More TV Ratings Stuff: NBC’s NASCAR Winston Cup finale, the Ford 400.from Homestead-Miami Speedway, on Sunday delivered a 5.2 national rating/11 share, NASCAR’s best rating ever against pro football, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 5.2 rating propelled the NBC & TNT 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup season average to a 13 percent increase over 2001 and an explosive 59 percent increase over 2000, the year prior to the current television rights deal. The 19 NASCAR Winston Cup telecasts on NBC & TNT over the second half of the 2002 season averaged an impressive 4.3 national rating/10 share, up 13 percent over last year’s 3.8/10, and a 59 percent increase over the 2.7/8 for the 2000 season.. (All season averages exclude the Daytona 500 and the primetime Pepsi 400 – the two races which alternate between NBC and Fox each year). For the eight NASCAR on NBC pre-race shows that ran from the start of the NFL season through Nov. 17th, NBC’s “Discover Card Countdown to Green”.averaged a 2.6/7, making it the second highest rated Sunday “pre-game” show, outperforming CBS’ “NFL Today” (2.5/7).. Fox’s “NFL Sunday” averaged a 3.5/10.. Additionally, NBC’s NASCAR pre-race show outperformed CBS’ “NFL Today” five of the seven times when the two programs aired head-to-head. Fifteen of the 20 NBC & TNT races (including Daytona) equaled or improved the household ratings from 2001 and seven of the eight NBC races that went head-to-head against pro football achieved a rating of 4.0 or better. Last year, only three of six races generated a 4 rating in head-to-head competition with pro football. NBC & TNT’s key adult 18-49 demographic for the 19 NASCAR Winston Cup races generated a 2.7 rating, a four percent increase over last year’s 2.6 average.. Men 18-49 posted a 3.5, a three percent increase over the 3.4 for 2001. Chicago was NBC’s most improved NASCAR market, up 38 percent over 2001 to a 3.3/7.(NBC PR)(11-22-2002)
Homestead TV Ratings: Today’s Sports Business Daily says NBC’s broadcast of the Ford 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway drew a 4.5/9 overnight Nielsen rating. The final rating for the 2001 Homestead race, which was not the season finale, was a 3.8/9. The overnight rating was also substantially ahead of the 3.8/7 overnight rating for the previous week’s race in Phoenix, which jumped to a 4.4/10 final rating.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(11-18-2002)
TV coverage and commercials: The Pop Secret 400 at Rockingham, run on Nov. 3, had 267 of its 393 laps shown by TNT’s telecast. The race’s total TV time was three hours, six minutes, 22 seconds. Almost an hour – 59 minutes, 31 seconds – was spent in commercials. The time of actual coverage was two hours, six minutes, 53 seconds.(Gaston Gazette)(11-16-2002)
TV Stuff/Ratings: For the first time since 1997, the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship will be decided in the final race of the season. Two drivers, Tony Stewart and Mark Martin, will battle for the Championship. Through 18 telecasts, NASCAR on NBC & TNT is averaging a 4.3 national rating/10 share (excluding this year’s Daytona 500 and last year’s primetime Pepsi 400 – the two races which alternate between NBC and Fox each year), representing a 13 percent increase over a 3.8/10 for the comparable races last year. The increase is especially impressive building on last year’s 34 percent ratings gain (3.9/10 vs. 2.9/8) for the first year of NASCAR on NBC & TNT over the comparable races in 2000. NBC’s coverage of last Sunday’s NASCAR Winston Cup race from Phoenix delivered a 4.4 national rating/10 share, a 10 percent improvement over last year’s 4.0/10. The NASCAR Pit Crew Championship earned a 1.9/5 (1-2 p.m. ET) for its first time on network television. NBC’s “Discover Card Countdown to Green” NASCAR pre-race show scored a
2.7/6. Since going against pro football competition (since Sept. 15) is averaging a 2.6/7 on NBC, up eight percent over last year’s 2.4/6.(NBC PR)(11-14-2002)
Early Phoenix TV Ratings: NBC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Checker Auto Parts 500k Winston Cup race drew a 3.8/7 overnight Nielsen rating, according to today’s Sports Business Daily. Last year’s race, which was run slightly earlier in the season, on Oct. 28, 2001, drew a final rating of 4.0/9, according to Sports Business Daily.(Winston Cup Scene Newsletter)(11-11-2002)
NASCAR on NBC & TNT Up 13% Heading into Final 2 Races: Through 17 telecasts, NBC & TNT have produced a 4.3 national rating/10 share (excluding this year’s Daytona 500 and last year’s primetime Pepsi 400 – the two races which alternate between NBC and Fox each year), representing a 13 percent increase over a 3.8/10 for the comparable races last year. This growth builds on last year’s 34 percent ratings increase (3.9/10 vs. a 2.9/8) for the inaugural year of NASCAR on NBC & TNT over the comparable races in the 2000 season. TNT’s coverage of last Sunday’s NASCAR Winston Cup race from Rockingham, N.C. delivered a 3.0 converted national household rating/8 share, which represents a three percent improvement over last year’s 2.9/8 on TNT.(NBC PR)(11-6-2002)
