2015 NASCAR TV Ratings

• Overall 2015 TV Ratings: The first season of NASCAR’s new television deal was good for its television partners, if not quite for the sport. The 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season averaged 5.1 million viewers across FOX, Fox Sports 1, NBC and NBCSN, according to Sports Business Daily – down 4% from last year on FOX, TNT, ESPN and ABC (5.3M) and down 12% from 2013 across the same four networks (5.8M). The Chase For the Cup in particular averaged 4.1 million viewers on NBC and NBCSN, down 6% from last year on ESPN and ABC (4.4M). Keep in mind that excludes races from Charlotte and Phoenix, both of which moved from NBC to NBCSN due to rain. The season both started and ended well, with increases for the opening three races from Daytona, Atlanta and Las Vegas as well as for the finale from Homestead. In between, however, 24 of the 28 races that could be compared to last year had declines in ratings and/or viewership. Despite the downward trend, NASCAR coverage benefited new broadcast partners Fox Sports 1 and NBCSN. This year’s Sprint Cup slate accounted for six of the 15 largest audiences on FS1 since it rebranded from Speed Channel in 2013, with Martinsville (4.1M) and Dover (3.9M) ranking among the top ten. For NBCSN, NASCAR races delivered the four largest audiences in the history of the network (previously VERSUS and OLN) and five of the top ten, with the caveat that some highly viewed Olympic events were not counted as distinct programs. Since it began airing NASCAR coverage in July, NBCSN has averaged 183,000 total-day viewers – up 120% increase over last year, the highest year-over-year increase for any cable network over that span.(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)(12-5-2015)
• Homestead TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Homestead, the final race in the Chase For the Sprint Cup, had a 4.4 overnight rating on NBC and NBCSN Sunday – up 52% from last year (2.9) and up 63% from 2013 (2.7), both on ESPN. Kyle Busch’s win, which clinched the Sprint Cup, scored the highest overnight for NASCAR’s season finale since 2005, when the race drew a 4.8 on NBC. The last time the race aired on a broadcast network, 2009, it had a 3.2 overnight on ABC. The last time it aired on NBC, 2006, it had a 4.3. Overall, the 4.4 overnight is the fourth-highest ever for the annual Homestead race, which began in 1999 – trailing only 2005, 2004 (5.6) and 2002 (4.5). It is also the highest for a Sprint Cup race since Atlanta in March (5.1) and the third-highest of the season overall, trailing only Atlanta and the Daytona 500 (7.3). Sunday’s race benefited from several factors. Jeff Gordon was participating in his final race and had a chance to win the championship. The race aired on two networks, which usually provides a bump. Most importantly, rain pushed the finish into primetime – preempting the first 50 minutes of NBC’s Football Night in America.(Sports Media Watch / NBC Sports PR Twitter.(11-23-2015)
  UPDATE: NBC Sports Group presented the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship last night (Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015), featuring the primary broadcast on NBC and spotlight coverage of the four drivers racing for the 2015 title on NBCSN. After the smoke cleared from Kyle Busch’s victory burnouts and fans witnessed the final bow of Jeff Gordon’s iconic career, fast national data provided by The Nielsen Company shows that the event was the most-watched NASCAR Championship in a decade. The 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship on NBC and NBCSN averaged 7.64 million viewers and posted a combined 4.42 national HH rating, marking increases of +46% (vs. 5.22 million) and +41% (vs. 3.14 HH), respectively, over last year’s presentation on ESPN. The 7.64 million viewers make last night’s event the most-watched NASCAR season finale since NBC presented the championship event in 2005 (9.46 million). Viewing peaked from 7:45P-7:56 p.m. ET with nearly 12.4 million average viewers as Kyle Busch battled Kevin Harvick for the title, ranking as the largest peak audience for NASCAR since the 2015 Daytona 500. Last night’s race stands as NASCAR’s most-watched Fall race (Sept-Nov) since 2006’s Charlotte race on NBC (7.797 million)(NBC)(11-23-2015)
• Phoenix TV Ratings UPDATE: Rain delayed and shortened NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Phoenix, the ninth race in the Chase For the Cup, had a 1.3 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday night (2.238 million viewers). The race had a 2.8 last year and a 2.5 in 2013, when it was run as scheduled on ESPN. The 1.3 is the lowest for a delayed or postponed race this season (six races), trailing Charlotte last month (1.4), Bristol in April (1.4), Kansas in May (1.5), Daytona in July (2.6) and Richmond in April (3.1). Rain delay coverage drew a 1.5 on NBC earlier in the day.(Sports Media Watch/Showbuzz)
  UPDATE: Rain-delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Phoenix, the ninth race in the Chase For the Cup, drew a 1.4 final rating and 2.2 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday night. The race had a 3.1 and 5.1 million last year and a 2.7 and 4.3 million in 2013, when coverage aired as scheduled on ESPN. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Sprint Cup telecast this season – including exhibitions – falling below the previous marks of 1.5 and 2.6 million for the delayed Bristol race on Fox Sports 1 in April.(Sports Media Watch / TV Media Insights)(11-20-2015)
• Texas TV Ratings UPDATE: A move from cable to broadcast gave NASCAR’s Chase For the Cup a bump in the overnights. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Texas, the eighth race in the Chase For the Cup, earned a 2.6 overnight rating on NBC Sunday afternoon – up a tick from last year (2.5) and up 13% from 2013 (2.3), both on ESPN. The 2.6 is the highest for the fall Texas race since 2011 (2.8). The 2.6 is also the highest for any Chase For the Cup telecast this year, topping the previous high of 2.5 for Talladega on NBCSN, and the highest for any Sprint Cup race overall since Darlington on NBC over Labor Day weekend (3.4). All four NASCAR races on NBC this season have had an increase in overnight ratings, with the caveat that the comparable races last year each aired on cable. With that said, the numbers are not spectacular for broadcast television. The last time the Texas race aired on broadcast, 2009, it had a 3.1 on ABC. The last time it aired on NBC, 2006, it had a 4.0.(ShowBuzz Daily / Sports Media Watch)(11-10-2015)
  UPDATE: The AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, broadcast this past Sunday on NBC, earned the highest Nielsen Rating among the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races broadcast to date. The AAA Texas 500, the eighth race in the 10-event championship play-off style format and middle race of the Eliminator 8 Round, pulled a 2.7 rating and 4.551 million average viewers to rank as the most-watched Chase race to date. The rating and viewership topped the GEICO 500 Chase race at Talladega on Oct. 25 that drew a 2.6 rating and 4.2 million cable viewers on NBC Sports Network. The AAA Texas 500 showed a 9% increase in U.S. households and 10% increase in average viewers than the previous Chase race broadcast on NBC, the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas on Oct. 18. The viewership peaked in the final full quarter hour (4:45-5 p.m. CT) with a 3.95 U.S. Household Rating and 6.615 million viewers as #48-Jimmie Johnson registered his fourth consecutive AAA Texas 500 win and completed a Sprint Cup season sweep at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS), last year on ESPN, the race garnered a 2.8 rating with 4.749 million viewers.(11-13-2015)
• Martinsville TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR’s final race on cable this season had another decline in the metered markets. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Martinsville, the seventh race in the Chase For the Cup, had a 1.9 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday afternoon – down 17% from last year and 2013, which both aired on ESPN (2.3). The 1.9 is the second-highest of this year’s Chase For the Cup on cable, trailing only a 2.5 for Talladega the previous week. The four other races on cable, not including rescheduled action from Charlotte, had either a 1.7 or 1.8. Overnight ratings have now declined for 18 of the 19 Sprint Cup races on cable this season, with Kentucky in July the lone exception. That race, which was even in the metered markets, ended up declining in the final tally. Despite the relatively low numbers, NASCAR on NBCSN easily topped Formula 1 racing from Mexico on the NBC broadcast network (0.6).(ShowBuzz Daily / Sports Media Watch)
