TV RATINGS 2004

  • NASCAR Viewership Increased in 2004: NASCAR said today that all three of its national series drew more television viewers in 2004 than in 2003. Nielsen Media Research figures show that 196 million households tuned in to watch Nextel Cup events in 2004, a 2 percent increase over 2003. The Busch Series drew 52 million households, up 8 percent from 2003, while the Craftsman Truck Series drew 10.5 million households, a 22 percent increase over 2003. NASCAR also said today that an unprecedented 38 races from all three series will be aired during television’s prime-time evening hours this year.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(1-18-2005)
  • ‘3’ does well in the TV Ratings: ESPN’s original movie, “3”, was a huge success delivering a 5.0 HH rating, a record for an ESPN original movie.
    * “3” was the highest rated ESPN movie among M18-34, M18-49, and M25-54.
    * “3” was the most-viewed cable program for the entire day among M18-34, M18-49 and M25-54.
    * From 9pm-11pm on Saturday, “3” was the most-viewed program on television among M18-34, M18-49, and M25-54.
    * “3” was the second highest rated movie on ad-supported cable this year, only behind “Librarian” which delivered a 5.1 HH rating on TNT (12/5).
    With the exception of the NFL, it is a special feat for an ESPN program to deliver a 5.0 rating. This is ESPN’s highest rated EOE
    program and puts it in an elite class. Programs like the MLB Divisional Playoffs and premiere bowl games achieve this level of
    performance.(ESPN PR)(12-15-2004)
    AND Saturday’s presentation of ESPN’s fourth original made-for-television movie, “3”, was the network’s highest-rated movie ever, seen in an average of more than four million households, based on a rating of 5.0, according to the official data released today by Nielsen Media Research. The two-hour portrayal of the late NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt was the second-highest rated movie of 2004 on ad-supported cable. It posted ESPN’s highest movie rating ever among all key male demographics (M18-34, M18-49 and M25-54). In addition, “3” was the most-viewed program on all of TV from 9-11 p.m. that day among men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. “We at ESPN know well the passion of NASCAR fans, and their approval of ‘3’ is the most gratifying endorsement we could receive,” said Mark Shapiro, ESPN executive vice president, programming and production. “3,” presented by Kay Jewelers, an ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE) production, stars Barry Pepper (“We Were Soldiers”, “Saving Private Ryan”, “61*”) as NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt. Spanning from the red dirt tracks of his native Kannapolis, North Carolina to the NASCAR speedways where he won nationwide acclaim and the devotion of millions of fans, “3” tells “The Intimidator’s” incredible life story. Available today on DVD, ESPN Original Entertainment and Buena Vista Home Entertainment present “3.” Packed with five hours of exclusive bonus footage and interviews from the ESPN archives, this two-disc Collector’s Edition DVD is the ultimate account of racing’s legendary hero. Suggested retail price is $29.99.(Sports Business News)(12-15-2004)
    Buy “3” the Book
    Buy “3” the DVD.
    RE-AIR dates/times: listed on my TV Listings page
  • Season TV Ratings up 2%: Final figures show the average rating for all Nextel Cup races this year rose 2% to 5.0, Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal reports. Staff writer Andy Bernstein says most of the gain was attributable to a jump in the 10 races that made up the Chase For The Nextel Cup. Those races averaged a 4.6 household rating, up from 4.1 last year, although last year’s figures were lowered because of a rain delay in one of the races. Bernstein reports that demographic breakdowns show that the ratings for men 18 to 34 fell from 2.9 to 2.8 this year, while the figures for men 18 to 49 remained at 4.1.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(12-8-2004)
  • Chase Finale Ratings Up 38%: NBC’s broadcast of the Nov. 21 Ford 400 Nextel Cup finale earned a final 6.2 rating from Nielsen Media Research, The New York Times reports. The figure is up 37.8 percent from last year’s event. The story says the race was seen by 9.9 million viewers and says the 10 races in the inaugural Chase For The Nextel Cup showed a 12 percent ratings increase, to a 4.6, with an average of 7.3 million viewers per race.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(11-30-2004)
  • Homestead TV Overnight Ratings 47% Up – Charlotte ratings come in 2nd: NBC’s coverage of Sunday’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Ford 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway, delivered a 5.6 overnight rating/11 share the best overnight rating in the event’s six year history, according to Nielsen Media Research. Kurt Busch held-off Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon to win NASCAR’s hotly contested inaugural “Chase for the Nextel Cup.”
    The 5.6/11 (1-5:30pm/et) for the Ford 400 was a 47% gain over the 3.8/8 (1-5:15pm/et) last year when Matt Kenseth clinched the championship at the Ford 400. The 5.6 overnight rating was also a 24% improvement over the previous best overnight rating for the event, a 4.5/9 when Tony’s Stewart clinched the 2002 championship. Since broadcasting the NASCAR Nextel Cup season finale from Homestead-Miami Speedway, NBC has increased the overnight rating 87% from a 3.0/7 in 1999.
    The 5.6 overnight rating for the Ford 400 also marks the best performance ever against Sunday afternoon football competition. The previous high was a 4.7 overnight rating/9 for the 2003 EA Sports 500 from Talladega.
    “We are thrilled with the continued success of NASCAR on NBC and TNT,” said Ken Schanzer, President, NBC Sports. “When the top 4 drivers were separated by just nine points with 72 laps to go it proved positively the wisdom of the “Chase.” In that moment the sport’s burgeoning popularity coupled with the innovative season ending “Chase” and ISC’s investment to create a track worthy of hosting a true championship event, all combined to create exceptional drama.”
    The rating peaked at a 7.1/13 from 5-5:30pm/et as Greg Biffle took the checkered flag to win the race and his teammate Kurt Busch
    clinched the NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship.
