On the heels of a record crowd that saw nearly 280,000 fans descend on the French Grand Prix last weekend, the broadcast audience figures are now in for the first quarter of the 2023 MotoGP season – and they’re just as impressive. The increase in weekend TV audiences is a sizeable 27 per cent.

The grid formed in front of the biggest crowd MotoGP has ever seen and it was Marc Marquez who shot into the lead as Bagnaia dropped down the order to P5.

The world’s most exciting motorsport? Audiences agree as key markets show huge growth!

The new sporting format with the Tissot Sprint race introduced this year is designed to create the best show possible, giving fans more MotoGP than ever and adding a new spectacle at every Grand Prix. The audience data so far confirms the success and popularity of the new-look weekend, with audiences increasing by an average of 51 per cent on Saturdays as fans tune in to enjoy both the shootout for pole position and the Sprint.

What’s more, the overall increase in viewership is not solely attributed to the introduction of the Sprint on super Saturday. Viewing figures for the Grand Prix race on Sunday are up by nearly a fifth across key markets, showing the new format is not only garnering its own audience, but also driving interest and viewership for the sport overall.

It was Bagnaia who stormed off the line to take the holeshot as the lights went out, whilst Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) shot into P2.

Audiences increased by an average of 51 per cent on Saturdays as fans tune in to enjoy both the shootout for pole position and the Sprint.

The trend has also continued in the grandstands, with the first part of 2023 marking a notable surge in weekend attendance. On average across the first five races, the available data shows a 40 per cent increase in fans coming to enjoy the world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championship at the track. Most notably, MotoGP also broke its all-time weekend attendance record at the Shark Grand Prix de France as well over a quarter of a million fans flocked through the gates at Le Mans – an achievement befitting the 1000th FIM Grand Prix.

Now the sport is ready to make more history across a tantalising triple-header, getting in gear with Mugello and the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley from the 9th to the 11th of June. Then it’s the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland as the Sachsenring puts more history on the table, before the Motul TT Assen stages a third showdown in three weeks. Tune in for more as the 2023 season continues to break records – on track and off!

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