Atlanta TV Ratings UPDATE: NBC Sports’ coverage of the NASCAR Winston Cup NAPA 500 from the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the fastest track on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, earned a 4.2 rating/8 share in the overnights for its rain-delayed coverage (3:30 – 6:15 p.m. ET), according to Nielsen Media Research. The NAPA 500, which was delayed for 2-1/2 hours and ultimately shortened to 248 of the scheduled 325 laps due to rain, clocked a five percent increase over last year’s 4.0/9 in the overnights. The race peaked at a 4.9/9 at 5:30 p.m. ET as Kurt Busch, who also won last weekend at Martinsville, claimed his third victory of the year.(NBC PR)(10-28-2002) UPDATE: NBC Sports’ coverage of the NASCAR Winston Cup NAPA 500 from the Atlanta Motor Speedway posted a 5.1 national rating/11 share for its rain-delayed coverage (12:30 – 1 p.m. ET and 3:30 – 6:15 p.m. ET), making this NASCAR’s highest rated performance ever against professional football, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 5.1 surpasses the previous record high of a 5.0 rating earned for the UAW-GM Quality 500 from Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte on Oct. 13 of this year. Through 16 telecasts, NBC & TNT have produced a 4.4/10 (excluding this year’s Daytona 500 and last year’s primetime Pepsi 400 – the two races which alternate between NBC and Fox each year), representing a 16 percent increase over a 3.8/10 for the comparable races last year. The NAPA 500, which was delayed for 2-1/2 hours and ultimately shortened to 248 of the scheduled 325 laps due to rain, also clocked a
31 percent increase over last year’s 3.9/10. The race peaked at a 6.0/12 at 5:30 p.m. ET as Kurt Busch, who also won last weekend at Martinsville, claimed his third victory of the year. In NASCAR’s tightest Winston Cup Championship points race ever, Tony Stewart, the current leader, finished in fourth place, expanding his lead to 146 points over Mark Martin with three races to go. Rookie Jimmie Johnson is just 150 points behind.(NBC PR)(10-29-2002)
Martinsville TV Ratings UPDATE: NBC’s coverage of the Old Dominion 500 from Martinsville garnered a 3.9 overnight rating and 6 share. There is no comparison to last year, which was rain-delayed on TNT on a Monday.(MotorsportsTV)(10-22-2002) UPDATE: NASCAR ratings on NBC & TNT are up 13 percent to a 4.3 national rating/10 share, building on last year’s impressive growth when ratings for the 2001 season on NBC & TNT, grew 34 percent over 2000 (3.9/10 vs. 2.9/8). The 4.3/10 through 15 telecasts on NBC & TNT (excluding this year’s Daytona 500 and last year’s primetime Pepsi 400 – the two races which alternate between NBC and Fox each year), represents a 13% increase over a 3.8/10 for the comparable races last year. While season-to-date ratings are up in many markets, the biggest increases over last year belong to Chicago, which is up 46% to a 3.5/7, Richmond (plus-41% to a 7.9/16) and St. Louis (plus-28% to a 4.6/9). Last Sunday’s coverage of Old Navy Presents the Old Dominion 500 from Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, delivered a 4.4/11 from 12:24 – 4:14pm/et. That represents a 267% jump over a 1.2/5 last year, when the race was rained out on Sunday and moved to TNT for a Monday, Oct. 15, 2001 telecast. The Martinsville rating built steadily throughout the telecast, peaking with a 5.0/11 from 3:30-4:00pm/et as Kurt Busch won his second race of the season.(NBC PR)(10-24-2002)
TV Ratings for Lowe’s: NBC Sports’ rain-delayed coverage of the NASCAR Winston Cup UAW-GM Quality 500 from Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte earned an impressive 5.0 national rating/10 share (3:33 p.m. – 7:32 p.m. ET), NASCAR’s highest rating ever against professional football, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 5.0 rating is all the more significant as the race also faced 2-1/2 hours of head-to-head competition from the deciding game of baseball’s American-League Championship Series in which Anaheim eliminated Minnesota 13-5. The previous NASCAR rating high against a professional football telecast came last week at Talladega, when the race earned a 4.8/11. The 5.0 represents a 127 percent increase over last year’s race, which was moved to TNT due to NBC’s war coverage and generated a converted national household rating of a 2.2/5. The UAW-GM Quality 500 steadily built its audience to a peak of 6.3/11 at 7 p.m. ET when rookie Jamie McMurray took the checkered flag in only his second Winston Cup race start. Through 14 telecasts (excluding the Daytona 500), NASCAR Winston Cup coverage on NBC and TNT has produced a 4.3 national rating/10 share, an eight percent increase over last year’s record breaking average of a 4.0/11 (excluding the primetime Pepsi 400) through the comparable weekend.(NBC PR)(10-15-2002)