    NBC’s “Discover Card Countdown to Green” pre-race show (noon-1pm/et) earned a 2.8/7 up 22% from a 2.3/5 in 2003. The 2.8/7 also outperformed CBS’s “NFL Today” by four% as the hour-long NFL pre-game show earned a 2.7/7 (noon- 1pm/et).
    National ratings will be not be available until next Monday as a result of the Thanksgiving holiday.(NBC PR)(11-22-2004)
    Panthers outdraw Chase finale: Sunday’s Carolina Panthers broadcast edged NASCAR’s Ford 400 in the local ratings. The Panthers got a 15.3 rating, meaning 15.3 percent of the households in the Charlotte area were tuned to the game on Fox (WCCB, Ch. 18). The race got a 12.4 rating on NBC (WCNC, Ch. 36), more than twice the overall national rating, which was a 5.5. The national rating was up 45 percent over the same race in 2003 and up 22 percent from the 2002 numbers, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research.(Charlotte Observer)(11-24-2004)
  • Overnight Darlington TV Ratings Match Chase’s Best UPDATE Final Ratings Up: NBC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Mountain Dew Southern 500 drew an overnight rating of 4.6 and a 9 share from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The overnight rating is up 4.5 percent from the 4.4 the Darlington event drew for NBC on its traditional Labor Day weekend in 2003. The next-to-last race in 2003, the Pop Secret 400 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, was carried on cable’s TNT, so direct comparisons aren’t available. This year’s 4.6 figure from the nation’s largest markets equals the best overnight figures from any of the seven Chase For The Nextel Cup races NBC has broadcast, the 4.6 for the Oct. 3 EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway and the Oct. 16 UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, which was a Saturday night event.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(11-16-2004)
    UPDATE: NBC’s coverage of the Mountain Dew Southern 500 Sunday earned a 5.1 national rating/11 share, the best rating ever for this race and a 50 percent increase over the 3.4/8 share for the comparable date on TNT last year (Rockingham, Nov. 9). Through nine races in NASCAR’s inaugural 10-race “Chase for the Nextel Cup,” the average rating on NBC and TNT is a 4.4/10, up 10
    percent over last year’s 4.0/9 for the same nine telecast dates. “Brian France had a clear vision of how to increase interest in NASCAR,” said Ken Schanzer, President, NBC Sports. “The truly inspired idea for the ‘Chase for the Nextel Cup’ has had its supporters and critics along the way and we’ve all had to be patient to see the results of the new format. As we approach the final showdown, it is clear that the “Chase” is a resounding success. It has significantly increased the attention paid to and the audience watching NASCAR. It has elevated the exposure of drivers and teams both in the Top 10 and out. And it has produced the kind of drama and excitement Brian envisioned when he molded his plan.”
    The record Mountain Dew Southern 500 rating raises the season-to-date NASCAR on NBC and TNT average rating to a 4.4/10 (18 telecasts), a 5 percent increase over last year’s 4.2/10 (19 tc’s). The Mountain Dew Southern 500 rating peaked at 5:30 p.m. with a 6.7/13 as Jimmie Johnson raced to his fourth checkered flag of the “Chase” to position himself in second-place in the Nextel Cup Championship standings, a mere 18 points behind leader Kurt Busch.(NBC PR)(11-16-2004)
  • Overnight Darlington TV Ratings Match Chase’s Best: NBC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Mountain Dew Southern 500 drew an overnight rating of 4.6 and a 9 share from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The overnight rating is up 4.5 percent from the 4.4 the Darlington event drew for NBC on its traditional Labor Day weekend in 2003. The next-to-last race in 2003, the Pop Secret 400 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, was carried on cable’s TNT, so direct comparisons aren’t available. This year’s 4.6 figure from the nation’s largest markets equals the best overnight figures from any of the seven Chase For The Nextel Cup races NBC has broadcast, the 4.6 for the Oct. 3 EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway and the Oct. 16 UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, which was a Saturday night event.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(11-16-2004)
  • Phoenix TV Ratings up 4%: NBC got a 4.9 rating for Sunday’s race at Phoenix, up 4 percent over last year. NBC and TNT are up 5 percent this year from last year in their ratings for the second half of the season. NBC is also up 5 percent in the eight Chase for the Nextel Cup races it has aired, despite losing a portion of its audience to hurricane coverage and damage in the first two weeks of the 10-week “playoff.”(ThatsRacin.com)(11-9-2004)
  • Overnight Phoenix TV Ratings up 2.3%: NBC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Checker Auto Parts 500 from Phoenix International Raceway earned a 4.3 overnight rating and an 8 share from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The 4.3 represents a 2.3 percent increase over last year’s 4.2 overnight figure..(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(11-8-2004)
  • Qualifying does well on Speed: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Qualifying from Atlanta scored a 1.10 (702,000 households), making it the seventh most watched program ever on SPEED. Combined with the replay later in the evening, qualifying
    coverage broke the million-household mark with a cumulative rating of 1.70 (1,082,000 households).(SC PR)(11-2-2004)
  • Early TV Ratings for Atlanta up but…: NBC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway drew a 4.2 overnight rating and a 9 share from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The figures represent a 40 percent increase from the 3.0/6 overnight figures in 2003, but the Daily points out that last year’s numbers cover only the 39 laps of the race run on Sunday before rain forced the rest of the event to be concluded on Monday. The rating is 5 percent higher than the 4.0 overnight rating for last week’s race at Martinsville Speedway.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(11-1-2004)
  • Final Martinsville TV Ratings up 10%: NBC’s broadcast of last Sunday’s Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway drew a 4.4 final rating and a 10 share from Nielsen Media Resarch, the Sports Business Daily reports. The figures represent a 10 percent increase from last year’s 4.0/10 and is even with the same race in 2002. NBC’s four Chase For The Nextel Cup races are averaging a 4.7/10, up 4 percent from a 4.5/9 for the same four races last year, the Daily says.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-26-2004)
  • Early TV Ratings for Martinsville up 14%: NBC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway drew a 4.0 overnight rating from the nation’s largest television markets, thatsracin.com reports. The figure represents a 14.3% increase from last year’s 3.5 overnight figure.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-26-2004)
  • Early TV Ratings for Saturday Night UPDATE up 14%: The Yankees and Red Sox hit the mound on Saturday (Oct. 16) night, bringing enough fans to their television sets to give FOX a 7.9 rating/14 share for the night among households. NBC was second with a 4.9/9, followed by ABC, 4.7/9, and CBS, 4.3/8. FOX also took the title among 18 to 49-year-olds with a 4.5, beating NBC’s 3.0, ABC’s 2.5 and CBS’ 1.9.