  See past race TV Ratings, five-year comparison chart and more on the 2015 TV Ratings page.(11-4-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Martinsville drew a 2.0 final rating and 3.3 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 20% in ratings and 18% in viewership from last year (2.5, 4.1M) and down 26% and 22%, respectively, from 2013 (2.7, 4.3M), both on ESPN. Ratings and viewership were the lowest for the fall Martinsville race since at least 2000, falling below the previous lows of 2.4 (twice) and 3.6 million (2012). As recently as 2005, it had a 4.7 and 7.1 million on the NBC broadcast network. The race completed an inauspicious debut for NASCAR’s new cable partners NBCSN and Fox Sports 1, as all 19 Sprint Cup races on cable this season hit either a record-low or the lowest marks in over a decade. That does not include the recent Charlotte race, which moved from NBC to NBCSN due to rain. The multi-year lows are no surprise considering both NBCSN and FS1 were in fewer than 85 million homes as of July. Previous cable partners ESPN and TNT were north of 90 million, even after having shed subscribers. Based on the numbers, one might conclude that NASCAR’s new television deal has been unsuccessful. In fact, it has worked out quite well for the parties involved. NBCSN and FS1 have generated some of their largest audiences ever, and NASCAR managed to substantially increase its rights fees – even though incumbents Turner Sports and ESPN declined to submit a bid. This year’s historically low numbers also have a silver lining, setting the bar low enough that next season’s races could hold steady or even increase.(Sports Media Watch)(11-8-2015)
• Talladega TV Ratings UPDATE: Overnight ratings dropped again for NASCAR’s Chase For the Cup, but Talladega scored the sport’s top overnight rating in over six weeks. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Talladega, the sixth race in the Chase For the Cup, drew a 2.5 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday afternoon – down 7% from last year and 2013, when coverage aired on ESPN (2.7 both years), and the 17th of 18 races on cable this year to have a decline in overnights. Despite the decline, the 2.5 overnight is the highest for any NASCAR race since Darlington on Labor Day weekend, which aired on the NBC broadcast network (3.4). The previous mark over that span was a 2.2 for Kansas the week before, which also aired on NBC. The 2.5 is also tied as the second-highest overnight for NASCAR on cable this season, matching Pocono in August and Martinsville on Fox Sports 1 in March. The only race to have a higher overnight on cable was the Brickyard 400, which drew a 2.9 on NBCSN in July. Head-to-head, NASCAR on NBCSN more-than-tripled competing coverage of the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix on NBC (0.7).(ShowBuzz Daily / Sports Media Watch) See past race TV Ratings, five-year comparison chart and more on the 2015 TV Ratings page.(10-27-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR hit another set of historical lows for Sunday’s race at Talladega, but the numbers were more than good enough for NBCSN. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Talladega, the sixth race in the Chase For the Cup, drew a 2.6 final rating and 4.2 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon – down 13% in ratings and 11% in viewership from last year (3.0, 4.8M) and down 16% and 14%, respectively, from 2013 (3.1, 4.9M), both of which aired on ESPN. Joey Logano’s third straight win ranks as the lowest rated fall Talladega race since at least 2000 and the least-watched since at least 2001, each falling below the marks set last year. All 18 NASCAR races on cable this season have either hit a record-low in ratings and viewership or the lowest marks in at least ten years. Though low historically, Sunday’s race performed well for NBCSN. It tied the third-highest rating ever on the network (previously VERSUS and OLN), trailing only the 2014 Canada/USA Olympic hockey semifinal (2.7) and this year’s Brickyard 400 (3.0). It also scored the fourth-largest audience in network history, trailing NASCAR from the Brickyard (4.7M), Michigan (4.3M) and Pocono (4.3M). The race also ranks as the highest rated and most-watched of this year’s Chase For the Cup, topping the previous highs of 2.5 and 4.0 million for Kansas on the NBC broadcast network, and the top race overall since Darlington on NBC Labor Day weekend (3.7, 5.9M).(Sports Media Watch)(10-29-2015)
• Kansas TV Ratings UPDATE: Back on broadcast television, NASCAR’s Chase For the Cup had a modest improvement in the metered markets. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kansas, the fifth race in the Chase For the Cup, drew a 2.2 overnight rating on NBC Sunday afternoon – up 10% from last year (2.0) and down a tick from 2013 (2.3), both of which aired on ESPN. The race drew a 2.6 overnight when it last aired on broadcast in 2009, and a 3.4 when it last aired on NBC in 2006. The 2.2 is the lowest ever for a Chase For the Cup race on broadcast television, and the lowest for any Sprint Cup race on broadcast since at least 2004. In both cases, the previous mark was a 2.5 for the 2009 New Hampshire race on ABC. Every other race on broadcast this season has earned at least a 2.6 overnight. Having said that, the 2.2 is still better than what NASCAR has been pulling on cable. It ranks as the highest overnight of this year’s Chase For the Cup, topping the previous mark of 1.8 for Chicago and Dover, and tops every NASCAR race on cable since mid-August – when Michigan drew a 2.4 on NBCSN. In addition, Sunday’s race was the first since Darlington – which also aired on broadcast – to have a year-over-year increase.(Sports Media Watch)(10-20-2015)
  UPDATE: A move from cable to broadcast gave NASCAR a much needed boost in the ratings, but the numbers were still low historically. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kansas, the fifth race in the Chase For the Cup, earned a 2.5 final rating and 4.0 million viewers on NBC last Sunday – up 8% in ratings and 12% in viewership from last year (2.3, 3.6M) but down 5% and 3%, respectively, from 2013 (2.6, 4.2M), both of which aired on ESPN. The last time the race aired on broadcast, 2009, it had a 3.2 and 5.3 million on ABC. The last time it aired on NBC, 2006, it had a 4.0 and 6.3 million. Joey Logano’s win ranks as the highest rated and most-watched Chase For the Cup telecast this year, easily topping the previous highs of 1.9 and 3.2 million. It also ranks as the first NASCAR race since Darlington, which also aired on NBC, to have an increase in ratings or viewership. With that said, the race also ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Chase For the Cup telecast ever on broadcast television — falling below the previous mark of 2.9 and 4.7 million for the 2009 Martinsville race on ABC. Overall, the 2.5 rating is the lowest for any Sprint Cup race on broadcast since at least the 2003 season.(Sports Media Watch)(10-24-2015)
• Charlotte TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Charlotte, the fourth race in the Chase for the Cup, drew a 1.4 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday afternoon. The race was originally scheduled to air Saturday night on the NBC broadcast network, but was postponed due to rain. Last year’s race, which aired on ABC in its scheduled timeslot, drew a 2.9 overnight.(Sports Media Watch)
  See past race TV Ratings, five-year comparison chart and more on the 2015 TV Ratings page.(10-13-2015)
  UPDATE: Delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Charlotte, the fourth race in the Chase For the Cup, drew 2.7 million viewers on NBCSN last Sunday afternoon – the second-smallest Sprint Cup audience of the season. The race was originally scheduled to air Saturday night on the NBC broadcast network, but was postponed due to rain. Last year’s race, which aired as scheduled on ABC, drew 5.1 million viewers.(Sports Media Watch via ShowBuzz Daily)(10-18-2015)
• Dover TV Ratings: For the fourth straight week, NASCAR failed to attract 2% of metered market households. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Dover, the third race in the Chase For the Cup, drew a 1.8 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday afternoon – down 14% from last year (2.1) and down 18% from 2013 (2.2), both of which aired on ESPN. The 1.8 is tied as the fourth-lowest Sprint Cup overnight of the season. Five of the past six Sprint Cup races have had less than a 2.0 overnight, with New Hampshire (1.7), Chicago (1.8), Richmond (1.7) and Bristol (1.9) joining Sunday’s race. Overnight ratings have now declined for 16 of 17 Sprint Cup races on cable this season, with Kentucky in July the lone exception. That race, which was even in the metered markets, ended up declining in the final tally. There are only two more races on cable this season, Talladega at the end of the month and Martinsville in November.(Sports Media Watch)(10-6-2015)
• UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Dover drew 3.2 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 14% from last year (3.8M) and down 18% from 2013 (4.0M), both of which aired on ESPN. The rating was not immediately available. Kevin Harvick’s win ranks as the least-watched edition of the race since at least 2001, falling below the previous mark of 3.6 million in 2012. The race had 5.5 million viewers as recently as 2007 on broadcast network ABC. All 17 NASCAR races on cable this season have either had record-low viewership or the smallest audience in more than ten years. The race also earned the third-smallest audience ever for a Chase For the Cup telecast (dates back to 2004). This year’s three Chase telecasts rank as the three least-watched ever, with last week’s New Hampshire race dead last (2.9M). Six NASCAR races this season have had fewer than 3.5 million viewers, compared to zero in the nine previous seasons combined (excluding rainouts).(Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily)(10-8-2015)
• New Hampshire TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR continues to struggle in the first year of its new television deal. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from New Hampshire drew a 1.7 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday, down 23% from both last year and 2013, when the race aired on ESPN (2.2). The 1.7 is tied as the second-lowest for any NASCAR race this season, matching Richmond two weeks earlier and ahead of only Kansas on Fox Sports 1 in May (1.5). So far this season, five Sprint Cup races have failed to hit a 2.0 overnight rating – compared to zero such races last year. Sunday’s race was the 15th of 16 on cable this season to have a decline in overnight ratings, with the July race from Kentucky the lone exception. This year is the first of a new NASCAR TV deal that moved races to NBCSN and FS1 from the more widely available ESPN and TNT.(ShowBuzz Daily / Sports Media Watch)(9-29-2015)
  UPDATE: For the second straight week, NASCAR’s Chase For the Cup hit a record-low on NBCSN. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from New Hampshire drew a 1.8 final rating and 2.9 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 25% in ratings and 24% in viewership from last year (2.4, 3.9M) and down 25% and 21%, respectively, from 2013 (2.4, 3.7M), both of which aired on ESPN. Excluding rainouts, the race ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Chase For the Cup telecast ever (112 telecasts dating back to 2004). The previous low was set by the Chicago race one week earlier (1.9, 3.2M). It also ranks as the lowest rated fall New Hampshire race since at least 2000 and the least-watched since at least 2001. Ratings and viewership have now declined for all sixteen NASCAR races on cable this season, with each either hitting a record-low or the lowest marks in over a decade.(Sports Media Watch)(10-2-2015)
• Updated Chicago TV Ratings: NASCAR’s ratings slump has continued into the Chase For the Cup. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Chicago, the first race in the Chase For the Cup, earned a 1.8 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday afternoon – down 18% from last year on ESPN (2.2). The 2013 race featured multiple rain delays and moved from ESPN to ESPN2, earning a 1.6 overnight across both networks. The 1.8 overnight is the third-lowest of the season for NASCAR on any network, ahead of only Richmond the previous week (1.7) and Kansas on Fox Sports 1 in May (1.5). It is also the lowest for a Sunday NASCAR race this season. Despite the lower numbers, NASCAR on NBCSN topped competing coverage of the PGA Tour FedEx Cup on the NBC broadcast network (1.3) and was Sunday’s top non-NFL sporting event in the metered markets.(Sports Media Watch)(9-22-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Chicago, the first race in the Chase For the Cup, earned 3.2 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon – down 13% from last year on ESPN (3.7M). The 2013 race was delayed multiple times due to rain and moved from ESPN to ESPN2, averaging 2.7 million across the two networks. Excluding rainouts, Sunday’s race ranks as the least-watched Chase For the Cup telecast ever (109 telecasts dating back to 2004). The previous low was 3.5 million for New Hampshire in 2012. The 30 least-watched Chase races have each aired on cable. It also ranks as the least-watched edition of NASCAR’s Chicago race (dates back to 2001). The previous low, again excluding rainouts, was last year’s 3.7 million. A decade ago, the race hit the 9.0 million mark on the NBC broadcast network.(Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily)(9-25-2015)
• Richmond TV Ratings UPDATE: Another Saturday night race, another poor overnight for NASCAR on cable. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Richmond earned a 1.7 overnight rating on NBCSN Saturday night, down 37% from last year (2.7) and down 41% from 2013 (2.9), both of which aired on ABC. The 1.7 is the second-lowest of the season for a Sprint Cup race, ahead of only rain-delayed coverage from Kansas on Fox Sports 1 in May (1.5). Four of the five lowest Sprint Cup overnights this season have been for Saturday night races on cable – with Bristol in August (1.9) and Kentucky in July (2.0) joining the Richmond and Kansas races. The only Sunday race to rank in the bottom five was Michigan in June, which was delayed due to rain (2.0). Thirteen of the 14 Sprint Cup races on cable this season have had a decline in overnights, with the previously mentioned Kentucky race the lone exception. It should be noted that Richmond was the first race of the season to face head-to-head football competition, airing opposite ABC’s Saturday Night Football (5.0). Each week for the remainder of the season, NASCAR will air opposite either college football or the NFL.(ShowBuzz Daily / Sports Media Watch)(9-15-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Richmond drew a 1.8 final rating and 3.1 million viewers on NBCSN Saturday night, down 38% in ratings and 45% in viewership from last year (3.0, 4.9M) and down 45% and 41%, respectively, from 2013 (3.3, 5.2M), both of which aired on broadcast network ABC. Even including rainouts, Matt Kenseth’s win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched edition of the fall Richmond race since at least 2001. The previous lows were a 2.5 and 4.0 million in 2008, when the race was postponed to Sunday afternoon and aired on ESPN. As recently as 2007, the race had a 4.2 and 6.8 million on ABC.(Sports Media Watch)(9-16-2015)
• Darlington TV Ratings: The Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway pulled in the sport’s highest Labor Day weekend overnight in eight years. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Darlington drew a 3.4 overnight rating on NBC Sunday night, up 13% from the comparable Atlanta races last year and in 2013 (3.0 both years). Those telecasts aired on ESPN. According to NBC, the 3.4 is the highest for NASCAR on Labor Day weekend since 2007. Compared to previous Darlington races, the 3.4 increased 6% from last year (3.2) but dropped a tick from 2013 (3.5), both on FOX. It ranks as the second-lowest overnight for NASCAR from Darlington since at least 2000, ahead of only last year. The race took place on a Saturday night in spring from 2005-14. The last time it took place on Labor Day weekend, 2003, it drew a 5.5 on NBC (Sports Media Watch / tvseriesfinale.com)(9-7-2015)
  UPDATE: Sunday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Darlington on NBC featured several “throwback” production elements that celebrated the sport’s rich history and the tradition of Darlington’s Labor Day weekend presentation of the Southern 500. In the end, the broadcast made some history of its own, as the most-watched Labor Day weekend race since 2007 with a peak household rating of 3.85 and peak viewership of nearly 6.3 million viewers.
  Additional ratings and viewership highlights include:
  Sunday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Darlington delivered the most-watched race of the 2015 season since the Coca-Cola 600 in May (6.4 million).
  The race powered NBC to win the night in Primetime (7:00-11:00 p.m. ET), ranking as the most watched network on TV among average viewers, P18-49 and P25-54.
  The race averaged a 3.65 household rating, registering a +16% increase over ESPN’s comparable Labor Day weekend race last year from Atlanta (3.15).
  Versus ABC’s 2014 Sprint Cup average (5.02 million), Sunday’s Darlington race on NBC was up +18% among average viewers.