Final Talladega TV Ratings and some news: NBC Sports’ coverage of the EA Sports 500 from Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday (1:15-4:30 p.m. ET) tied last year’s 4.8/12, the highest national rating ever for any auto race in competition with professional football, according to the national ratings released today by Nielsen Media Research. The EA Sports 500 from Talladega, which saw #20_Tony Stewart move into the Championship lead for the first time in his four-year Winston Cup career, peaked from 3:30-4 p.m. ET with a 5.0/11 as Dale Earnhardt Jr. took his third consecutive Talladega checkered flag. Through 13 telecasts (excluding Daytona 500), NASCAR Winston Cup coverage on NBC and TNT has produced a 4.3 national rating/10 share, a two percent increase over last year’s record breaking season average of a 4.2/11 through the comparable weekend. This increase is an impressive gain considering the 34 percent ratings increase last year.
Wally Races, Stewart in the Booth: TNT begins the race weekend on Saturday with Winston Cup Happy Hour at !2noon/et followed by BGN at 1:00pm/et. NBC & TNT analyst Wally Dallenbach takes the wheel of his #6 Pepsi Dodge for his second BGN race of the season. Current Winston Cup point leaders Tony Stewart will fill in for Dallenbach in the booth while Dallenbach is racing.(NBC PR)(10-11-2002)
Talladega TV Ratings: NASCAR Pre-Race Show Outperforms CBS’ “NFL Today”. NBC Sports’ weekend coverage of the NASCAR Winston Cup EA Sports 500 from Talladega Superspeedway posted year-over-year ratings increases, according to the overnights released today by Nielsen Media Research. NBC’s exclusive coverage of the EA Sports 500 from Talladega on Sunday (1:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET) generated a 4.6 rating/10 share, marking a five percent increase over last year’s race (4.4/10). Additionally,
NBC’s pre-race show, “Discover Card Countdown to Green” logged an impressive 3.3/8 from 12:30 – 1:15 p.m. ET, outperforming CBS’ “NFL Today,” which earned a 2.5/5 from noon – 1 p.m. ET.(NBC PR)(10-7-2002)
Kansas TV Ratings: The overnight rating on NBC for the Protection One 400 from Kansas Speedway was a 3.9, down 3 percent from last years overnight rating of 4.0. The final national rating for the 2001 Protection One 400 was a 4.7. This year’s final rating will be released on Thursday.(MotorsportsTV)(10-1-2002)
Dover TV Ratings: The Winston Cup race from Dover turned in a 4.0 cable rating (3.3 national household rating) on TNT, representing 3,497,000 households. It was the third highest rated show on cable for the week, behind the NFL on ESPN and a movie on Lifetime. Last year’s race was on NBC, so there is no accurate year-to-year comparison. The Busch race garnered a 1.4, up 27% from last year’s 1.1.(MotorsportsTV)(9-26-2002)
New Hampshire TV Ratings: This Sunday’s New Hampshire 300 on NBC is the seventh consecutive NASCAR Winston Cup race on NBC & TNT that has experienced a ratings increase over the previous year and the sixth straight race to gain double-digit ratings percentage increases, according to Nielsen Media Research. Through 10 races (since NBC & TNT began broadcasting the second half of the NASCAR Winston Cup schedule) NASCAR on NBC & TNT is averaging a 4.3 rating, an eight percent increase over last year’s 4.0 rating over the same 10 races (beginning with the Tropicana 400 from Chicagoland Speedway on July 14). This is especially impressive considering the 34 percent ratings increase NASCAR on NBC & TNT experienced during its inaugural season in 2001. NBC’s coverage of Sunday’s New Hampshire 300 NASCAR Winston Cup race, including rain delay coverage, earned a 3.7 national rating/ 8 share (2-6:05 p.m. ET), a 16 percent increase over last year’s 3.2/9 for the same race, which was postponed until the day after Thanksgiving, Fri. Nov. 23, due to 9-11. The New Hampshire 300 rating peaked with a 5.1/10 from 5:30-6:05 p.m. ET as rookie Ryan Newman edged Kurt Busch to take his first career checkered flag in a NASCAR Winston Cup points race.(NBC PR)(9-17-2002)
Richmond TV Ratings: TNT continued its strong ratings surge both in Winston Cup and Busch Series racing this weekend in Richmond, Virginia. Saturday night’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 with The Looney Tunes registered a 4.2 national cable rating for TNT, up 20% from a 3.5 in 2001. Friday night’s Funai 250, also from Richmond, scored a 2.2 rating, up a whooping 47% from a year ago when the Richmond Busch race earned a 1.5 national cable rating. The Richmond race concludes a streak of four straight Winston Cup races on TNT, all substantially up from the previous year. During that period TNT averaged a 4.8 national cable rating, up 17% from a 4.1 during the same four races in 2001. For the year, through six Winston Cup races, TNT is up 9%. to a 4.8, compared to a 4.4 in 2001.