    At 8 p.m., FOX started things off with a 7.4/14 while NBC gave over its night to NASCAR [at Lowe’s Motor SPeedway]. ABC revisited one of their sitcom families with the movie “Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers,” averaging a 4.7/9 from 8 to 10 p.m. CBS tried to drum up more viewers with a reairing of Thursday night’s “Survivor,” 2.7/5. FOX shot up to an 8.5/15 at 9 p.m., while NBC and ABC tied for second. CBS rose for the hour, but still came in last place with a rerun of “Cold Case,” 4.5/8. CBS made up for things at 10 p.m., when “48 Hours Mystery” won the hour with a 5.6/11. NBC had its best hour of the night, pulling in a 5.1/10, and ABC finished things off with a repeat of last Sunday’s “Desperate Housewives,” 4.9/9.(Zap2It.com)
    2003 early ratings in 2003 for the race were 4.5 overnight rating and 8 share and the final was 4.3 rating and 8 share.
    2002 final figures for the daytime Sunday running of the race were 5.0/10.(more on my TV Ratings pages)(10-17-2004)
    UPDATE: NBC Sports’ coverage of NASCAR Nextel Cup racing from Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte earned an impressive 4.9 national rating/9 share (7:14-11:36 p.m. ET), a 14% increase over last year’s 4.3/8 (7:34-11:01), according to Nielsen Media Research. The rating was especially significant considering the broadcast faced stiff competition from MLB playoff and college football telecasts. In the four years NBC has broadcast this race the rating has increased 88%, from a 2.6 in 2000.
    Through 14 telecasts, NASCAR Nextel Cup coverage on NBC and TNT has produced a 4.3 national rating, even with last year and especially significant considering hurricanes hampered ratings in multiple key metered markets for two races.
    The race built its audience to a peak of 6.0/11 from 11-11:30pm/et when Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag just in front of his
    teammate Jeff Gordon.(NBC PR)(10-19-2004)
  • Overnight TV Ratings up 5%: NBC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway earned an overnight rating of 4.0 and an 8 share from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The figures represent a 5.3 percent increase from last year’s 3.8/8 overnight for the same race.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-12-2004)
  • Final Talladega TV Ratings down 1.8%: Final Nielsen Media Research numbers show NBC’s broadcast of last Sunday’s EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway drew a 5.4 rating, down 1.8 percent from the 5.5 of 2003.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-8-2004)
  • Overnight TV Ratings for Talladega slip: NBC’s coverage of Sunday’s EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway drew a 4.6 overnight rating and a 9 share from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The overnight rating represents a 2.1 percent drop from last year’s overnight 4.7. The 2003 race went on to earn a final 5.5/12, which NASCAR said was the highest rating any auto race had ever earned against professional football broadcasts.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-4-2004)
  • more on the TV Ratings at Dover will be a bit difficult to gage as last year the race was on NBC [got a big volleyball game instead today], last years ratings at Dover on NBC was 4.2 rating and a 10 share. The story says the race drew 4,591,000 households, which was 27% more than 2002’s household reach when the race was on TNT.(9-26-2004)
    2004 Dover Ratings: but can compare households watching, this week Nielsen and Zap2it.com show the Nextel Cup race at Dover, the 2nd most watched show on cable, behind the NFL game on EPSN [Buccaneers/Raiders]. The race had a 3.2 Rating with 5,001,000 Total Viewers watching.
    HOWEVER: Zap2It shows those watching as 3,453,000 Audience and using the numbers at Nielsen 3.2 x 1,084,000 = 3,468,800 households.. Sixth on the list was something called Nextel/Dover Wreck on TNT, not sure what the heck that means, but it had a 2.9 cable rating and 4,605,000 total viewers watching, still up over last year on NBC. By the way, SpongeBob was 9th on the Nieson list at 2.7 and 2,995,000 and 4th on Zap2it with 3.0 3,268,000. So…is this up, status quo or down?(9-29-2004)
    UPDATE: Nielsen Media Research’s weekly ranking of ratings for television shows on cable channels shows that TNT’s airing of last Sunday’s MBNA America 400 at Dover International Speedway ranked second to an NFL game on ESPN. The Nextel Cup race drew a 3.2 national rating and 5,001,000 viewers to trail the NFL game between Tampa Bay and Oakland, which had a 6.4 rating and 9,436,000 viewers. Because the 2003 Dover race was broadcast on NBC, which reaches far more households than the cable outlet, direct comparisons of the figures aren’t possible. But the 3.9 cable rating for the race was down 3 percent from 2002, when TNT also carried the event. The Philadelphia Daily News reports that the combined NBC/TNT ratings so far are a 4.3, up from 4.2 last year.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-1-2004)
  • TV Ratings for NHIS down 6%: The NHIS race got a 2.8 Cable rating and was tied for sixth most popular basic cable program behind the Dolphins/Bengal NFL game on ESPN [6.2 rating, 9,302,000], the ESPN NFL pre-game show, Law and Order, Sponge Bob Square Pants and the WWE. Total households watching were 3,024,000 as compared to 3,214,00 last year, a 6% drop.(Nielsenmedia.com)(9-22-2004)
  • Big TV Ratings for Richmond….NOT up from 2003 but up 13%: the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond Inernational Raceway on Saturday night televised on TNT, had a rating of 3.5 and total households watching at 3,829,000.(Zap2it.com), however, compared to 2003, the ratings viership was up 500,000 [last year had 3.3 million households, which was down from 2002, which was 3.611 million households]. The Chief’s-Bronco’s NFL game on Sunday [ESPN] was double the race in both rating [6.9] and households [7,527,000]. Some had predicted over an 8.0 rating for the race.