  Sunday’s NASCAR race on NBC finished second only to ABC’s presentation of Alabama-Wisconsin college football game (4.32 HH) among weekend sports programming.(NBC PR)(9-9-2015)
• Bristol TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Bristol (TN) earned a 1.9 overnight rating on NBCSN Saturday night, down 44% from last year (3.4) and down 49% from 2013 (3.7), both on ABC. The 1.9 is the second-lowest for any Sprint Cup race this season, ahead of only a 1.5 for Kansas on Fox Sports 1 in May. Including the Kentucky race on NBCSN last month (2.0), the three Saturday night races on cable this season have been the three lowest rated in the metered markets. Overall, 12 of the 13 Sprint Cup races on cable have had a decline in overnight ratings, with the aforementioned Kentucky race the lone exception.(Sports Media Watch / Show Buzz Daily), see past race TV Ratings, five-year comparison chart and more on the 2015 TV Ratings page.(8-24-2015)
  UPDATE: NBCSN won Saturday prime time among total viewers and adults 18-49 with its first-ever telecast of the “NASCAR Sprint Cup: Irwin Tools Night Race” from Bristol. The good news was the cable network more than tripled the Saturday prime time delivery (in total viewers and adults 18-49) compared to its NBC broadcast network counterpart which aired two hours of original dramas on the evening, “Aquarius” and “Hannibal”.(TV Media Insights)
  AND NASCAR’s Bristol night race fell to its lowest audience in at least 15 years. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Bristol earned a 2.1 final rating and 3.6 million viewers on NBCSN Saturday night, down 34% in ratings and 29% in viewership from last year (3.2, 5.1M) and down 46% and 43%, respectively, from 2013 (3.9, 6.3M), both of which aired on ABC.(Sports Media Watch)(8-27-2015)
• Michigan TV Ratings UPDATE: Yet again, overnight ratings dropped for NASCAR on cable. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Michigan earned a 2.4 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 20% from last year and 2013 (3.0 both years), when the race aired on ESPN. So far this season, 11 of the 12 Sprint Cup races on cable have had a decline in overnights. The lone exception was Kentucky on NBCSN last month, which pulled even in the metered markets but ended up declining in the final tally. Other than the Brickyard 400, which had a 2.9 overnight, each race on cable this season has failed to top the 2.5 mark. At this point last year, nine of the ten races on TNT and ESPN topped 2.5. For the weekend, NASCAR on NBCSN was the top sporting event outside of the PGA Championship.(Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily)(8-18-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Michigan drew 4.3 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 17% from last year (5.2M) and down 6% from 2013 (4.6M), both on ESPN. The rating was not immediately available. Excluding rainouts, the telecast had the smallest audience for the race since at least 2000. All 12 NASCAR races on cable this season have either set a record low in ratings and/or viewership or fallen to the lowest point in more than a decade. That continues a trend from earlier in the year, when Fox Sports 1 scored several of its largest audiences for NASCAR coverage despite the races hitting historic lows.(Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily)(8-20-2015)
• Watkins Glen TV Ratings: For the 11th time in as many tries, NASCAR Sprint Cup racing hit a multi-year low on cable. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Watkins Glen (NY) earned a 2.5 final rating and 4.0 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 19% in ratings and viewership from last year (3.1, 4.9M) and down 7% and 4%, respectively, from 2013 (2.7, 4.2M), both on ESPN. Excluding rainouts, Sunday’s telecast was the lowest rated edition of the race since at least 1999 and the least-watched since at least 2001. As recently as a decade ago, it had a 5.2 rating and 7.8 million viewers on the NBC broadcast network. All 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races on cable this season have hit a multi-year low in both ratings and viewership, with nine of those races scoring the lowest marks in over a decade. Though low historically, Watkins Glen was the third straight Sprint Cup race to earn at least a 2.5 rating, compared to just one of the previous eight cable races.(Sports Media Watch)(8-11-2015)
• Pocono TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Pocono drew a 2.6 final rating and 4.3 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 7% in ratings and 2% in viewership from last year (2.8, 4.4M) and down 19% and 15%, respectively, from 2013 (3.2, 5.1M), both on ESPN. The 2.6 rating is the lowest for the race since at least 1998, falling below the previous mark set last year. Viewership ranks as the lowest since at least 2000, again falling below last year’s previous low. All ten Sprint Cup races on cable this season have had a decline in ratings and viewership, including eight that hit at least a ten-year low.(Sports Media Watch / NBC Sports PR Twitter)(8-4-2015)
• Indianapolis TV Ratings: NBCSN’s live telecast of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway led the network to its most-watched telecast ever yesterday, averaging 4.7 million viewers. Viewership peaked from 6:30 – 6:45pm/et as 5.6 million viewers watched Kyle Busch race to his third consecutive Sprint Cup victory, and his fourth win in five events. NBCSN NASCAR Sprint Cup viewership highlights include:
  ” With 4.7 million average viewers and a 3.0 national HH rating, Sunday’s Brickyard 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race stands as NBCSN’s most-watched and highest-rated telecast ever.
  ” Yesterday’s Sprint Cup race ranks as the most-watched NASCAR event on cable since last year’s season-ending championship race from Homestead (5.2 million on ESPN).
  ” The Brickyard event marks consecutive weeks of growth for Sprint Cup racing on NBCSN. With 4.7 million average viewers, the Brickyard 400 is up +27% from New Hampshire (3.7 million) and up +47% from Kentucky (3.2 million).
  ” Fans streamed 3.7 million minutes of live NASCAR coverage this past weekend via NBC Sports Live Extra.
  (NBC Sports)
  AND NASCAR scored a season-high overnight on cable for Sunday’s Brickyard 400. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Indianapolis earned a 2.9 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 9% from last year (3.2) and down 15% from 2013 (3.4), both on ESPN. The 2.9 is the highest of the season on cable (nine telecasts), topping the previous mark of 2.5 for Martinsville on Fox Sports 1 in March. Despite the season-high, the Brickyard 400 was the eighth of nine races on cable this season to have a decline in overnights. Kentucky was the lone exception, pulling even with last year in the metered markets. Indianapolis was the top market for Sunday’s race with an 11.9 rating, down 21% from last year (15.0) and down 13% from 2013 (13.7). By comparison, the IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 scored a 12.7 in the market on ABC.(Sports Media Watch)(7-27-2015)
• New Hampshire TV Ratings: After holding even the previous week, overnight ratings for NASCAR fell by double-digits over the weekend. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from New Hampshire drew a 2.3 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 12% from last year (2.6) and down 23% from 2013 (3.0), both on TNT. The 2.3 is tied for third out of the eight races on cable this year, matching Dover and Pocono but trailing Sonoma (2.4) and Martinsville (2.5). Overnights have now dropped for seven of the eight races on cable, with the previous week’s race from Kentucky the lone exception (even). Despite the decline, the race ranked second for the weekend among all sporting events. Only Sunday’s British Open coverage on ESPN drew a higher overnight (2.6).(Sports Media Watch)(7-21-2015)
• Most watched sporting events of the year: The year has been marked by numerous ratings milestones. Super Bowl 49 was the highest rated TV program in 30 years and the most-watched of all-time. The College Football Playoff delivered the three largest audiences in cable TV history, and college football’s top audience on any network in nine years. The NCAA Tournament was the highest rated since 1998 and the most-watched since 1993, ending with the largest basketball audience – college or pro – since the 1998 NBA Finals. The NBA Finals averaged its largest audience since that 1998 series and its highest rating since 2001. Finally, and most recently, the Women’s World Cup final scored the largest soccer audience in U.S. TV history. Even in a year when the good times have rolled across the industry, the NFL has still dominated. Nine of the ten most-watched sporting events this year have been NFL games, with six topping 40 million viewers – up from five last year.
  NASCAR events in the top 50:
  30th) Daytona 500 – 5.5 rating, 13.36 million viewers.
  35th) QuikTrip Folds of Honor 500 at Atlanta – 5.6 rating, 9.50 million viewers.
  50th) Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas – 4.6 rating, 7.74 million viewers.