The Busch Series also continues to show terrific growth. Year to date, the Busch Series is averaging a 1.6 national cable rating on TNT, up 14% from a 1.4 in 2001 for six like races. TNT also telecast the lead-in Busch Series race for the Daytona 500 in February, earning a 2.7 rating. The same race aired on Fox in 2001, garnering a 3.2.(Turner PR)(9-10-2002)
Darlington Ratings: Turner Network Television’s (TNT) live coverage of the Mountain Dew 500 from Darlington Raceway was the week’s top sports program across demos and household ratings. TNT’s.coverage the Mountain Dew 500 (Sunday, September 1, 2:31pm/et) was the week’s top sports program.delivering a. 5.0 household rating.(4,301,000 HH). The NASCAR telecast was up 14 percent versus the 2001 race on TNT (4.4 household rating). In addition,.the network aired the NASCAR Busch Series Racing from Darlington on Saturday, August 31, which delivered.a 1.4 rating. Last year, the Darlington Busch Race also did a 1.4 rating.(Turner.com PR)(9-4-2002)
Bristol TV Ratings UPDATE: The ratings on TNT for the Sharpie 500 from Bristol turned in a stellar 4.8 rating, up 17 percent from last year’s 4.1.(MotorsportsTV.com)(8-27-2002) UPDATE: TNT followed up last week’s all-time network high 5.3 (4,497,000) national cable rating for NASCAR’s Pepsi 400 Winston Cup race in Brooklyn, MI with a 4.8 rating in primetime for Saturday night’s Sharpie 500 in Bristol, TN. The 4.8 (4,137,000) represents a 17% increase over last year’s rating (4.1), and is the highest rated night race in Bristol Motor Speedway history. The Pepsi 400 and Sharpie 500 rank #1 and #2, respectively, among basic cable programs for the month of August. Through four Winston Cup races in 2002, TNT is averaging a 4.9 rating for Winston Cup, up 23% from last year’s 4.0 after four races. The Busch Series also is showing strong growth in 2002. Friday night’s Busch race scored a 1.9 national cable rating, up 36% from the 1.4 it garnered a year ago. Overall, TNT’s four second-half Busch Series races in 2002 have averaged a 1.6 national cable rating, up 14% from last year’s 1.4. TNT also aired Busch Series racing prior to the Daytona 500 in February, with the EAS/GNC Live Well 300, which garnered a network Busch Series high 2.7 rating. Last year’s Daytona 500 Busch Series race registered a 3.2 on Fox Network.(Turner PR)(8-28-2002)
Record TV Ratings for MIS: Turner Network Television (TNT) delivered a record high 5.3 rating (4,497,000 households) for its coverage of the Pepsi 400 on Sunday, August 18, from 2 – 5:20 p.m. ET.. The 5.3 rating is 26 percent higher than last year’s 4.2 rating, marking it as the highest NASCAR rating in network history. The Pepsi 400 race bests all previous NASCAR event telecasts on TNT in rating and household delivery (5.2 household rating/4,248,000 household delivery for New England 300, 7/22/01). In addition, the network aired the NASCAR Busch Series Racing from Michigan on Saturday, August 17, from 1:30 – 3:34 p.m. ET, which delivered an all time Busch Series racing network high with a 1.8 rating (1,518,000 households), which is up 20 percent from last year’s 1.5 rating. The Busch Series race was our 2nd highest rating ever behind the EAS/GNC Live Well 300 on Feb. 16, 2002.(Turner PR)(8-20-2002)
Final Watkins Glen TV Ratings: NBC’s coverage of NASCAR Winston Cup racing from Watkins Glen on Sunday boasted the highest national rating for any sports telecast for the weekend and shattered the previous Watkins Glen ratings record, despite facing stiff competition from CBS’ Buick Classic, which was won by Tiger Woods. Each of NBC’s three NASCAR Winston Cup races has won the sports ratings race for its weekend (also the Brickyard 400 on 9/4 and the Tropicana 400 on 8/14). NBC’s Watkins Glen race coverage of Tony Stewart’s emotional win (1:13 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET), earned a 5.3 rating/14 share, besting last year’s ratings record by 13 percent (4.7/13), also set by NBC, according to Nielsen Media Research. CBS’ Buick Classic on Sunday became the second-highest rated event of the weekend, earning a 5.1/13. During the 90 minutes that NBC’s NASCAR coverage went head-to-head with CBS’ Buick Classic (3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET), NBC averaged a 5.7 rating, two full ratings points higher than CBS’ 3.7 average. NBC’s race coverage peaked from 3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. ET with a 5.9/15. Additionally, NBC’s pre-race show, “Discover Card Countdown to Green,” (12:30 – 1:13 p.m. ET) recorded a 2.7/8, a 35 percent increase over last year’s 2.0/6 during the same time period.(NBC PR)(8-15-2002)