    AND TNT says its airing of Saturday night’s Chevy Rock and Roll 400 from Richmond International Raceway earned a 4.3 national cable rating/3.5 U.S. rating, a 13.2% increase over last year’s 3.8/3.1. This year’s race reached 3.8 million households, compared to 3.4 million in 2003. TNT noted that Saturday’s race was the final event in the contest to determine the field of 10 drivers who will take part in the Chase For The Nextel Cup.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(9-14-2004)
  • Overnight TV Ratings for California: NBC’s broadcast of Sunday night’s Pop Secret 500 from California Speedway was the weekend’s top sports program on television and drew an overnight rating of 4.5 and an 8 share from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. Because of Hurricane Frances, however, some Florida markets were not included. Last year’s Labor Day weekend event, the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, drew a 4.4 overnight rating for NBC and went on to draw final figures of 4.9/13.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(9-8-2004)
  • Bristol TV Ratings Down: The Sharpie 500, televised this past Saturday night from Bristol by TNT, was the 2nd most watched cable program, behind the 2004 Video Music Awards on MTV. The ratings was 3.4 with 5,743,000 viewers, down from 2003 which had a 4.3 Nielsen Media Research rating and 5,958,000 viewers.(Nielsen Media Research Site)(9-3-2004)
  • Michigan TV Rating Down a Tad: TNT’s coverage of last Sunday’s GFS Marketplace 400 Nextel Cup race earned a 4.8 cable rating from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The figure represents a 2 percent decline from last year’s 4.9 cable rating. The Daily also reports that the Aug. 15 Sirius at The Glen from Watkins Glen International earned a 4.4 cable rating and a 3.6 national rating for TNT; the 2003 race aired on NBC.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(8-27-2004)
  • Early Indy TV Ratings same as 2003 UPDATE Ratings up 1.7%: NBC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway drew a 5.5 overnight rating and 12 share from Nielsen Media Research to match last year’s figures, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. Last year’s race went on to record final figures of 6.0/15.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(8-9-2004)
    UPDATE: NBC says final Nielsen Media Research numbers show Sunday’s broadcast of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway earned a 6.1 national rating and 15 share, a 1.7 percent increase from 2003’s 6.0/15. The network says it is the fourth consecutive Nextel Cup telecast on NBC and TNT to post a year-over-year ratings increase. The four NBC/TNT races to date – excluding this year’s Daytona 500 and last year’s Pepsi 400, the two races which NBC alternates with Fox – are averaging 4.9/12, up 6.5 percent over last year’s 4.6/12 for the same four races.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(8-10-2004)
  • TV Ratings up 2% for Pocono: TNT said today that its airing of Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500 Nextel Cup race at Pocono Raceway earned a 4.7 national cable rating/3.8 US rating (4.1 million households). The figures represent a 2 percent increase over last year’s 4.6 national cable rating/3.7 US rating (4 million households). The cable station said the NBC/TNT pairing is averaging a 4.5 US rating through three Nextel Cup races, which is up 7 percent from last year’s 4.2 US rating through the same three races.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(8-3-2004)
  • New Hampshire TV/Cable Ratings: NASCAR fans revved up ratings for TNT’s coverage of the Siemens 300. The Sunday night race was the most watched basic-cable show, with 6.8 million viewers. As usual, HBO’s Six Feet Under [Jayski Fave] was the most watched pay-cable show, with 3.8 million.(Yahoo)
    AND New England doubleheader a hit … In the off-to-a-good-start department, TNT’s season debut at New Hampshire mirrored that of its sister network, NBC, three weeks ago at Chicagoland Speedway. The two networks will televise the second half of the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season, and just as NBC enjoyed significant viewer response in Chicago, TNT scored big last week with its season-opening coverage of the Siemens 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. According to Nielsen Media Research, an
    average of 4,706,000 households tuned in, a 17% increase from 2003. An average of 6,766,000 viewers tuned in, a 15% increase from 2003. The Siemens 300 was the most-watched NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event since premier-series competition began at New Hampshire in 1993. But that’s not all. The NASCAR Busch Series event, the Siemens 200, also was a viewer hit. An average of 1,514,000 households tuned in, a 41% increase from 2003. An average of 1,954,000 viewers tuned in, a 43% increase from 2003. The Siemens 200 was the most-watched NASCAR Busch Series event since that series debuted at New Hampshire in 1990.”(NASCAR PR)(7-28-2004)
  • Final Chicago TV Ratings up 2%: Final Nielsen Media Research numbers show NBC’s broadcast of last Sunday’s Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway drew a 5.5 rating and 13 share, up 1.9 percent from last year’s 5.4/14, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The rating is the highest the Chicago race has drawn since its NBC premiere in 2001.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(7-16-2004)
  • Chicago overnight TV Ratings up 6%: NBC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway drew a 5.2 overnight rating and 11 share from Nielsen Media Research. The overnight rating was up 6.1 percent from the 4.9 last year and represented the highest figure for the race since NBC began carrying it. The Sports Business Daily also reports that NBC’s broadcast of Saturday’s Tropicana Twister 300 Busch Series race drew a 2.1/5 overnight, up 17 percent from the 1.8/5 in 2003.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(7-12-2004)
  • Fox TV Ratings Down II: Fox reports that its NASCAR Nextel Cup ratings dropped three percent this season, as NBC and TNT take over broadcasting the rest of the Cup season with today’s race at Chicagoland Speedway. Greensboro, N.C., was the nation’s No.1 market with a 15.9 rating and a 30 share for Fox’s broadcasts. A rating point is the percentage of TVs tuned to a program relative to the total number of TVs. A share represents the percentage of all TVs turned on that is tuned to that program. Norfolk’s ratings dropped 9 percent. Norfolk’s rating was 9.1 with a 17 share. After Greensboro, the top five markets were Greenville, S.C. (13.6 rating), Charlotte (12.7), Dayton, Ohio, (10.9) and Knoxville, Tenn. (10.2). Overall, Fox’s rating this season was 5.6, down from the 5.8 the network had each of the last three seasons. A rating point equals 1.08 million homes. Fox’s ratings were down 9 percent through the season’s first three races. Network officials blamed the off weekend after the season-opening Daytona 500 for disrupting viewer patterns. After Darlington in March, the network reported a 2 percent increase in the next nine races before dropping at Daytona last weekend. NBC’s ratings dropped two percent last year but could show an increase this season with NASCAR’s new season-ending 10-race championship format.(Ronaoke Times)(7-11-2004)