  (Sports Media Watch)(7-17-2015)
• Kentucky overnight TV Ratings UPDATE: The first NASCAR race on NBCSN was not much of a draw, but it held steady with last year. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kentucky drew a 2.0 overnight rating on NBCSN Saturday night, even with last year and down 17% from 2013 (2.4), both on TNT. It was the first telecast of the season on cable to avoid a decline in the metered markets. The 2.0 is tied as the second-lowest overnight for a Sprint Cup race this season, matching Michigan last month and ahead of only Kansas in May (1.5) – both of which experienced rain delays. Those races aired on Fox Sports 1. Saturday’s race was the first NASCAR telecast on NBCSN (previously VERSUS and OLN). NBCSN was in 81.6 million homes as of February, fewer than FS1 (84.8M), and the least for a NASCAR broadcaster since FX in the early 2000s.(Sports Media Watch)(7-14-2015)
  UPDATE: The first NASCAR race on NBCSN sank double-digits compared to last year on TNT. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kentucky drew 3.2 million viewers on NBCSN Saturday night, down 10% from last year (3.6M) and down 19% from 2013 (4.0M), both on TNT, and the smallest audience in the history of the race (dates back to 2011). The race ranks as the second-least watched of the season on any network, ahead of only rain-delayed coverage from Kansas on Fox Sports 1 (2.5M). Excluding delayed and postponed races, it ranks as the least-watched Sprint Cup telecast in at least eight years – and likely much longer than that. All seven Sprint Cup races on NBCSN and FS1 this season have declined double-digits from last year’s comparable races, which aired on FOX and TNT. Though low for NASCAR, Sunday’s race did quite well for NBCSN. Only Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Final drew a larger audience on the network this year (4.0M for each). Prior to Sunday, its top motorsports audience was a mere 642,000 viewers for a 2011 IndyCar race.(Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily)(7-15-2015)
• Daytona TV Ratings UPDATE: Rain-delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Daytona drew a 2.6 overnight rating on NBC late Sunday night, up 8% from last year on TNT, when the race was postponed a full day due to rain (2.4). The race began at 11:15pm/et and ended after 2:00am. Earlier in the night, rain delay coverage earned a 2.1 overnight. The last time the Daytona race ended so late in the night was 2005, when NBC drew a much-higher 4.8 overnight from 10 PM-2 AM. The 2005 race, it should be noted, aired on a Saturday night – when it is presumably easier for viewers to stay up late. As one would expect, the race was dwarfed Sunday night by the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final on FOX (15.2). The two events never aired head-to-head, but the match undoubtedly stole much of the national attention away from the race.(Sports Media Watch), see race-by-race ratings, 5-year comparsion chart and more on the 2015 TV Ratings page.(7-6-2015)
  UPDATE: NBC’s return to NASCAR held up about as well as one could have expected. Rain delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Daytona drew a 2.7 final rating and nearly 4.0 million viewers on NBC Sunday night, up 13% in ratings and virtually even in viewership compared to last year on TNT, when coverage was postponed a full day to Sunday afternoon (2.4, 4.0M). The 2013 race, which was run as scheduled on a Saturday night, drew a 3.5 and 5.7 million.(Sports Media Watch)(7-10-2015)
• Sonoma TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Sonoma, CA, earned a 2.4 overnight rating [3,723 million viewers] on FoxSports1 Sunday afternoon, down 8% from last year (2.6) and down 20% from 2013 (3.0), both on TNT. The 8% decline is the smallest of the season for a Sprint Cup race on the network, with each of the other five down by at least 18%. The 2.4 overnight is also the second-highest of the season on FS1, trailing only coverage from Martinsville in March (2.5). The network’s four other races drew overnights of 2.3 (Dover and Pocono), 2.0 (Michigan) and 1.5 (Kansas). Sunday’s race had the second-highest overnight for any sporting event over the weekend, trailing only Friday’s USA/China FIFA Women’s World Cup match on FOX (4.2). It edged competing coverage of the PGA Tour on CBS (2.3).(Sports Media Watch / Show Biz Daily)(6-30-2015)
• Michigan TV Ratings UPDATE: Delayed and eventually shortened by rain, NASCAR from Michigan did not do well in the overnights. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Michigan earned a 2.0 overnight rating on Fox Sports 1 Sunday afternoon, down 23% from both last year and 2013 on TNT (2.6 both years). The race was delayed several times due to rain and was eventually shortened after 138 of 200 laps. It is not clear whether the 2.0 overnight includes rain delay coverage. Given those caveats, there is no great significance to the 2.0 overnight – though it is the second-lowest of the season for any Sprint Cup telecast. Only rain-delayed coverage from Kansas earned a lower overnight, also on FS1 (1.5). All five Sprint Cup races on FS1 have had a double-digit decline in the overnights, with the Pocono and Michigan races down from coverage on fellow cable network TNT. Keep in mind TNT was in over 10 million more homes as of February.(Sports Media Watch), see past races, 5-year chart, links and more on the 2015 TV Ratings page.(6-16-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Michigan drew 3.5 million viewers on FS1 Sunday afternoon, down 17% from last year (4.3M) and down 22% from 2013 (4.5M), both on TNT, and the least-watched edition of the race since at least 2000 (viewership prior to 2001 was not available). Viewership for the race did not dip below four million in eight seasons on TNT (2007-14), and reached as high as 8.5 million on the FOX broadcast network in 2003. Keep in mind this year’s race was hampered by several rain delays. FS1 averaged 3.0 million viewers for nearly 2 1/2 hours of rain delay coverage. Each Sprint Cup race on FS1 has had a double-digit decline in viewership, with the last two down from coverage on TNT. The downward trend is not confined to FS1, however. Excluding rainouts, eight of the past nine Sprint Cup telecasts have had a decline from last year, with the lone exception being Fontana in March (+3%). That is a far cry from the solid start to the season, in which the first three races each posted gains.(Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzzDaily.(6-20-2015)
• TV Ratings up for Fox races: The FOX broadcast network averaged a 4.5 rating and 7.6 million viewers for NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage this season, up 5% in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year (4.3, 7.0M) and the network’s first year-over-year increase since 2011. FOX aired fewer races this year as part of NASCAR’s new television deal, jettisoning low-rated telecasts from Kansas and Dover. (Sports Media Watch via Sports Video Group)(6-10-2015)
• Pocono TV Ratings UPDATE: Compared to coverage on TNT last year, FS1 had a double-digit drop in overnights for NASCAR from Pocono. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Pocono earned a 2.3 overnight rating on Fox Sports 1 Sunday afternoon, down 18% from last year (2.8) and down 21% from 2013 (2.9), both of which aired on TNT. Each of the four Sprint Cup races on FS1 has had a double-digit decline in overnights, but the first three of those comparisons were to races on the FOX broadcast network. Sunday’s race was the first to decline from coverage on a cable outlet. Compared to previous FS1 races, Sunday’s 2.3 overnight matched Dover the previous week and trailed Martinsville in March (2.5). It easily topped the Saturday night race from Kansas in early May, which was delayed due to rain (1.5). For the weekend, NASCAR not only trailed the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Final and Belmont Stakes, but also the final round of The Memorial on CBS (2.7).(Sports Media Watch)(6-9-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Pocono earned 3.6 million viewers on FS1 Sunday afternoon, down 19% from last year (4.5M) and down 17% from 2013 (4.4M), both on TNT. It ranks the least-watched edition of the race since at least 2001 (viewership prior to 2002 was not immediately available), falling below the previous mark set in 2013. As recently as a decade ago, Pocono earned 8.6 million viewers on the FOX broadcast network. It still topped six million in 2008, but has not cracked 5.5 million in any of the years since. Martin Truex Jr.’s win also ranks as the least-watched of the three Sunday afternoon Sprint Cup races on FS1, trailing Dover the previous week (3.9M) and Martinsville in March (4.1M). Despite the lower numbers, the race earned the fourth-largest motorsports audience on FS1 since the network rebranded from Speed Channel in 2013, and the eighth-largest regardless of sport. NASCAR accounts for six of the 11 most-watched FS1 shows.Sports Media Watch.(6-10-2015)