Watkins Glen TV Ratings: The Winston Cup numbers from Watkins Glen yielded a 4.7 overnight rating and 11 share, both numbers unchanged from last year’s overnights. The pre-race show drew a 2.5 rating and 7 share, with the race audience building every half-hour of the broadcast and peaking at 5.5 from 4:00 to 4:30. Key markets among the overnight cities include Greensboro (14.7), Charlotte (14.5), Indianapolis (10.3), Norfolk (10.0), Tampa (10.0), and Daytona (9.9). The telecast was the second highest-rated sports program for the weekend, finishing behind the Tiger Woods victory in the Buick Open, which pulled in a 5.5 rating. However, the race outdrew golf every half-hour of head-to-head competition: 3:00 – 3:30 (4.8 to 2.9), 3:30 – 4:00 (5.2 to 4.0), and 4:00 – 4:30 (5.5 to 4.9).(MotorsportsTV)(8-12-2002)
Indy TV Ratings UPDATE: NBC’s broadcast of the Brickyard 400 got a 5.7 overnight rating and 12 share, even with last year’s overnight. In 2001, the small market bump yielded a final rating of 6.2. This year’s final rating will be available on Thursday.(MotorsportsTV)(8-5-2002) UPDATE: Sunday’s Brickyard 400 on NBC delivered a 5.7 overnight rating/13 share, tying last year as the highest overnight rating in the event’s nine-year history, according to figures released today by Nielsen Media Research. NBC’s Brickyard 400 coverage (2:30-6:15 p.m. ET) outperformed all network weekend sports competition, generating an overnight rating 58 percent higher than the closest competition (Fox’s 3.6 for Saturday’s four-game regional MLB coverage). The Brickyard 400 also delivered the highest overnight rating for a sports event in nearly a month (since Fox’s primetime coverage of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 9). The Brickyard’s 5.7 overnight rating surpassed such recent events as ABC’s primetime coverage of the “Battle at Bighorn” and ABC’s coverage of the British Open. The 5.7 overnight rating and 13 share for NBC’s second year in covering the NASCAR Winston Cup race from the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway ties the 2001 overnight and posted a 58 percent increase over the 3.6 on ABC in 2000 on Saturday of the same weekend. The overnight rating is also 21 percent better than the previous record high for the race, a 4.7 for the race’s inaugural running in 1994 on ABC. The Brickyard 400 rating built every half hour and peaked with a 7.3 during the final 15 minutes from 6-6:15 p.m. ET as Bill Elliott took the checkered flag for the second straight week. This peak increased nine percent from the 2001 peak of a 6.7 as Jeff Gordon won his third Brickyard title. Indianapolis led the 53 metered markets with a 20.3 rating/ 44 share.(NBC Sports PR)(8-5-2002)
Pocono TV Ratings: NASCAR scored big Sunday on cable TV, even with wrecks, reds, and rain. The broadcast scored a 5.0 cable rating for TNT, down 4% from last year’s 5.2. However, this is a solid number given the circumstances. The strange twists meant that four parts of the NASCAR telecast finished in the top six programs for the week on cable TV. Nielsen said the race had a 4.1 household rating, representing 4,275,000 households, making it the #1 program on basic cable for the week for the second week in a row. The post-race show was #2 at 3,899,000 households. The track repair segment was #4 on cable with 3,762,000 households, and the rain delay was #6, drawing 3,430,000 households. WWE programming finished #3 and #5, with Spongebob getting seven spots in the top 15.(MotorsportsTV.com)(8-3-2002)
