Overnight Darlington TV Ratings: FOX's third and final Saturday night NASCAR Sprint Cup Race averaged a 3.5/7 [5.716 million viewers] for the race from Darlington Raceway. Though that’s down -8% from last year’s 3.8/9 for the race from Dover on the same weekend, it’s flat with last year’s Darlington race. Through 11 races, NASCAR Sprint Cup racing on FOX is averaging a 4.3/9, down -4% from last year’s 4.5/10.(5-15-2012)
Overnight Talladega TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing from Talladega Superspeedway drew a 4.7/11 for NASCAR on FOX coverage of the Aaron's 499. Sunday's 4.7/11 is +34% better than the 3.5/7 FOX earned for racing from Darlington Raceway on the comparable 2011 weekend, and it's +2% better than the 4.6/11 the Talladega race delivered last year when it fell two weeks earlier. For the entire season, NASCAR On FOX trails last year's pace by -4% (4.4/9 vs. 4.6/9).(5-8-2012)
Final Richmond TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing from Richmond International Raceway averaged a 3.6/7 (5.9 million viewers) Saturday night on FOX, down -3% from last year’s race which averaged a 3.7/7 (6.1 million). For the night in Primetime, NASCAR delivered FOX a first place finish. Through nine races, NASCAR Sprint Cup racing on FOX is averaging a 5.0/10 (8.3 million viewers).(5-4-2012)
Overnight TV Ratings for Richmond: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing on FOX averaged a 3.4/6 on Saturday night for the race from Richmond International Raceway. That’s flat with last year’s performance of a 3.4/7 for the same race. Through nine races, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 4.4/9 in the meters, off -6% from last year’s 4.7/10.(4-30-2012)
Final Kansas TV Ratings: FOX posted a 4.3/10 (6.8 million viewers) on Sunday for the STP 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from Kansas Speedway. Though that’s down -17% from last year’s 5.2/13 (9.0 million) for the race from Talladega, it’s up +10% over last year’s 3.9/10 (6.3 million) Kansas race which aired later in the season [June 6, 2011]. Sunday's 4.3/10 also ranked as the highest-rated and most-watched event of the weekend. Through eight races,
NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 5.2/11 (8.6 million viewers).(4-27-2012)
Kansas Overnight TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing on Fox posted a 3.7/9 on Sunday for the STP 400 from Kansas Speedway. Though that's off -20% from last year's 4.6/11 for the Talladega 400 which aired on the comparable weekend, it's off just one-tenth from last year's Kansas race which aired later in the season, and when the nationals are released, it's expected to rank as the top-rated event of the weekend. Through eight races, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 4.5/9, off -8% from last year's 4.9/11.(4-23-2012)
Overnight Texas TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on Fox averaged a 3.6/7 Saturday night for the race from Texas. Though off one-tenth from last year’s 3.7/7 for the same race, NASCAR powered FOX to an easy first place finish for the night (8-11p) beating CBS by +13% (3.6 vs. 3.2), ABC by +24% (3.6 vs. 2.9), and NBC by +125% (3.6 vs. 1.6). Through seven races caution flags are down -34% (40 vs. 61) and lead changes, arguably one of the strongest indicators of exciting racing, are down -43% (125 vs. 220). Season-to-date, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 4.6/9 in the meters, off -6% from last year’s average of a 4.9/11.(4-18-2012)
Final Martinsville TV Ratings posted: NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX averaged a 4.3/10 (6.8 million viewers) on Sunday April 1st for the race at Martinsville Speedway. Though that's off one-tenth from last year's 4.4/10 (7.2 million) for the same race on the same weekend, it ranked as the highest-rated and most-watched event of the day. Through six races, NASCAR Sprint Cup racing on FOX is averaging a 5.5/12 (9.2 million viewers), down -5% from last year’s 5.8/13 (10.0 million viewers). (4-6-2012)
Martinsville overnight TV Ratings posted: NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX posted a 3.9/9 metered market rating Sunday for the race from Martinsville Speedway. That’s flat with last year’s performance for the same race on the same weekend, and ranked as the highest-rated event of the day in the meters. Through six races, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 4.8/10 in the meters, off -6% from last year’s 5.1/11. (4-2-2012)
Final Auto Club 400 TV Ratings: Hampered by rain, airing directly against the NCAA Tournament on CBS and a Tiger Woods fueled PGA event on NBC, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX posted a 3.8/9 (6.2 million viewers) on Sunday for the Auto Club 400 from Auto Club Speedway. That’s down -17% from last year’s 4.6/10 (8.1 million), and ranks as the lowest-rated race this season on FOX. Season-to-date, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 5.8/12 (9.7 million viewers), off -6% from last year’s 6.2/14 (10.8 million viewers)..(3-29-2012)
Auto Club TV Ratings posted: Opposite heavy competition from the NCAA Tournament on CBS and PGA Golf on NBC, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX averaged a 3.4/7 Sunday for the Auto Club 400 from Auto Club Speedway which was cut short by rain. That's down -17% from last year's 4.1/9 for the same race which ran in its entirety. Season-to-date, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 4.9/10 in the meters, off -9% from last year's average of a 5.4/12.(3-26-2012)
