ESPN Earns Best Phoenix Rating, Viewership for Nationwide Series: ESPN2’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday, March 3, earned a 1.7 household coverage rating, averaging 2,438,101 viewers, according to the Nielsen Company. The rating and viewership are the largest for any Nationwide Series race at Phoenix since ESPN returned to live NASCAR race coverage in 2007. The 2012 rating is up 13 percent from last year’s race, which earned a 1.5 and tied the previous mark for the highest. Of the 10 previous Nationwide Series races to air on ESPN networks since 2007, the 1.5 rating had been reached twice, the other coming for the fall race in 2008.(ESPN)(3-6-2012)
