BRITISH SPEEDWAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

IMPRESSIVE TV RATING FIGURES

VIEWING figures for the recent Cab Direct British Final on ITV4 have revealed there was huge interest in the meeting – with a confirmed reach of over half a million viewers.

The showpiece event at Belle Vue last month was the first to be broadcast live on free-to-air TV for over 40 years, and the figures are very encouraging for the sport.

The peak audience was 186,000, which occurred around an hour into the broadcast, whilst the average during the meeting was 136,000.

Another key indicator, the reach, is calculated based on viewers who have watched for at least three minutes at any time during the broadcast, and this has been confirmed as a very impressive 501,000. Male/female split was 54%/46%.

These figures relate solely to live viewings on ITV4, and not the online ITVX service where the event is still available to view on demand.

Premiership CEO Phil Morris said: “These are very healthy numbers, and to know that over half a million people watched the meeting at some stage is something we must be pleased with.

“What’s also really encouraging is the peak and average figures because the key level in the industry is 100,000, which we were well above, and that is going to assist us with plans going forward.

“I’d like to thank everyone involved with the broadcast, and also the clubs and the fans who responded to our call to flood social media with the news that the meeting was going to be on ITV4, especially given the late notice.

“We now have several avenues to explore for 2027, with the figures to back it up, but I must also thank BSN for extending their existing Premiership deal to stream the play-offs.

“I’m sure there is going to be some terrific racing over the next few weeks before we crown the league champions.”