• Dover TV Ratings UPDATE: A move from FOX to Fox Sports 1 resulted in a big drop for NASCAR from Dover. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Dover earned a 2.3 overnight rating on Fox Sports 1 Sunday afternoon, down 30% from last year (3.3), down 34% from 2013 (3.5), and the lowest overnight for the race since at least 2006. The race aired on the FOX broadcast network each year from 2007-14. The 2006 race was the most recent on cable prior to this year, airing on FX. Compared to the previous Sprint Cup telecasts on FS1, the 2.3 overnight is up 53% from a 1.5 for last month’s rain-delayed Saturday night race from Kansas, but down 8% from a 2.5 for Sunday afternoon coverage from Martinsville in March.(Sports Media Watch via ShowBuzz Daily)(6-1-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Dover earned 3.9 million viewers on Fox Sports 1 Sunday afternoon, down 27% from last year (5.4M), down 34% from 2013 (6.0), and the least-watched edition of the race since at least 2001 (excludes rainouts). The race aired on the FOX broadcast network each year from 2007 to 2014. The last time it aired on cable – 2006 – coverage earned a much healthier 6.0 million viewers on FX. Despite the low numbers, Sunday’s race did well by FS1 standards. It earned the second-largest motorsports audience on the network since it rebranded from Speed Channel in 2013, trailing only the Martinsville race in March (4.1M).(Sports Media Watch)(6-3-2015)
• Charlotte TV Ratings UPDATE: Overnight ratings for NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 were the lowest since the race moved to FOX. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Charlotte earned a 3.6 overnight rating on FOX Sunday evening, down 8% from last year (3.9), down 12% from 2013 (4.1), and the lowest overnight for the race since it began airing on FOX in 2001. Keep in mind that does not include the 2009 race, which was postponed from Sunday to Memorial Day (3.5). This is the second straight year the race has earned its lowest overnight ever on FOX. It has set or tied a low in four of the past six seasons. The Coca-Cola 600 trailed the Indianapolis 500 by 16% (4.3 to 3.6), the largest gap between the two events since 2005* (6.6 to 5.1). Keep in mind the Indy 500 received an anomalous boost from Danica Patrick that year. The race also trailed the Hawks/Cavaliers NBA playoff game on TNT by 35% (5.5).(Sports Media Watch), see past races, 5-year chart, links and more on the 2015 TV Ratings page.(5-26-2015)
  UPDATE: For the first time in a decade, NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 was not the highest rated race of Memorial Day weekend. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Charlotte earned a 3.8 final rating and 6.4 million viewers on FOX Sunday evening, down 7% in ratings and 8% in viewership from last year (4.1, 7.0M), down 12% and 10%, respectively, from 2013 (4.3, 7.1M), and the lowest rated and least-watched edition of the race since it moved to FOX in 2001. That excludes 2009, when it was postponed to Memorial Day due to rain (3.3, 5.3M). The previous lows were a 4.0 and 6.5 million in 2010. Since drawing a 6.1 and 10.2 million viewers ten years ago, ratings and viewership for the race have dropped in seven of nine years – including each of the past four. Carl Edwards’ win drew a lower rating than the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the day (4.1), marking the first time since 2005 – and only the third time since FOX acquired rights – that the Coca-Cola 600 trailed its open wheel rival. The race was able to eke out a slightly larger audience (6.41M to 6.39M), however, continuing a 14-year streak in which it attracted more viewers. Adding to the soft performance, the 3.8 rating tied the fourth-lowest mark for a scheduled Sunday race on FOX – matching Fontana in 2012 and Dover in 2013. Only the Dover races in 2010 (3.7), 2012 (3.7) and 2014 (3.5) earned a lower rating.(Sports Media Watch)(5-2-2015)
• All-Star Race TV Ratings: The NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race drew a 2.1 overnight rating on Fox Sports 1 Saturday night, up 24% from last year (1.7) and up a tick from 2013 on Speed Channel (2.0). Overnights prior to 2013 were not available. The 2.1 also marks a 40% increase over rain-delayed racing from Kansas on FS1 the previous week (1.5). (Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily)
  UPDATE: According to Nielsen Media Research, Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race scored 3,840,000 viewers, making it the most-watched All-Star Race since 2011.(FOX)(5-19-2015)
• Kansas TV Ratings UPDATE: FS1 earned one of the lowest NASCAR overnights in recent memory for Saturday’s rain-delayed race at Kansas. Rain-delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kansas drew a 1.5 overnight rating on Fox Sports 1 Saturday night, down 55% from last year (3.3) and 62% from 2013 (3.9), both of which aired on the FOX broadcast network. The 1.5 is easily the lowest in the five-year history of the race. Given the switch from FOX to Fox Sports 1, massive declines were to be expected – and the two-hour rain delay only made things worse. The race averaged a 1.7 overnight before the delay and a 1.4 afterward. The 1.5 is the lowest overnight in some time – if not ever – for a regularly scheduled NASCAR race, though the rain delay provides an asterisk. FS1 earned a 2.5 overnight for its first scheduled race of the season, coverage from Martinsville in March.(Sports Media Watch)(5-12-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kansas drew 2.5 million viewers on FS1 Saturday night, down 57% from last year (5.8M) and down 62% from 2013 (6.5M), both of which aired on FOX. The race was delayed nearly two hours due to rain, with viewership falling below two million during that period. The race was the second scheduled Sprint Cup telecast on FS1 this season. The network earned 4.1 million for the Martinsville race in March, which aired on a Sunday afternoon. Despite the poor performance, NASCAR generated the day’s top sports audience on cable – edging a Hawks/Wizards NBA playoff game on ESPN (2.4M). Head-to-head, however, it was more-than-doubled by the Warriors/Grizzlies playoff game on broadcast network ABC (4.9M).(Sports Media Watch)(5-15-2015)
• Final Talladega TV Ratings: Final ratings for NASCAR’s spring Talladega race were the lowest in eighteen years. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Talladega drew a 4.0 final rating and 6.3 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 9% in ratings and viewership from last year (4.4, 6.9M) and down 13% and 14%, respectively, from 2013 (4.6, 7.3M). The 4.0 rating is the lowest for the spring Talladega race since 1997, the last time it aired on cable (3.0*). This is the third straight year ratings have been the lowest since 1997 and the fourth straight in which the race has had a year-over-year decline. Since hitting the 7.6 mark a decade ago, ratings have declined by 47%. Even rainout coverage in 2006 had a higher rating (4.4). The last four non-rained out races on FOX – Phoenix, Fontana, Texas and Talladega – have each had declines in ratings compared to last year. Three of the four have had declines in viewership. That comes after the first five races of the season each had year-over-year gains. Despite the lower numbers, NASCAR on FOX was the top sporting event of the weekend outside of the Kentucky Derby.(Sports Media Watch)(5-9-2014)
• Talladega TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Talladega drew a 3.8 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 5% from last year (4.0), down 14% from 2013 (4.4), and the lowest overnight for the spring Talladega race since at least 1998 (excludes rainouts). The previous low was last year’s 4.0. Despite the lower numbers, NASCAR on FOX tied the weekend’s second-highest overnight for any sporting event on broadcast. The 3.8 matched a Grizzlies/Warriors NBA playoff game on ABC and trailed only the Kentucky Derby on NBC (10.8). Keep in mind two of the weekend’s major sporting events – the Spurs/Clippers playoff game on ABC and the Floyd Mayweather/Manny Pacquiao boxing fight on pay-per-view – did not air on broadcast. The 3.8 also ranks as the top NASCAR overnight since Fontana in March (4.0), with the caveat that two of the four races since were postponed and a third aired on Fox Sports 1.(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)(5-5-2015)
• Richmond TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Richmond drew a 3.1 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, up a tick from last year’s regularly scheduled Saturday night race (3.0) but down 9% from 2013 (3.4). Keep in mind last year’s overnight was the lowest ever for NASCAR on FOX at the time, since surpassed by this year’s Texas race (2.9). Though up from last year, the 3.1 is not particularly impressive. It ranks as the third-lowest Sprint Cup overnight ever on FOX and easily the lowest for a Sunday afternoon race – with the caveat that the postponement provides an asterisk. In a rarity, NASCAR finished well behind the NBA head-to-head – trailing both Cavaliers/Celtics (4.2) and Clippers/Spurs (5.0). Depending on how far the NBA falls from the overnight to the final rating, NASCAR has an outside shot of topping Cavaliers/Celtics in the final tally.(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)(4-27-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Richmond earned a 3.3 final rating and 5.2 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, flat in ratings and down 7% in viewership from last year’s regularly scheduled Saturday night race (3.3, 5.6M) and down 11% and 14%, respectively, from 2013 (3.7, 6.1M). The race was postponed from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon due to rain. Though on par with last year, Sunday’s 3.3 rating is tied as the second-lowest ever for a Sprint Cup race on FOX (dates back to 2001). Only this year’s Texas race earned a lower rating (2.9). The numbers were still good enough to top competing sporting events on the other networks. The race ranked second for the weekend among all sporting events, trailing only the Clippers/Spurs NBA playoff game on ABC (4.1, 6.5M) and topping Cavaliers/Celtics head-to-head (3.2, 4.9M).(Sports Media Watch)(5-1-2015)
