FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 25th, 2014
INDYCAR SHELL AND PENNZOIL GRAND PRIX OF HOUSTON DOUBLEHEADER HIGHLIGHTS NBC SPORTS GROUP’S MOTORSPORTS COVERAGE THIS WEEK
Live Coverage of Race 1 Begins Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, Followed by Race 2 on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET
NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra Present Six Hours of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Coverage from Tennessee National on Saturday
Canadian Grand Prix on NBC is Most-Watched F1 Race in U.S. Since 2007; F1 Viewership Boasts Triple-Digit Gains From 2013 on NBCSN
STAMFORD, Conn. – June 25, 2014 – NBCSN’s coverage of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series continues this weekend with Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston doubleheader, starting Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN. NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will stream coverage of the Grand Prix of Houston doubleheader via “TV Everywhere.”
GRAND PRIX OF HOUSTON – SATURDAY & SUNDAY AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBCSN’s presentation of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series from Houston begins Saturday at 2 p.m. ET with qualifying, leading into live coverage of Race 1 at 3 p.m. ET. Live coverage of Race 2 from Houston will air on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Two weeks ago, Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter Racing) held off Will Power (Team Penske) to win the Firestone 600 in Texas, after Power was penalized for speeding on pit lane with 35 laps remaining. IndyCar returned to Houston last year for the first time since 2007, with the new street circuit incorporating Houston landmarks including Reliant Stadium, Reliant Astrodome and Reliant Arena, with Power and Scott Dixon (Target Chip Ganassi Racing) earning victories in the doubleheader.
NBC Sports Group’s lead IndyCar and Formula One play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey will call the Grand Prix of Houston on-site, alongside former IndyCar driver Paul Tracy and IndyCar and F1 analyst Steve Matchett. Reporters Jon Beekhuis, Kelli Stavast, Kevin Lee and Robin Miller will report from the pits.
LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS TENNESSEE NATIONAL – SATURDAY
NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra will combine to present six hours of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Tennessee National coverage from Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tenn. on Saturday. Coverage starts on Live Extra at 10:30 a.m. ET with practice, followed by the pre-race show at 12:15 p.m. ET. Race coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on Live Extra with 1st Motos, followed by NBC’s live presentation of the 450 Class of Moto 2 at 3 p.m. ET. Live coverage of the 250 Class of Moto 2 airs at 4 p.m. ET on Live Extra, with an encore presentation at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Two weeks ago, James Stewart swept the 450 Class in Moto 2 at High Point, while Blake Baggett won in the 250 Class for wins in back-to-back events.
Veteran play-by-play voice Jason Weigandt, analyst and two-time AMA Pro Motocross Champion Grant Langston, and pit reporter Georgia Lindsay will call the action from Tennessee National on Saturday.
CANADIAN GRAND PRIX ON NBC IS MOST-WATCHED F1 RACE SINCE 2007; F1 VIEWERSHIP BOASTS TRIPLE-DIGIT GAINS FROM 2013 ON NBCSN
NBC’s live broadcast of the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, June 8 (2:00-3:48 p.m. ET) delivered 1.462 million viewers, ranking as the most-watched F1 race in seven years (2007 Canadian Grand Prix, FOX, 1.494 million), and the most-watched F1 race on NBC and NBCSN since NBC Sports Group acquired exclusive Formula One rights prior to the 2013 season.
NBCSN’s live presentation of the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, June 22 (7:30-9:42 a.m. ET) averaged 413,000 viewers, making it the third-most watched F1 race to date on NBCSN, up 58% against NBCSN’s 2013 F1 average race viewership in the 7:30 a.m. ET window.
Over the first six races of the 2014 season on NBCSN, Formula 1 has drawn 377,000 average viewers, up 111% from the first six races of the 2013 F1 season (179,000 viewers). Four of NBCSN’s five most-watched F1 telecasts have come this season.