Bristol overnight TV Ratings:NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX posted a 4.0/10 overnight/fast rating/share Sunday afternoon for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, up +3% over last year’s 3.9/9 for the same race despite airing opposite the NCAA TOURNAMENT. Yesterday’s increase marks the first time this season that a NASCAR event on FOX has posted a year-to-year increase. Through four races, NASCAR on FOX is averaging a 5.3/11 in the meters, now off -7% from last year’s 5.7/12.(3-19-2012)
Las Vegas TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX posted a 4.6/10 overnight/fast rating/share Sunday for the Kobalt Toolts 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Though yesterday's race was off -13% from last year’s 5.3/11, it still managed to rank as the highest-rated event of the weekend even with the increased level of competition from the NBA on ABC, PGA GOLF on NBC and NCAA Basketball's Championship Weekend which last year’s race did not air against. Through three telecasts, NASCAR Sprint Cup racing on FOX is averaging a 5.8/11, off -8% from last year's 6.3/13.(3-13-2012)
Final Phoenix TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX posted a 5.6/12 (9.2 million viewers) on Sunday, March 4th for the Subway Fit Fresh 500(k) from Phoenix. Though it's off -5% from last year's 5.9/12 (10.3 million viewers), Sunday's race managed to rank as the highest-rated and most-watched event of the weekend. Through the first two races of the season, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing is averaging a 7.0/13 (11.9 million viewers), off -7% from last year's 7.5/16 (13.4 million).(3-9-2012)
Phoenix TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX posted a solid 5.0/10 Sunday for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 from Phoenix. Though off -6% from last year’s 5.3/11, yesterday’s 5.0/10 ranked as the second highest-rated event of the weekend in the metered markets. It is estimated that once the national ratings are released, the Subway Fresh Fit 500 will be the highest-rated and most-watched event of the weekend. The race rating grew throughout the telecast peaking at a 5.8/11 from 6-6:15pm, but last year's race ran later and faced less competition in the closing laps which allowed last year’s race to peak at a 6.4/12 in the final quarter hour. Through the first two races of the season, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing is averaging a 6.4/11, down -6% from last year's 6.8/15.(3-6-2012)
Daytona 500 TV Ratings: Fox’s impromptu primetime coverage of a rain-delayed Daytona 500 rained on everyone else’s parade, driving almost every rival down in viewership. What’s more, by averaging 14.24 million total viewers and a 4.5 demo rating, Fox’s NASCAR coverage about doubled its typical House/Alcatraz numbers and thus led the network to a rare Monday win on both counts (tvline.com)
AND Fox earned a 7.7 overnight Nielsen rating for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Daytona 500's debut in primetime, which saw Matt Kenseth take the checkered flag. That figure is down 6% from an 8.2 overnight for Trevor Bayne’s win last year, which aired on a Sunday afternoon (Sports Business Daily).
AND II: Fox carried special coverage of the Daytona 500, which was delayed from Sunday by rain, and it averaged a 4.5 adults 18-49 rating and 11 share from 8 to 11 p.m., according to Nielsen overnights, just ahead of NBC's 4.4/11. But the Daytona 500 was not the night's top show. That honor once again went to NBC's "The Voice," which averaged a 5.4 from 8 to 10 p.m., down 7 percent from the previous week but once again dominating its timeslot. Ratings for Fox's NASCAR coverage are approximate as fast nationals measure timeslot and not actual program data. Fox also finished first for the night among households with an 8.1 average overnight rating and a 12 share. NBC was second at 7.3/11, CBS third at 6.3/10, ABC fourth at 5.6/9, Univision fifth at 1.8/3, CW sixth at 0.9/1 and Telemundo seventh at 0.7/1.(Media Life Magazine)
UPDATE The 54th DAYTONA 500, a race with fire, rain, and everything but the brimstone, earned a 7.7/13 in the metered markets last night on FOX. The race was interrupted for roughly two hours by a bizarre incident in which Juan Pablo Montoya crashed into a jet dryer under caution, causing an on-track explosion and fire. In keeping with Nielsen policy FOX is able to exclude most of the delay from the race rating, just as we would for a baseball rain delay. Last night's 7.7/13 is an average of the 7.8/12 FOX averaged from 7:15-10:30pm and the 7.3/17 that was earned from Midnight to 1am. The excluded portion averaged a 7.3/13 from 10:30pm-Midnight.
- Last night's 7.7/13 is off -6% compared to last year's 8.2/18, which ran without interruption on a Sunday afternoon. It's also +10% better than 2010's 7.0/14 for the infamous "pothole 500" which was delayed twice for track repair. Prior to last night's red-flag delay the primetime race was actually pacing very slightly ahead of last year. Last night's race averaged a 7.8/12 from 7:15-10:30pm compared to a 7.7/17 for the comparable duration last year.
A total audience of over 36.5 million Americans watched last night’s race, according to fast national ratings issued today by Nielsen Media Research, making 2012 Daytona 500 the most-watched in FOX history. The 36.5 million total viewers, a measure of the audience that saw at least a portion of the race, is +22% higher than last year's total audience of 30 million and +22% better than 2010's 29.8 million. Yesterday’s total audience is the second best ever for a Daytona 500 on any network behind 37.0 million viewers in 2006 on NBC.(Fox)(2-28-2012)
Bud Shootout TV Ratings: Fox earned a 4.0 overnight Nielsen rating for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night, up 3% from last year’s race. The telecast was the top-rated program of the day and gave Fox a win in primetime among all networks.(Sports Business Journal), in 2011 the race had a 3.9 rating and in 2010 it was a 4.2 overnight.(2-21-2012)
