NBC TV Ratings UPDATE: The Inaugural Tropicana 400 NASCAR Winston Cup race from the new Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday was the highest rated sports event of the weekend. The race earned a 4.8 overnight rating and 12 share, according to figures released today by Nielsen Media Research. There is no ratings comparison as this was an open date on the NASCAR Winston Cup schedule in 2000. The rating built throughout the race and peaked with a 6.2 during the final 15 minutes from 6-6:15 p.m. ET as rookie Kevin Harvick took the checkered flag for the second time this season after taking over for Dale Earnhardt after his tragic death at the Daytona 500, February 18. The Tropicana 400s 4.8 rating topped all sports programming over the weekend followed by Major League Baseball on Fox on Saturday (3.9) and the Senior Players Championship final round on ABC on Sunday (2.5). For every half-hour from 3:30-6 p.m. ET the Tropicana 400 beat the combined network sports competition on ABC (PGA/Senior PGA) and CBS (Tennis/NFL Quarterback Challenge/Tour de France). The Tropicana 400 was the second NASCAR Winston Cup race in NBC and TNTs new six-year agreement with NASCAR to telecast The Race for the Championship over the second half of the NASCAR season. National ratings are expected to be available tomorrow morning(NBC PR)(7-16-2001) UPDATE: NBCs coverage of Sundays inaugural Tropicana 400 from the new Chicagoland Speedway was watched by 21 million viewers. The Tropicana 400 earned a 5.6 national rating and 14 share, according to figures released today by Nielsen Media Research. There is no ratings comparison as this was an open date on the NASCAR Winston Cup schedule in 2000. The 5.6 national rating is the best NASCAR Winston Cup afternoon delivery for races from May through November since the inaugural running of the Brickyard 400 from the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, August 6, 1994 on ABC. Through its first two races, NASCAR on NBC is averaging a 5.8 rating and 14 share. The national rating peaked with a 6.6 during the final 15 minutes from 6-6:15 p.m. ET as rookie Kevin Harvick took the checkered flag for the second time this season after taking over for Dale Earnhardt after his tragic death at the Daytona 500, February 18. For the second consecutive week NASCAR on NBC has attracted more than 20 million viewers. Last Saturdays Pepsi 400 attracted a primetime record 25 million viewers. Saturdays NASCAR Busch Series race from Chicagoland Speedway earned a 2.2 national rating and 7 share. There is also no ratings comparison as this was an open date on the NASCAR Busch Series schedule in 2000(NBC PR) and a story at MotorsportsTV: NBC Final Ratings Skyrocket in Chicago(7-18-2001) (7-17-2001)
