Formula One - TV Historic Audience Figures

[Matt..]

StevieBee said:

It's wrong to say that fans are not important but the harsh reality is that we have no power and never have. We just like watching the sport. Some of us are willing to pay a premium to watch a premium broadcast. Other, less so. And that's fine.

This is partly true.

F1 wouldn't exist without a global audience though. The audience makes the sport. The audience gives the sponsors a sport to be associated with. If the audience didn't exist, the sport would become irrelevant. Where is the prestige with the association then?

The problem right now is that if audiences dwindle too much then the general interest drops, but that might not immediately affect sponsors, but it will in the longer term.

It seems like a dangerous game for long term survival of the sport to have it all on low viewer pay TV with limited general exposure. I can easily see how a switch to Formula E could happen.