Final NHIS TV Ratings: New Hampshire 300 on TNT #1 on Cable and #1 in Key Demo The New England 300 was basic cable’s #1 program for the week, turning in a 4.6 rating, representing 3,921,000 households. It beat out WWE Raw Zone and Spongebob for the title. It was also the #1 program among adults 25-54 (3,512,000). Further accolades include the broadcast as the #1 sports program in delivery of adults 18-34 (1,089,000) and #1 among adults 18-49 (3,003,000). The 4.6 result is down 12% from last year’s 5.2.(MotorsportsTV)(7-27-2002)
Final TV Ratings for Chicago: The final ratings from the smaller markets are in, and that means an even more impressive win for NASCAR on NBC from Chicagoland Speedway. These final numbers resulted in a 5.3 rating and 14 share, up from the 5.1 overnight rating. 5,624,000 households tuned in, according to Nielsen Media Research. This made the Winston Cup race the most-watched sports telecast of the weekend, posting a huge win over second-place Major League Baseball on Fox, which posted a 2.3 rating. However, even these strong results are a 5% decline from last year’s 5.6 rating.(MotorsportsTV)(7-21-2002)
TV Ratings Good for Chicago: The Tropicana 400 NASCAR Winston Cup race from Chicagoland Speedway Sunday on NBC was by far the highest rated sports event of the weekend. The race earned a 5.0 overnight rating/12 share, according to figures released today by Nielsen Media Research. The 5.0 overnight rating is a four percent increase over last year’s 4.8/12 for the inaugural Tropicana 400. The rating built throughout the race and peaked with a 5.9 during the final half-hour from 5:30-6 p.m. ET as Kevin Harvick took his first checkered flag of the 2002 season and repeated his 2001 Tropicana 400 victory. The Tropicana 400’s 5.0 rating, outperformed all sports programming over the weekend by at least two full ratings points. In a distant second-place was Fox’s regional coverage of three Major League Baseball games on Saturday (3.0/8), followed by the final round of the Greater Milwaukee Open on ABC on Sunday (2.0/5). For every half-hour from 2:30-6 p.m. ET the Tropicana 400 on NBC even beat the combined network sports competition (ABC – PGA/Senior PGA and CBS – CART/NFL QB Challenge/Tour de France). Saturday’s Tropicana Twister 300 NASCAR Busch Series race from Chicagoland Speedway earned a 2.1 overnight rating and 5 share. The 2.1 overnight rating is even with last year’s 2.1 overnight rating for the NASCAR Busch Series race from Chicagoland Speedway.(NBC PR)(7-15-2002)
Daytona TV numbers down: NASCAR’s Daytona 400 on Fox did a 5.1 rating, down from last year’s 5.7 on NBC.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(7-12-2002)
Sonoma TV Ratings: The overnight numbers for the Winston Cup race at Sears Point-Sonoma-Infineon Raceway are a 4.5 rating and 11 share, unchanged from last year. The final numbers last year jumped to a 5.0 rating and 13 share once the smaller markets were factored in.(MotorsportsTV)(6-24-2002)
Michigan TV Ratings: The viewing audience in the smaller markets came through in a big way for the Winston Cup race from Michigan. The overnight ratings representing 65% of the country yielded a 4.1 rating, but the addition of the smaller markets for the final rating bumped that final rating all the way to 4.8, meaning that 5,037,000 households tuned in. For the weekend, only the NBA Finals and U.S. Open golf could beat NASCAR.(MotorsportsTV)(6-21-2002)
Pocono TV Ratings II: The Winston Cup action from Pocono saw a dramatic increase in ratings, with the Dale Jarrett victory pulling in a 5.1 rating and 15 share. This is up 16% from last year’s 4.4 rating and 12 share. Also, the race was up 18% in average viewers (8.0 million vs. 6.8 million). The total number of households reached was 5,393, 000. For the week, it was beaten only by Games 1 to 3 of the NBA Finals and the Belmont Stakes.(MotorsportsTV.com)(6-14-2002)
Early Pocono TV Ratings Up: The Winston Cup overnight ratings from Pocono on Fox turned in a 4.6 rating and 11 share. This is a 7% increase over last year’s overnight of 4.3.(MotorsportsTV)(6-11-2002)