TOP 5 FORMULA ONE TELECASTS ON NBCSN
| Rank | Date | Race | Start Time (ET) | Viewership |
| April 6, 2014 | Bahrain Grand Prix | 10:30 a.m. | 594,000 | |
| May 11, 2014 | Spanish Grand Prix | 7:30 a.m. | 455,000 | |
| June 22, 2014 | Austrian Grand Prix | 7:30 a.m. | 413,000 | |
| November 3, 2013 | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | 7:30 a.m. | 354,000 | |
| April 19, 2014 | Chinese Grand Prix | 2:30 a.m. | 301,000 |
NBC and NBCSN’s eight Formula 1 telecasts in 2014 have combined to deliver 588,000 viewers, up 43% from the 2013 season through eight races.
NBCSN’s presentation of the IndyCar Firestone 600 on Saturday, June 7 (8:44-10:59 p.m. ET), averaged 424,000 viewers, making it the most-watched IndyCar race on NBCSN since the 2012 Grand Prix of Long Beach (468,000 viewers). Through three races, NBCSN’s IndyCar coverage has drawn 398,000 average viewers, up 16% from the 2013 season through three races (343,000).
Motorsports Coverage This Week on NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra:
| Date | Program | Time (ET) | Network |
| Wed., June 25 | NASCAR America | 5 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Thu., June 26 | Lucas Oil Pro Motocross: High Point (Encore) | 7 a.m. | NBCSN |
| /DRIVE on NBC Sports (Encore) | 5 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 6 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Fri., June 27 | Mecum Auctions: Kansas City (Encore) | 7 a.m. | NBCSN |
| Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour | 4 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 5 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sat., June 28 | Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Tennessee: Practice | 10:30 a.m. | NBC Sports Live Extra |
| Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Tennessee: Pre-Show | 12:15 p.m. | NBC Sports Live Extra | |
| Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Tennessee: 1st Motos | 1 p.m. | NBC Sports Live Extra | |
| IndyCar Grand Prix of Houston: Qualifying | 2 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| IndyCar Grand Prix of Houston: Race 1 | 3 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Tennessee: 2nd Motos | 3 p.m. | NBC | |
| Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Tennessee: 2nd Motos | 4 p.m. | NBC Sports Live Extra | |
| Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Tennessee: 2nd Motos | 6 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Rally America | 8 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Off The Grid: Barcelona | 9 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sun., June 29 | IndyCar Grand Prix of Houston: Race 2 | 3 p.m. | NBCSN |
| KURT BUSCH: 36 | 6 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Mecum Auctions: Houston (Encore) | 7 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Mecum Auctions: Indianapolis (Encore) | 9:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
MOTORSPORTS ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA: NBC Sports Live Extra — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will provide live streaming coverage of this week’s IndyCar Grand Prix of Houston doubleheader and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Tennessee National. The majority of coverage will be provided via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.
For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.
Coverage airing on:
- NBC will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra;
- NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.
MOTORSPORTSTALK: MotorSportsTalk (@MotorSportsTalk) on NBCSports.com brings racing fans up-to-the-minute news, video and information on the Formula One, Verizon IndyCar Series, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and all other motorsports 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.
MotorSportsTalk’s content is provided by top racing journalists and expert analysts, including:
- Luke Smith is creator and editor at Richland F1, which begins its second season this year. He’s on Twitter at @LukeSmithF1, primarily handling the F1 scene from Europe in great detail.
- Tony DiZinno has most recently served as web editor for RACER Magazine and has more than seven years of experience in the industry. Follow him on Twitter at @TonyDiZinno.
- Chris Estrada has written for NBCSports.com’s MotorsportsTalk since its inception in 2013, and has been a contributor for various outlets, including the Boston Globe, IndyCar Nation and FoxSports.com. Follow him at @estradawriting.
- Jerry Bonkowski is a veteran NASCAR reporter with more than 30 years of experience. He has contributed to USA Today, Yahoo! Sports and other websites over the course of his career. Follow him on Twitter @JerryBonkowski.
To explore the site, please visit MotorSportsTalk.com.nbcsports.com or www.NBCSports.com.
SOCIAL: Follow @MotorsportsTalk, @F1onNBCSports and @NBCSN on Twitter and “like” Facebook.com/NBC Sports for the most up-to-date news, videos and commentary about Formula One on NBC Sports and NBCSN.
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