapolis to compete in the 101st Indianapolis 500.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream Practice 1 live tomorrow at 4 a.m. ET, followed by Practice 2 on NBCSN at 8 a.m. ET. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app stream Practice 3 on Saturday at 5 a.m. ET, followed by live qualifying on CNBC at 8 a.m. ET (encore on NBCSN on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET). F1 Countdown kicks off coverage on Sunday morning on NBCSN at 7 a.m. ET, and F1 Extra will recap all of the action at 10 a.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 Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain.

Through four races, NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2017 Formula One season has produced a Total Average Delivery (TAD) of 368,000 viewers, up 5% from the same point in the 2016 season (349,000). In addition, NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series also boasts viewership gains, averaging a Total Average Delivery of 384,000 viewers through three races, up 9% vs. 2016 (351,000).

TAD measures consumption across multiple platforms, combining the average minute audience for television and digital.

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

Date Program Network Time (ET)
Thurs., May 11 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East –South Boston NBCSN 7 p.m.
  Grudge Race Marathon NBCSN 9 p.m.
  F1 Spanish Grand Prix – Practice 1 Streaming* 4 a.m.
  F1 Spanish Grand Prix – Practice 2 NBCSN 8 a.m.
Sat., May 12 F1 Spanish Grand Prix – Practice 3 Streaming* 5 a.m.
  F1 Spanish Grand Prix – Qualifying CNBC 8 a.m.
  F1 Spanish Grand Prix – Qualifying (Encore) NBCSN 4:30 p.m.
Sun., May 13 F2 Series – Spain (Next Day Delay) NBCSN 6 a.m.
  F1 Countdown NBCSN 7 a.m.
  F1 Spanish Grand Prix NBCSN 7:30 a.m.
  F1 Extra NBCSN 10 a.m.

*NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app


NBC SPORTS GROUP STREAMING, DIGITAL AND SOCIAL CONTENT

NBC Sports Group will provide comprehensive streaming and digital coverage surrounding its motorsports properties via NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – 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.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app 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.  NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream NASCAR and IndyCar content that will air on NBC and NBCSN (race coverage and some practice and qualifying), as well as the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, Red Bull Global RallyCross series, and Red Bull Air Race.

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 –