  • Final Daytona TV Ratings fall 13.3%: Nielsen Media Research says Fox’s broadcast of last Saturday night’s Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway drew a final rating of 5.2 and a 12 share, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The figures represent a drop of 13.3 percent from the 6.0/14 that NBC drew for the race last year but match Fox’s numbers for the race in 2002.(Team Ford Racing)(7-9-2004)
  • Pepsi 400 Early TV Ratings: Fox’s broadcast of Saturday night’s Pepsi 400 from Daytona International Speedway drew an overnight rating of 5.0 and a 10 share from Nielsen Media Research, the Sports Business Daily reports. The figures represent a 2 percent decline from the 5.1/10 overnight figures in 2003, but the race was again the most-watched televised sports event of the weekend.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(7-8-2004)
  • Fox TV Ratings down…more primetime races?: The Fox half of the NASCAR season is over, and the final ratings will come out this week. With Saturday night’s Pepsi 400 not included, Fox’s network telecasts averaged a 5.6 rating, down from 5.8 over the first three years of the TV contract. The reason for the drop in ratings is still not clear, and it’s unknown if NASCAR’s new 26-10 regular season-playoff season system has had any effect. Fox’s David Hill still wants to do more prime-time Nextel Cup races, but it’s still unclear if his bosses will open the schedule for him. He has wanted to put Richmond’s May race on in prime time, but the network bosses have so far vetoed him, leaving it on FX cable. But Phoenix’s race next April, new to the Cup schedule, is already set as a Saturday night race.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-6-2004)
  • Sonoma TV Ratings Down from 2003: Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s Dodge/Save Mart 350 from Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., drew a 4.7 final rating and an 11 share from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The 4.7/11 represents a 2 percent dip versus last year’s event, which drew a 4.8/11.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(7-2-2004)
  • Sonoma TV Ratings Match 2003: Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s Dodge/Save Mart 350 from Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., drew a 4.8 overnight rating and a 10 share from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The figures are identical to the overnight numbers from 2003, when the race wound up with final figures of 4.8/11.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(6-28-2004)
  • Yikes – Michigan TV Ratings off 16.7%: Final Nielsen Media Research numbers show Fox’s broadcast of last Sunday’s DHL 400 at Michigan International Speedway drew a 4.5 rating and 13 share, down 16.7 percent from 2003’s 5.4/16, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The ratings were the lowest for the race since Fox began broadcasting it, the Daily says.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(6-25-2004)
  • Overnight TV Ratings Down 11.1%: Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s DHL 400 Nextel Cup race from Michigan International Speedway drew an overnight rating of 4.0 and a 10 share from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The rating represents a drop of 11.1 percent from the 2003 race, which drew a 4.5/11 overnight and a final 5.4/16. This year’s race trailed both the third and fourth rounds of the U.S. Open golf championship on NBC in the ratings from the nation’s largest television markets.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(6-21-2004)
  • Final Pocono TV Ratings off 1.9%: Fox’s broadcast of last Sunday’s Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway earned a 5.2 national rating and a 14 share from Nielsen Media Research, down 1.9 percent from last year’s 5.3/14. Sports Business Daily figures show Fox averaging a 5.8/14 through 11 races, down 1.7 percent from the 11 comparable races in 2003.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(6-17-2004)
  • Overnight Pocono TV Ratings Down 8%: Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s Pocono 500 from Pocono Raceway drew a 4.7 rating and 11 share overnight from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The figures from the nation’s largest television markets represent an 8 percent drop from last year’s overnight rating of 5.1. ABC’s broadcast of Sunday night’s NBA playoff game between the Lakers and the Pistons was the weekend’s most-watched sports event, drawing a 14.4/23, according to the Daily’s figures.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(6-14-2004)
  • TV Ratings: Indy 500 beats Coke 600? UPDATE or does it? The Indianapolis 500 defeated the Coca-Cola 600 in preliminary overnight Nielsen ratings, despite enduring lengthy rain delays Sunday. ABC’s 4.7 rating for the Indy 500 fell from a 5.1 last year, but it edged out the 4.5 for Fox’s Coca-Cola 600, which declined 8 percent from 2003. Usually, the Indy 500 is over by the time the Coca-Cola 600 begins, but rain delays caused them to compete for two hours. In each half-hour segment from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Eastern, the Indy 500 won, ending with a 4.8 rating from 7 to 7:30, compared with a 4.0 for the Coca-Cola 600. Each overnight ratings point equals 754,274 television households. Viewership did not plummet during the Indy 500’s rain delays, which actually pushed it into a later time period with more viewership. The two rain-delay segments, the first from noon to 2 p.m. and the second from 2:45 to 4:30, rated a 3.6 and a 3.7.(New York Times – need to register)(6-2-2004)
    UPDATE OR? NASCAR’s Coke 600 Overpowers Indy 500 by Widest Margin Ever:
    Sunday’s heated TV viewership rivalry between the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR Nextel Cup’s Coca-Cola 600 produced the widest ratings disparity since 2000. That year however, it was the Indianapolis 500 that topped the Coca-Cola 600 by a margin of +61% (5.5 on ABC vs. 3.4 on TBS). This past Sunday produced an entirely different result. In a further indication of NASCAR’s surging national appeal, the Coca-Cola 600 fired a 5.0 national rating and captured its third consecutive ratings victory over the Indianapolis 500, which posted a 4.1 national rating. The +22% gap over Indy represents the widest margin of victory favoring the Coca-Cola 600 in the history of both events. From a viewership standpoint, NASCAR’s victory was even more impressive as the Coca-Cola 600 generated an average audience of 8.4 million over a 4.5-hour broadcast, while the Indianapolis 500 drew 6.1 million, a difference of + 38%.
