8.8m Tune In For Crabbie’s Grand National

12 Apr 2015 | sigadmin

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This weekend’s broadcast of the Crabbie’s Grand National attracted a peak audience of 8.8 million viewers with 60.3% share of the television audience, up from last year’s peak of 8.5 million and 56.3% share.

Channel 4 Racing’s four-hour fifteen minute broadcast was watched by an average of 2.7 million viewers with a 25.6% share of viewing.

Ed Havard, Channel 4’s head of live events and sport, said: “The coverage was hugely innovative and compelling. IMG captured the drama and excitement of the event superbly and we’re delighted that we were able to showcase the spectacle at Aintree for such massive audiences yet again.”

Stephen Lyle, Channel 4’s commissioning editor, added: “I am delighted with Channel 4’s build up and coverage of the nation’s favourite race. Under blue skies and in front of high definition cameras, the Grand National has never looked better than it did this weekend.

John Baker, who runs Aintree as north west regional director of Jockey Club Racecourses, commented: “We’re delighted with the quality of Channel 4’s coverage these past three days. Channel 4’s top-class production and presentation team, innovations including JockeyCam and their creative promotion and programming in the build-up, mean they played an integral part in us staging the ‘feel-good festival’ for more than 150,000 people at Aintree and millions of people enjoying our thrilling event on television.”

The race was won by Many Clouds to give jockey Leighton Aspell his second consecutive victory in the race.

Aspell, who won in 2014 aboard Pineau De Re, steered his 25-1 shot to the front three fences from home and then held off the challenge of Saint Are to win by a length and three-quarters.

Champion jockey AP McCoy was denied a fairytale Aintree farewell, finishing fifth on favourite Shutthefrontdoor.