• Bristol TV Ratings: Rain-delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Bristol earned a 1.4 overnight rating on Fox Sports 1 Sunday evening, down 22% from rain-delayed coverage of the same race last year (1.8). This year’s coverage aired from 6:30-10:30pm/et, while last year’s aired from 7-9:45pm. The race was originally scheduled to air on FOX, which earned a 2.9 overnight for less than 15 minutes of live racing – down 29% from a 4.1 for 45 minutes of racing last year.(Sports Media Watch)(4-22-2015)
• Texas TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR on FOX continues to struggle on Saturday nights. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Texas drew a 2.9 overnight rating on FOX Saturday night, down 17% from 2013 (3.5) and down 19% from 2012 (3.6). Last year’s Texas race was postponed due to rain, earning a 2.3 overnight in its scheduled Sunday afternoon window. Excluding rainouts, the 2.9 overnight is the lowest ever for a NASCAR Sprint Cup race on FOX (dates back to 2001), falling below the previous mark of 3.0 for coverage from Richmond last year. Nine of the ten lowest rated NASCAR on FOX telecasts in the metered markets have taken place on a Saturday night. The 2.9 is also easily the lowest ever for NASCAR from Texas, again excluding rainouts. The previous low was the 3.5 in 2013. Saturday’s record-low overnight continues a recent stall in NASCAR’s momentum. After the season’s first three races had increases in overnights compared to last year, the past four (including one on Fox Sports 1) have either been flat or declined.(Sports Media Watch via Sports Business Daily)(4-13-2015)
  UPDATE: For the first time in 14 years televising NASCAR, FOX slipped under a 3.0 rating for a Sprint Cup race. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Texas drew a 2.9 final rating and 4.8 million viewers on FOX Saturday night, down 24% in ratings and 23% in viewership from 2013 (3.8, 6.3M) and down 28% in both measures from 2012 (4.0, 6.8M). Last year’s race was postponed due to rain, earning a 2.4 and 3.8 million in its scheduled Sunday afternoon window. Excluding rainouts, the 2.9 rating is easily the lowest ever for a NASCAR Sprint Cup telecast on FOX (dates back to 2001). The previous low was a 3.3 for last year’s Richmond race. Of the 18 lowest rated NASCAR telecasts on FOX, 13 have taken place on a Saturday night. Again excluding rainouts, the 2.9 is also the lowest rating in the history of the spring Texas race (dates back to 1997). The previous low was the previously noted 3.8 in 2013. Prior to moving from Sunday to Saturday in 2011, the race had never dipped below a 4.7 rating.(Sports Media Watch / TV Media Insights)(4-16-2015)
• Martinsville TV Ratings UPDATE: The first ever NASCAR race on Fox Sports 1 was no match for coverage on FOX last year, but still put up respectable numbers. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Martinsville earned a 2.5 overnight rating on FS1 Sunday afternoon, down 34% from last year (3.8) and down 38% from 2013 (4.0), both of which aired on FOX. The 2.5 is the lowest for the race since at least 2002, the last time it aired on cable. Sunday’s telecast was the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race to air on Fox Sports 1 (previously Speed Channel). It topped other NASCAR telecasts on the network, including last year’s Sprint Cup All-Star Race (1.7), last year’s Sprint Unlimited (1.8) and this year’s four Xfinity Series races (0.8 to 1.7). Despite airing on cable, the race was the highest rated non-NCAA Tournament sporting event of the weekend in the metered markets. It more-than-tripled competing coverage of the IndyCar Series from St. Petersburg on broadcast network ABC (0.8). FOX was originally scheduled to air the Martinsville race, with FS1 making its debut April 25 from Richmond. The networks swapped the races to accommodate MLB coverage on FS1 that day.(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)(3-31-2015)
  UPDATE: On Sunday (3/29), FOX Sports televised its first ever regularly scheduled NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points race on FOX Sports 1, and the audience from Martinsville Speedway was record-setting. Overcoming intense competition, the race attracted 4,061,000 viewers making it the most-watched motorsports event in network history, the fourth most-watched telecast ever on the network and the only non-MLB postseason event among the network’s top five. According to Nielsen, the race propelled FOX Sports 1 to its most-watched Sunday from 6:00 AM-3:00 AM since launch, averaging 1,068,000 viewers over that span. Moreover, FOX Sports 1 was the most-watched ad supported cable network from 1:00-5:15 PM ET on Sunday (4,089,000 viewers), posting a +170% advantage over the next closest network (Nickelodeon, 1,511,000 viewers). The audience for the race peaked at 5,450,000 from 5:00-5:11 PM ET as Denny Hamlin held off a final-lap charge from Brad Keselowski to cop his first win of the season.
  The audience for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race supplanted the previous FOX Sports 1 motorsports record of 3,526,000 set Feb. 15, 2014 for the Sprint Unlimited. The only other Sprint Cup points event on FOX Sports 1 was last season’s Bristol race on March 16 which was moved from FOX to FOX Sports 1 due to rain. That race averaged 3,227,000 viewers.
  Preceding the race, NASCAR RACEDAY posted 1,008,000 viewers, +52% above last year’s edition from Martinsville (661,000). Immediately following the race, a special airing of FOX SPORTS LIVE posted 1,904,000 viewers marking the show’s seventh most-watched edition ever. On Saturday (3/28) the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from Martinsville scored 1,100,000 viewers, +22% from the 2013 race on SPEED (902,000). Last year’s race was rained out and moved to Sunday at 5:30pm and delivered 532,000 viewers.(Fox)(4-1-2015)
• Auto Club TV Ratings UPDATE: Opposite the NCAA Tournament, overnight ratings held steady for NASCAR on FOX. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Fontana (CA) earned a 4.0 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, even with last year (4.0), down 11% from 2013 (4.5), and tied as the lowest overnight for the race in four years – since rain-shortened coverage drew a 3.4 in 2011. Overall, the 4.0 is tied the second-lowest overnight for NASCAR from Fontana since 2000 – not including the fall race that was run from 2004-10. Despite the relatively low numbers, the race was the fourth of five NASCAR Sprint Cup telecasts to avoid a year-over-year decline in overnight ratings. It was also the weekend’s top sporting event on any network, outside of the NCAA Tournament.(Sports Media Watch via Sports Business Daily)(3-24-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Fontana earned a 4.3 final rating and 7.3 million viewers on FOX, down a tick in ratings but up 3% in viewership compared to last year (4.4, 7.1M) and down 9% in both measures from 2013 (4.7, 8.0M). The race ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Sprint Cup race from Fontana in three years – since rain-shortened coverage in 2012 earned a 3.8 and 6.2 million. Overall, the 4.3 rating is the second-lowest for NASCAR from Fontana since 2000 (not including the Fall race that was run from 2004-10).(Sports Media Watch via Sports Business Daily)(3-28-2015)
