By alley - Mar 16, 2016, 1:54 PM ET

F1: NBC reveals full 2016 TV coverage plan

NBC Sports Group’s comprehensive coverage of the 2016 Formula 1 season will feature more than 200 hours of coverage, and begins Sunday, March 20, with the Australian Grand Prix at 12:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN.

Racing on TV this weekend

NBC, NBCSN and CNBC will combine to present all 21 races of the F1 season. NBCSN will present 14 races, NBC four, and CNBC three. NBC’s coverage begins on Sunday, May 29 with the iconic Monaco Grand Prix, and continues Sunday, June 7, with the Canadian Grand Prix. NBC’s coverage returns on Sunday, Oct. 23, with the United States Grand Prix from the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and concludes on Sunday, Oct. 30, with the Mexican Grand Prix.

In addition, NBC Sports Group will present comprehensive coverage of practice and qualifying of all 21 races across its family of networks and NBC Sports Live Extra. Live Extra will also enhance race coverage with dedicated feeds, including:

On-Board Feed – dedicated channel for live on-board cameras
Pit Lane Feed – dedicated channel on pit lane featuring all pit stops and team communication
Driver Tracker – real-time data showing where all 22 cars are on track

Formula 1 is coming off its most-watched season for a cable network in two decades, averaging 418,000 viewers for its 13 races on NBCSN, up 9% vs. 2014. For all 19 races, NBC Sports Group’s coverage averaged 512,000 viewers, up 14% vs. 2014 (457,000), and up 42% vs. 2013 (366,000).

2016 FORMULA ONE SCHEDULE
Date	Grand Prix	Time	Network
Sun., March 20	Australian Grand Prix	12:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., April 3	Bahrain Grand Prix	10:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., April 16	Chinese Grand Prix	1:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., May 1	Russian Grand Prix	7:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., May 15	Spanish Grand Prix	7:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., May 29	Monaco Grand Prix	7:30 a.m.	NBC
Sun., June 12	Canadian Grand Prix	1:30 p.m.	NBC
Sun., June 19	European Grand Prix	8:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., July 3	Austrian Grand Prix	7:30 a.m.	CNBC
Sun., July 10	British Grand Prix	7:30 a.m.	CNBC
Sun., July 24	Hungarian Grand Prix	7:30 a.m.	CNBC
Sun., July 31	German Grand Prix	7:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., August 28	Belgian Grand Prix	7:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., September 4	Italian Grand Prix	7:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., September 18	Singapore Grand Prix	7:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., October 1	Malaysian Grand Prix	2:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., October 8	Japanese Grand Prix	12:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., October 23	United States Grand Prix	2:30 p.m.	NBC
Sun., October 30	Mexican Grand Prix	2:30 p.m.	NBC
Sun., November 13	Brazilian Grand Prix	10:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., November 27	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	7:30 a.m.	NBCSN

THIS WEEK’S F1 COVERAGE

This week’s coverage of the F1 Australian Grand Prix begins Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET with Practice 1 on NBCSN, followed by Practice 2 early Friday morning at 1:30 a.m. ET, and qualifying on Saturday at 2 a.m. ET. F1 Countdown kicks off race coverage Sunday at 12 a.m. ET, leading into the start of the 2016 campaign with the Australian Grand Prix at 12:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN. An encore presentation of the race will air Sunday at noon ET on NBCSN.

NBC Sports Group’s Formula 1 commentating team returns for a fourth season, with lead race announcer Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), veteran analyst and former racecar driver David Hobbs, analyst Steve Matchett, a former race mechanic for the Benetton F1 team, and RACER columnist Will Buxton, who will provide live reports on-site for all 21 races this season.

In addition to coverage of the F1 Australian Grand Prix, NBCSN premieres Haas F1: America’s Return To The Grid, a one-hour documentary that chronicles the launch and development of Haas F1, the first American-led Formula 1 team in 30 years, Wednesday, March 16, at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.