Blame it on Lewis: British F1 viewing figures suffer shock decline!

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Formula One's British audience shrunk by 5.1m viewers last year, with Lewis Hamilton's failure to win a fourth title pinpointed as one of the main reasons for the drop.

Even though the thrilling battle between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg went down to the wire and the 2016 season included a record number of races, F1's Global Media Report states that the number of viewers in the United Kingdom hit a 12-year low.

While Hamilton's dip in fortune last year, as well as Mercedes' dominance, are considered as factors by the report, the switch from the BBC to Channel 4 as well as Pay-TV's broadcasting dominance of the sport in the UK were also fundamental causes for the drop, perhaps even the most impacting factors.

It's also worth noting that the 5.1m viewer drop in Britain comprised half of F1’s total fall of 10m viewers in 2016.

The worldwide audience dropped to 390m marking the sixth straight year that the number of F1 viewers has declined.

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Pay-TV broadcasters dominate major markets such as Germany, Italy and Britain where coverage is split between Channel 4, which only covers 10 live races, and Sky Sports which screens every race.

The onus is now on Liberty Media, F1's new owners, to attempt a reversal of the numbers although it appears to favour the Pay-TV model.

Under its guidance, Liberty will seek to boost the entertainment factor while making the races less predictable.

"Fundamentally Chase Carey and Ross Brawn are trying to make these races more interesting, more comparative, more exciting,” says Liberty’s chief executive Greg Maffei.

"I think there is uniformity about many of the actions that it will take to do that. Whether we can execute on those and how long it will take, that is still open."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.