• Phoenix TV Ratings: For the first time all season, NASCAR had a year-over-year decline in overnights. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Phoenix drew a 3.8 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 21% from last year (4.8) and down 28% from 2013 (5.1), when it was the second race of the season. The 3.8 is the lowest overnight for the race since 2010, the year before it moved to the post-Daytona slot. Compared to last year’s fourth race of the season, a rain-plagued outing at Bristol, the 3.8 overnight declined by 7% from a 4.1. It also declined 14% from the 2013 Bristol race, which was run as scheduled. Sunday’s race was the first NASCAR telecast on FOX this season to have a decline in overnights, including the Sprint Unlimited and Daytona 500 Pole Qualifying. Despite the lower numbers, the race trailed only the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on CBS (3.9) as the highest rated sporting event of the weekend in the metered markets. It topped every college basketball game, including the Big Ten championship head-to-head (2.6).(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)(3-17-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Phoenix drew a 4.1 final rating and 7.0 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 23% in ratings and 20% in viewership from last year (5.3, 8.8M), down 27% and 23%, respectively, from 2013 (5.6, 9.1M), and the lowest rated and least-watched Phoenix race since 2010 (3.7, 6.0M). Keep in mind Phoenix was the second race of the season from 2011-14, typically the highest rated and most-watched outside of the Daytona 500. Compared to last year’s fourth race of the season, a rain-shortened telecast from Bristol, ratings and viewership declined by 9% and 4%, respectively, from a 4.5 and 7.3 million. It also trailed the 2013 Bristol race (4.6, 7.5M) by 11% and 7%, respectively..(Sports Media Watch via Sports Business Daily)(3-21-2015)
• Las Vegas TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Las Vegas drew a 4.3 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, up 5% from last year (4.1) but down 7% from 2013 (4.6). All five NASCAR on FOX telecasts this season, including the Sprint Unlimited and Daytona Pole Qualifying, have had increases in overnights. The race was the highest rated sporting event of the weekend in the metered markets – topping the Duke/North Carolina college basketball game on ESPN and final round of the PGA Tour at Doral, both of which earned a 2.6.(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)(3-10-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Las Vegas drew a 4.6 final rating and 7.7 million viewers on FOX last Sunday, up 2% in ratings and 7% in viewership from last year (4.5, 7.2M) and down 2% and up 3%, respectively, from 2013 (4.7, 7.5M). All five NASCAR on FOX telecasts this season, including the Sprint Unlimited and Daytona Pole Qualifying, have had year-over-year increases in both ratings and viewership. That is a sharp turnaround from last season, when every NASCAR on FOX telecast had a decline in ratings, and all-but-one had a decline in viewership.(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)(3-13-2015)
• Atlanta TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Atlanta drew a 5.1 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, up 6% from the second race of last season (4.8) but down 4% from the second race in 2013 (5.3), both of which took place from Phoenix. Last year’s Atlanta race, which aired on ESPN over Labor Day weekend, drew a 3.0 overnight. Overnights have now increased for all four NASCAR telecasts on FOX this season – the Sprint Unlimited, Daytona 500 Pole Qualifying, Daytona 500 and Sunday’s race. Despite the increase, the 5.1 overnight is the fourth-lowest for the second Sprint Cup race of the season since FOX began airing NASCAR in 2001 – ahead of only last year, 2010 (5.0) and 2012 (also 5.0). After topping a 6.0 overnight in six straight seasons (2003-08), the season’s second race has failed to reach 5.5 in the past seven (2009-15). NASCAR was the highest rated sporting event of the weekend in the metered markets, finishing well ahead of second-place NBA action on ABC (3.7 for Cavaliers/Rockets).(Sports Media Watch / showbuzzdaily.com)(3-4-2015)
  UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Atlanta earned a 5.6 final rating and 9.5 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, up 6% in ratings and 8% in viewership from last year’s second race of the season (5.3, 8.8M) and flat and up 4%, respectively, from the second race in 2013 (5.6, 9.1M). Those races took place from Phoenix. Excluding the Daytona 500, Sunday’s race ranks as the most-watched NASCAR telecast on any network since coverage from Las Vegas in 2011 (5.9, 10.1M). It tied the highest rating over that span, matching the 2012 and 2013 Phoenix races.(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)(3-7-2015)
• Daytona 500 and Daytona Speedweeks TV Ratings: After suffering through a daylong weather delay in 2014, the Daytona 500 began working its way back last weekend, scoring 13.4 million viewers on FOX, a +44% increase over last year’s 9.3 million. A total of 23.5 million viewers watched all or part of Sunday’s telecast. Additionally, 11 days of Speedweeks programming on FOX Sports 1 enjoyed a 14% increase in average viewership (293,000 vs. 257,000).
  NASCAR shoulder programming surrounding the Daytona 500 was strong overall on Sunday, Feb. 22, as NASCAR Raceday averaged 973,000 viewers on FOX Sports 1, a 31% increase over last year’s 742,000 for a one-hour edition of the show. NASCAR Victory Lane posted 464,000 viewers, up 21% over the last post-Daytona run in 2013 (383,000). The week leading up to the Daytona 500 was the third most-watched in FOX Sports 1 history and the highest since last season’s National League Championship Series.
  FOX kicked off the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season Saturday, Feb. 14 with the SPRINT Unlimited averaging 5.6 million viewers, a 60% increase over 2014 (3.5 million) when it aired on FOX Sports 1. The race powered FOX to a first-place finish in prime time among broadcast networks across all key male and adult demos including A18-49 and A18-34.
  A variety of sports programming led FOX Sports 1 to its eighth most-watched Saturday since launch, averaging 490,000 viewers on Saturday, Feb. 14. Motor sports programming started at 10:30 am/et with a NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice from Daytona drawing 698,000 viewers, up 27% from the equivalent practice last year (551,000). Saturday afternoon’s ARCA Racing Series race from Daytona was the most-watched program of the day on FOX Sports 1 with 919,000 viewers.
  Daytona Pole Day Qualifying, airing Sunday, Feb. 15 on FOX, averaged 3.4 million viewers, up 17% from 2014. The first ever “group qualifying” format at Daytona is the highest rated and most watched session since 2009, with Jeff Gordon scoring the pole for his final race at Daytona International Speedway. The four-time champion announced he will be retiring at the end of the 2014 season.
  The 2015 Budweiser Duel at Daytona scored 3,018,000 viewers on FOX Sports 1, a slight dip from last year’s 3,122,000 prime time debut, but strong enough to be No. 1 in ad-supported cable from 7:00-10:30 PM ET in total viewers and Adults 18-49 on Thursday, Feb. 19. Earlier in the day, a slate of Daytona practices (Sprint Cup Final, NCWTS and NCWTS Final) averaged 244,000 viewers, a 16% increase in viewership (vs. 210,000) compared to the same three Thursday practice sessions last year.
  On Friday, Feb. 20, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from Daytona garnered 1,550,000 viewers, a 3% increase from last year’s 1,502,000 viewers. Earlier in the day, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying posted a 15% gain over 2013 (472,000 vs. 409,000).
  The first 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series race under the new television deal on FOX Sports 1 delivered 2,944,000 viewers on Saturday, Feb. 21, an 8% increase over last year’s race on ESPN and good for the most-watched sports event on ad-supported cable on the weekend. The race was the 13th most-watched telecast in FOX Sports 1 history.(FOX Sports)(2-26-2015)
• Sprint Unlimited places 3rd in Saturday’s TV Ratings UPDATE: The big winner Saturday night: TNT with coverage of the NBA State Farm All-Star Saturday Night. The NBA averaged 6.1 million viewers and upstaged everything on broadcast prime time. The preliminary averages there: NBC with 5.4 million, Fox with 4.7 million for the NASCAR: Sprint Unlimited from Daytona Beach, CBS with 4.6 million and ABC with 2.4 million for “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” NBC aired a “Dateline” rerun (5.6 million) and the “Saturday Night Live Valentine’s Special” (5.1 million).(Orlando Sentinel)(2-17-2015)
  UPDATE: After plunging on Fox Sports 1 last year, overnight ratings rebounded for NASCAR’s Sprint Unlimited on FOX. The NASCAR Sprint Unlimited earned a 3.2 overnight rating on FOX Saturday night, up 78% from last year on FS1 (1.8) but down a tick from 2013 (3.3). Despite the big increase, the 3.2 is the lowest ever for the Sprint Unlimited on the FOX broadcast network. Head-to-head, the Sprint Unlimited trailed coverage of NBA All-Star Saturday Night on TNT (4.4). It is possible that NASCAR could come out ahead in the final tally; NASCAR typically sees an increase from the overnight to the final rating, while the NBA telecast dropped from a 4.4 to a 3.4. In other NASCAR action, Daytona 500 qualifying drew a 2.1 overnight on Sunday – up 24% from last year (1.7), up 11% from 2013 (1.9), and tied with 2009 as the highest for the event since 2008 (2.4).(Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily)(2-20-2015)

• Chicago TV Ratings: NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Chicago drew just 377,000 viewers on Fox Sports 2 Sunday afternoon, easily the series’ smallest audience of the season. The race was originally scheduled to air on FS1 Saturday night, but was postponed due to rain.(Sports Media Watch via Sports TV Ratings)(6-24-2015)