    Facts and figures:

    Coca-Cola 600 vs. Indy 500
    HH Rtg – +22% – (5.0 vs. 4.1)
    M18-34 – +200% – (3.0 vs. 1.0)
    M18-49 – +110% – (4.4 vs. 2.1)
    M25-54 – +86% – (5.2 vs. 2.8)
    P2+ – +38% – (8.4 mill vs. 6.1)
    (FoxSports)(6-2-2004)
  • All-Star Race Ratings Fall: FX’s airing of last Saturday night’s Nextel Cup All-Star Challenge earned a 3.6 Nielsen cable rating, a 3 percent decrease from last year’s 3.7, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The telecast averaged 4.8 million viewers, down 2 percent from 4.9 million in ’03.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-28-2004)
  • Richmond TV Ratings Fall: Last Saturday’s Chevy American Revolution 400 Nextel Cup race at Richmond International Raceway drew a 3.8 Nielsen cable rating for FX, according to today’s Sports Business Daily. The figure is down 7.3 percent from the 4.1 it drew on the same station in 2003. The Daily says the race reached 3.160 million households and 5.053 million viewers, making it the sixth most-viewed program in the station’s history. FX drew a 1.4 rating for last Friday’s Funai 250 Busch Series race, reaching 1.189 million households and 1.698 million viewers.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-22-2004)
  • Final California TV Ratings up 15% AND: Fox’s broadcast of last Sunday’s Auto Club 500 at California Speedway earned a 6.1 rating and a 14 share in final Nielsen Media Research figures, a 15.1 percent increase over last year’s 5.3. Fox says that through nine races this season it is averaging a 5.9 rating, up 2 percent from last year’s 5.8. Friday’s Sports Business Daily also will report that final figures for the May 1 Stater Brothers 300 Busch Series race on Fox earned a 1.9/5, down 5.0 percent from a 2.0/5 in 2003 and down 20.8 percent from a 2.4/6 in 2002.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-6-2004)
    AND The Auto Club 500, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race held last Sunday at California Speedway, was the second most-watched sporting event of the weekend. The Auto Club 500 also finished as the highest-rated NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event in the speedway’s history. An average of 9,817,000 viewers tuned in the Auto Club 500, a 19% increase over the viewers that tuned in to the 2003 event. An average of 6,577,000 households tuned in to the Auto Club 500, a 17% increase over the households that tuned in to the 2003 event. The Auto Club 500, won by four-time series champion Jeff Gordon, ranked second only to the 130th running of the Kentucky Derby. It out-rated the Los Angeles Lakers-San Antonio Spurs NBA playoff game, which it aired directly against. The Auto Club 500 also aired directly against the PGA, AFL, NHL Playoffs, MLB and LPGA. Several key markets have shown year-to-date household viewing increases in 2004. They are Orlando (39%), Miami (31%), Dallas (28%), Los Angeles (19%), New York (10%), Atlanta (15%) and Seattle (19%). The largest growing demographic viewer groups for the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series are females ages18-24 (a 27% increase over 2003), females ages18 to 34 (20%) and males ages 18-24 (11%).(Figures compiled by Nielsen Media Research.)(NASCAR PR)(5-7-2004)
  • Overnight California TV Ratings up 14%: Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s Auto Club 500 at California Speedway drew a 5.6 overnight rating and an 11 share from Nielsen Media Research, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The rating is 14.3 percent higher than the 4.9 overnight figure the race drew in 2003, when it wound up with a final figure of 5.3/13. For the weekend, the race trailed the 8.3/18 that NBC drew for its Kentucky Derby coverage and the 6.0/12 that ABC drew for Sunday’s NBA playoff game between the Lakers and the Spurs.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-3-2004)
  • Talladega TV Ratings: The 2004 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway television rating improved 2% to a 6.3 on Sunday, April 25, up from last year’s 6.2. On average, over 10.1 million viewers watched Jeff Gordon win his 65th career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. The 6.3 rating makes Talladega Superspeedway the second highest NEXTEL Cup race telecast on FOX this year, following North Carolina Speedway’s 6.6 rating in February [the track that is supposed to lose a race?]. When the caution flag came out with four laps to go, Jeff Gordon was listed ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and went on to take the checkered flag. FOX’s rating peaked at an 8.0 rating during the final half-hour of the Aarons’s 499 telecast, up 8% from last years numbers.(Talladega Superspeedway PR)(4-30-2004)
  • Overnight Talladega TV Ratings Up: Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 from Talladega Superspeedway drew a 5.9 rating and 13 share in overnight Nielsen Media Research numbers from the nation’s largest television markets, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The rating is up 3.5 percent from the 5.7 overnight figure from last year’s spring race, which drew final figures of 6.2/15. The race was the top-rated sports event of the weekend, edging the 5.813 that ABC drew for the NBA playoff game between the Lakers and the Rockets. Saturday’s Aaron’s 312 Busch Series race drew a 2.1/5 on Fox.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-26-2004)
  • TV Ratings Up for Martinsville UPDATE: NASCAR says 7 percent more viewers watched Fox’s broadcast of last Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts 500 from Martinsville Speedway than in 2003. NASCAR says an average of 8,552,000 viewers and an average of 5,887,000 households tuned in. No Nielsen Media Research ratings were cited. For the year, NASCAR says both viewership and household numbers for the Nextel Cup Series are up 3 percent.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-23-2004)
    AND Fox’s broadcast of last Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville Speedway drew a final Nielsen Media Research rating of 5.4 and a 14 share, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The rating is 1.9 percent higher than last year’s 5.3 final figure.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-23-2004)
