The Miami Grand Prix attracted 2.5 million viewers across Sky and TV8
The 2026 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix delivered a strong increase in Italian television audiences compared to last season, confirming the growing excitement surrounding young Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli and the current phase of the championship.
Several factors contributed to the positive viewing figures recorded over the Miami race weekend. Formula 1 had been absent for more than a month, creating additional anticipation among fans, while the previous two Grands Prix had both been won by an Italian driver — further increasing public interest in the championship.
Another important element was the weather-related schedule adjustment. The Miami Grand Prix start time was brought forward by three hours, moving from 22:00 to 19:00 Italian time. The earlier slot proved beneficial not only for the live broadcast on Sky Sports F1, but also for the delayed free-to-air coverage on TV8, which began at 22:10 instead of the much later 23:30 slot used in 2025.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli continues to attract Formula 1 viewers in Italy
Andrea Kimi Antonelli once again confirmed his growing popularity among Italian Formula 1 fans and continued what many in the Italian media described as a remarkable run of audience momentum.
The live Miami Grand Prix broadcast on Sky attracted approximately 1.4 million viewers, representing an increase of around 200,000 compared to the 2025 edition of the race. Last year’s Miami event had featured Max Verstappen unsuccessfully attempting to defend against the pace of the McLaren cars.
The delayed broadcast on TV8 also produced a significant increase. The free-to-air replay reached around 1.1 million viewers, compared to the 862,000 recorded for the same event in 2025.
Combined together, the Miami Grand Prix generated a total Italian television audience of approximately 2.5 million viewers across Sky and TV8 — an increase of roughly half a million compared to last season.
Ferrari’s 2022 title fight with Charles Leclerc still unmatched
Despite the encouraging growth in audience numbers, the 2026 Miami Grand Prix still fell well short of the extraordinary ratings Formula 1 achieved during Ferrari’s championship challenge in 2022.
As highlighted by Italian outlet p300.it, the benchmark remains the 2022 season, when Ferrari and Charles Leclerc were leading the Formula 1 world championship and enthusiasm around the Scuderia reached exceptional levels throughout Italy.
During that period, the Miami Grand Prix attracted a combined audience of approximately 3.4 million viewers — nearly one million more than the audience recorded last Sunday.
The comparison once again underlines the enormous influence Ferrari continues to have on Formula 1 television audiences in Italy. While Andrea Kimi Antonelli is clearly becoming one of the sport’s biggest attractions for Italian fans, Ferrari’s ability to fight consistently for victories and world championships remains the single most important factor in driving mass national interest.
With Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton still aiming to bring Ferrari back into regular title contention, Formula 1 broadcasters will be hoping the Scuderia can soon return to the front of the grid and recreate the audience peaks seen during the early stages of the 2022 campaign.
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