NASCAR Gives FX Biggest Audience Ever: The NASCAR ratings juggernaut paid off in a big way for FX from Dover. The live coverage of the MBNA Platinum 400 delivered a 4.7 rating, reaching 3.65 million households and 5.6 million viewers. These results made it the most-watched telecast in the history of the network. Additionally, the MBNA 400 was the highest-rated show on cable TV last week, even beating out Spongebob Squarepants and WWE wrestling. It helped that The Osbournes wasn’t on, allowing NASCAR to take the weekly crown. For the four Winston Cup races on FX so far this year, the overall rating is up 6% from last year, 25% in total households, 20% in average viewers, and 12% in they key male demo of 18-49 year-old couch potatoes. The large 20% and 25% numbers are due to the rise in the number of households receiving FX.(MotorsportsTV)(6-7-2002)
Coca Cola 600 TV Ratings UPDATE: The overnight ratings from the Winston Cup race at Charlotte show a 4.8 rating and 10 share. This is down 2% from last year’s race in the overnights (4.9/10). However, expect a solid small market bump when Thursday’s final numbers come out, probably a 5.3 or 5.4. Last year’s race finished with a 5.3 rating and 11 share.(MotorsportsTV.com)(5-29-2002) UPDATE: It wasn’t the small market bump that Fox was looking for, but the Coca-Cola 600 did a 5.1 rating and a 11 share, up from a 4.8 overnight. That’s down 4 percent from last year’s performance of a 5.3 rating and 11 share. However, the race powered Fox to a first place finish that night in total prime time ratings among adults 18-49, with a 3.7 rating in that group.(MotorsportsTV)(5-30-2002)
Richmond Ratings: FX’s live coverage of last Saturday and Sunday’s Pontiac Excitement 400 from Richmond drew the 3rd largest audience of any program in the network’s history, delivering a 4.1 household rating, 3.1 million homes, and 4.9 million viewers. The race marked a 20% increase in households and a 7% jump in total viewers compared to FX’s Richmond Winston Cup race last season. The Pontiac Excitement 400 posted the largest audience of any live sports telecast on cable television for the week ending May 5, topping NBA playoff coverage on TNT and TBS; Major League Baseball on ESPN, TBS, and WGN; the NHL on ESPN and ESPN2; the Kentucky Derby coverage on ESPN; and NHRA drag racing on ESPN2. Saturday’s scheduled coverage started 2 hours and 10 minutes late due to rain in which FX posted a 2.9 HH rating, or 2.2 million homes. Both the 66-lap telecast on Saturday and the completed race on Sunday averaged a 4.1 HH rating and 3.1 millions households. Fueled by the two-day coverage of the Pontiac Excitement 400, FX also set a record for the 2nd highest-rated and 2nd most-watched weekend for total day in the network’s history, averaging a 1.25 HH rating, 1 million homes and 1.4 million viewers for the two days. Additionally, FX was the highest-rated basic cable network in total day for the weekend (5/4/02-5/5/02) among Adults 18-49 (0.8 HH), Men 18-49 (1.0 HH), Adults 25-54 (1.0 HH), and M25-54 (1.2 HH). On Friday, May 3, FX’s telecast of the Busch Series race from Richmond posted a 1.7 HH rating, which is a 45% increase compared to the same race a year ago. Season-to-date, Busch Series races on FX are averaging a 1.7 HH rating, up 21% from the 1.4 HH rating through the equal five Busch races of 2001. (MotorsportsTV.com via an FX Press Release)(5-13-2002)
Talladega TV Ratings UPDATE: Sunday’s Winston Cup race from Talladega [on Fox] pulled in an impressive 6.1 overnight rating, up 13% from last year, according to Tuesday’s USA Today. Last year’s race got a big small market bump to finish with a 6.4 final rating.(MotorsportsTV)(4-23-2002) UPDATE: Sunday’s NASCAR Winston Cup Aaron’s 499 at Talladega drew a 6.1 overnight rating and 13 percent market share for Fox, according to figures in today’s Sports Business Daily. Motorsports TV says that the ratings figure for the race is up 13 percent from last year. According to the Sports Business Daily figures, the only weekend sports event with comparable or better ratings was the NBA playoff game featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers, which drew a 7.2/13 for NBC.(Winston Cup Scene daily newsletter)(4-23-2002)