  • Early Martinsville TV Ratings: The lengthy red flag in Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville Speedway apparently provided a boost to Fox’s ratings for the event. Today’s Sports Business Daily reports that Fox drew a 4.4 rating and 11 share in overnight Nielsen Media Research numbers for the race from 1:30 to 3:45 p.m., a rating that was below last year’s 4.6 overnight figure. But the event was prolonged for more than an hour by a red flag for track repairs, and the figures jumped to 5.4/11 from 5 to 6:45 p.m. Both portions wound up as the weekend’s two highest rated sports events. The final results for last year were 5.3/14.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-19-2004)
  • Final Texas TV Ratings Down: Fox’s broadcast of the April 4 Samsung/RadioShack 500 from Texas Motor Speedway drew a final Nielsen Media Research rating of 6.0, the Sports Business Daily reports. The figure represents a 4.8 percent drop from last year’s 6.3. A Dallas Morning News story says overall NASCAR ratings on Fox are down 5 percent this year.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter). , The Nextel Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway scored a 6.0 in the national ratings. That’s down from last year’s 6.3. Overall, NASCAR’s ratings on Fox going into the Easter break are down 5 percent. In Dallas-Fort Worth, the local rating was up 32 percent from a 5.6 to a 7.4. The rating in Dallas-Fort Worth was 11th best in the nation. Three Carolina markets were 1-2-3. Greensboro, N.C. (17.3) topped the list, followed by Greenville, S.C. (14.1) and Charlotte (12.9).(Dallas Morning News) (4-12-2004)
  • Incomplete Early TV Ratings for Texas: Incomplete overnight Nielsen Media Research numbers show Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s Samsung/RadioShack 500 drew a 5.6 rating and a 13 share, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The Daily says Nielsen’s overnight numbers do not include figures from Albuquerque, N.M. Last year, the race drew a 5.8/12 overnight and final figures of 6.3/14.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-5-2004)
  • Bristol Final TV Ratings up 18%: Final Nielsen Media Research numbers show that ratings for Fox’s broadcast of last Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway increased 18 percent from last year, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. Final figures show the race with a 6.0 rating and a 15 share, up from 2003’s 5.5/13. The 6.0 rating ranked the race third among the weekend’s sporting events behind a pair of NCAA Tournament basketball games. In 2002, Fox’s broadcast of the Food City 500 from Bristol pulled a 6.2/16.(NASCAR Scene Daily ‘Free’ Newsletter)(4-2-2004)
  • Bristol Overnight TV Ratings Up: Nielsen Media Research’s overnight numbers from the nation’s largest television markets show Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s Food City 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway drew a 5.2 rating and 12 share, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The 5.2 represents a 2 percent increase over the 5.1 reported overnight in 2003, when ratings for most sports events were down from a year earlier because of coverage of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-29-2004)
  • Final Darlington TV Ratings Off 5.1%: Final Nielsen Media Research numbers show that Fox’s broadcast of last Sunday’s Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 from Darlington Raceway drew a 5.6 rating and 14 share, a 5.1 percent decline from 2003’s 5.9/15, the Sports Business Daily reports.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-26-2004)
  • Darlington Overnight TV Ratings down: Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway drew a 5.2 rating and an 11 share in overnight Nielsen Media Research numbers, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The numbers represent a 5.5 percent decline from last year’s overnight figures of 5.5./13 for the race, which drew final figures of 5.9/15.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-22-2004)
  • Final Atlanta TV Ratings down 10.9%: Fox’s broadcast of last Sunday’s Golden Corral 500 Nextel Cup race wound up as the weekend’s most-watched sports event but its 5.7 rating in final Nielsen Media Research figures was off 10.9 percent from last year. The Sports Business Daily reports the race drew the 5.7 rating and 14 share, up from the 5.3/12 in the overnight reports from the nation’s largest markets but below last year’s final 6.4/16. NASCAR notes that all four Nextel Cup races this year have been the most-watched sports events on their weekends. It says an average of 6,145,000 households and 8,489,000 viewers tuned in to the Atlanta race. The Daily says Fox’s three-race Nextel Cup average is 6.1/15, off 9 percent from 6.7/16 through its first three non-Daytona races last year.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-19-2004)
  • Overnight TV Ratings for Atlanta – down from 2003: Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s Golden Corral 500 from Atlanta Motor Speedway drew the highest overnight rating of all sports broadcasts this weekend but dropped 11.7% from last year. Today’s Sports Business Daily says Nielsen Media Research numbers show the race with a 5.3 rating and 12 share from the nation’s largest television markets. CBS’ broadcast of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament selections was second with a 5.0/9. In 2003, the Atlanta race drew overnight figures of 6.0/14 and final figures of 6.4/16.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-15-2004)
  • Final Vegas TV Ratings: Final Nielsen Media Research numbers show that ratings for Fox’s broadcast of last Sunday’s UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 fell 16 percent from last year, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. Final figures show the race with a 5.8 rating and a 14 share, down from 2003’s 6.9/15 and off 10 percent from 2002’s 6.4/13.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-12-2004)
  • Vegas TV Ratings Down: Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 drew the highest overnight rating of weekend sports events, but its 5.5 rating and 12 share were 13 percent lower than last year’s 6.3/13, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The race easily outdrew ABC’s 3.7/8 for Sunday’s National Basketball Association game between the Lakers and the Nets and NBC’s 3.2/7 for Sunday’s final round of the PGA Tour’s Ford Championship. Last year’s final rating for the race on Fox was a 6.4/13.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-9-2004)
  • Rockingham TV Ratings: Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s Subway 400 Nextel Cup race from North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham was the most-watched sports program of the weekend, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. Overnight Nielsen Media Research figures from the nation’s largest markets show the race drew a 6.3 rating and 14 share to easily outdistance the 4.4/9 that ABC drew for Sunday’s final round of the PGA Tour’s Nissan Open. The Daily says Fox’s 6.3/14 was even with last year’s overnight 6.3/13, but up 11 percent from the 2002 race, also on Fox. Final figures for the 2003 race were 6.7/16.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(2-23-2004)
  • Strong Ratings for Speed Channel during Speedweeks: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series kicked off its second exclusive season with SPEED Channel in grand fashion, scoring a Nielsen Rating of 1.61 (980,000 households). SPEED’s household delivery was up 70 percent from just a year ago, when the season opener scored a 1.03 with 576,000 households. The Florida Dodge Dealers 250 peaked at a rating of 1.90 from 9:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. ET, putting the race in more than one million households (1,156,000). Capturing a younger audience, the Men 18-49 rating was 1.31, with a peak of 1.69 (629,000 households) — the highest rated M18-49 and HH telecast on SPEED since the network started receiving daily overnights and up 82 percent from a year ago.
    The Truck Series finished off a string of strong SPEED Channel ratings from Daytona, including a 1.36 Nielsen mark for the ARCA race and a .77 (466,000 households) for the inaugural Crown Royal International Race of Champions on SPEED Channel. The replay of the IROC race later in the evening scored a .81 (493,000 households).
    A lot went into SPEED Channel’s Daytona effort that gave race fans more than 70 hours of programming from NASCAR’s season-opening Speed Weeks. With 21 Speed Weeks on SPEED Channel studio segments totaling more than 14 hours and on-track coverage that included 24 blocks of practice, qualifying and racing totaling more than 40 hours, SPEED Channel was LIVE for more than 40 hours. In addition, Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain loaded heavy with NASCAR names like Buddy Baker, Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip and Robert Yates, wrapping up with a Monday interview with Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. The gang from Trackside broke in the new 53-foot traveling stage truck with nightly programs from just outside Daytona USA, capping off Speed Weeks with a live-audience show on Feb. 13 that scored a cumulative rating of .93. In delivering more than 70 hours of Daytona coverage, SPEED Channel used a 29-member production staff, 24 on-air personalities and 64 technicians. SPEED also utilized about 125 NBC personnel to assist with on-track production.(SPEED Channel PR)[Jayski Note: all I can say is: great coverage and thanks!](2-18-2004)
  • Daytona 500 TV Ratings Mixed AND: Overnight Nielsen Media Research numbers show mixed results for NBC’s coverage of Sunday’s Daytona 500. Today’s Sports Business Daily says the season-opening Nextel Cup race drew a 10.4 rating and a 21 share in the overnight Nielsen figures. That number is up 13 percent from last year’s 9.2/18 overnight figures for Fox’s rain-shortened telecast, but it was down 4 percent from NBC’s 10.8/23 overnight in 2002. (Final figures for the 2002 broadcast on NBC were 10.9/26). Still the race was by far the biggest sports event on television over the weekend. NBC’s “Discover Card Countdown to Green” pre-race show between noon and 1:30 p.m. was the second-highest draw with a 5.7/12, according to the Daily.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(2-17-2004)
    AND The Daytona 500 drew its second-highest TV rating since live broadcasts of the race began in 1979. NBC’s broadcast of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s victory Sunday got a 10.6 national rating and was seen by 33.5 million viewers. Only the 2002 Daytona 500 did better, with a 10.9 rating and 35 million viewers. NBC aired that race during the middle Sunday of its Salt Lake City Olympic coverage. Last year’s race, which was delayed twice and then shortened by rain, drew a 9.8 rating on Fox. Sunday’s rating peaked from 4:30-5 p.m., shortly before Earnhardt finished, with an 11.6 rating. The 1979 race now drops to third among live broadcasts with a 10.5 national rating. The rating is the percentage of U.S. TV homes tuned to a program, and each point represents 1,084,000 homes.(Yahoo/AP)(2-17-2004)
  • Daytona 500 Qualifying TV Ratings: NBC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Daytona 500 qualifying session drew the second-highest overnight ratings of weekend sports events on broadcast television, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. Overnight Nielsen Media Research numbers show the qualifying session drew a 3.4 rating and an 8 share, trailing only the 3.9/8 that CBS drew for Sunday’s final round of the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament. Among the events that trailed were the National Hockey League All-Star Game on ABC (2.5/5) and the NBA game between the Lakers and Magic on ABC (3.2/7).(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(2-10-2004)

Born on Date: February 10, 2004