Martinsville TV numbers: FX’s coverage of last weekend’s Cup race from Martinsville drew the network’s highest rating, delivering 3.4 million homes and 5.4 million viewers.(Roanoke Times)(4-17-2002)
Texas TV Ratings: Though rain postponed NASCAR’s race until Monday, Sunday’s race-less telecast on Fox still posted the third-highest sports rating of the weekend. Fox’s 3.1 overnight rating in large markets comprising 68% of the USA for Sunday’s Samsung/Radio Shack 500 rainout trailed only the 4.0 for NBC’s Los Angeles Lakers-Miami Heat NBA game and the 3.9 for NBC’s final round of the BellSouth Classic golf tournament.(USA Today)(4-9-2002)
Bristol TV Ratings: TV Ratings for the Winston Cup race from Bristol were a solid 6.2 rating and 16 share, equal to last year’s rating of 6.2 with a 15 share. The 6.2/16 out-rated the Kansas/Oregon Midwest Regional Final game on CBS (6.0/14) and in the Male 18-49 demo (5.6 vs. 5.3, +6%) and 25-54 (6.2 vs. 5.8, +7%).(MotorsportsTV)(4-2-2002)
Darlington TV Ratings UPDATE: The overnight rating for the Winston Cup race on Fox from Darlington registered a 5.5. The small market bump for the final ratings on Thursday should bring it to 5.8 or 5.9, which would make it short of last year’s 6.1.(MotorsportsTV)(3-19-2002) UPDATE: Sunday’s Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 earned a 5.8/14 9.6 million viewers) on Fox, topping the full-weekend average of CBS’ NCAA Tournament (+12% vs. 5.2/13) and the final round of Tiger Woods’ win on NBC’s Bay Hill Invitational (+12% vs. 5.2/11). The average audience for the Darlington race was larger than the same race last year (+1%, 9.6 million vs. 9.5). Fox’s NASCAR race from Darlington also beat its head-to-head NBA on NBC (Orlando vs. Philadelphia) competition (5.8/11 vs. 1.5/4). For the season-to-date, NASCAR on Fox is averaging a 6.1, 5 percent higher than last year’s record season average of 5.8.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-22-2002)
Atlanta TV Ratings: For the second-consecutive week, FOX earned the highest rating of any weekend sports programming, this time with its broadcast Sunday of the Winston Cup race from Atlanta. The race generated a 6.0 rating/15 share (approximately 10 million viewers), beating out CBS’s NCAA Tournament selection show (5.4/11). NASCAR buried its head-to-head NBC competition, more than tripling the delivery of NBC’s Toronto-Orlando game (+233 percent, 6.0 vs. 1.8). NASCAR also beat that NBA game by enormous margins among male viewers ages 18-49 (+383%, 5.8 vs. 1.2) and men ages 25-54 (+442%, 6.5 vs. 1.2).(ThatsRacin.com)(3-14-2002)
Las Vegas TV Ratings: FOX Sports recorded record numbers for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. The race’s overnight rating of 6.2 was up slightly over last year’s 6.1. It easily dwarfed NBC’s 5.3 rating for the PGA Tour’s Genuity Classic in which Tiger Woods and Ernie Els battled for the win. Final ratings won’t be available until Thursday, but NASCAR ratings typically increase with the final rating. Locally in Las Vegas, the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 drew a 10.5 rating and a 21 share, which means 21 percent of all television sets in use were tuned to the race.(LVMS Site)(3-5-2002)
TV Ratings at the Rock: Fox got a 6.3 rating for its coverage of the Subway 400 from Rockingham last Sunday, which was about 9 percent higher than last year’s races other than the Daytona 500. NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics gold medal hockey game between the United States and Canada, which aired against much of the race telecast, had a 10.7 rating.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-2-2002)
Daytona 500 most watched: Sunday’s NASCAR Winston Cup Series Daytona 500 earned a 10.9 rating/26 share for NBC’s inaugural broadcast of the “Great American Race” becoming the highest-rated and most-viewed broadcast in NASCAR history. NBC’s telecast eclipsed the previous Daytona 500 high of a 10.5 in 1979, as well as last year’s 10.0/24 rating by nine percent. Thirty-five million viewers watched all or part of NBC’s coverage of the Daytona 500, surpassing last year’s previous record of 32 million viewers.(NASCAR PR)(2-18-2002)
