2016 NASCAR TV Ratings
- Some NBC NASCAR TV Ratings news: After 21 consecutive weeks of race coverage, NBC Sports Group concluded the 2016 NASCAR season on Nov. 20th with more than 8.4 million peak viewers tuning in for the Championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This bookended a successful year that kicked off at Daytona International Speedway in July, which stands as most-watched summer Daytona race since 2011, with 5.7 million viewers on NBC.
Highlights surrounding the 2016 NASCAR on NBC season include:
The 2016 Brickyard 400 stands as the most watched NBCSN telecast on record (5.2 million). Sprint Cup races now account for the 5 most watched telecasts ever on NBCSN.
Seven of NBCSN’s NASCAR Sprint Cup races ranked as the top cable sports program of their respective weekends.
Consumption of NASCAR content on NBC Sports’ digital properties (NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and connected devices) garnered 105 million live minutes and 873,000 unique devices this season, up +56% and +50%, respectively, compared to the 2015 NASCAR season.
This season has featured four Sprint Cup races with more than 5 million live minutes streamed (Bristol, Texas, Indianapolis, and Pocono). Last year, no Sprint Cup Series race finished with more than 5 million minutes streamed.
The average Sprint Cup Series race is up 43% in live minutes streamed over the 2015 average.
In 2016 NASCAR America has reached a total audience of 4.5 million viewers, up 13% vs. 2015.
The Nov. 20, 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship on NBC and NBCSN combined to average 6.08 million viewers and a 3.51 national HH rating, marking increases of +16% (vs. 5.22 million) and +12% (vs. 3.14 HH), respectively, over 2014’s presentation on ESPN.
Viewing peaked from 6:45 – 7 p.m. ET with more than 8.4 million viewers and a 4.8 HH rating as the Championship Four drivers battled for position in the final laps.
Excluding last year’s decade-high Championship race, which was delayed into primetime by rain and celebrated Jeff Gordon’s retirement, the 2016 Sprint Cup race from Homestead-Miami Speedway was the most-watched and highest rated NASCAR season finale since Tony Stewart’s Championship win in 2011.(NBC PR)(12-2-2016) - Homestead TV Ratings UPDATE: Ratings for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup finale broadcast on NBC saw a 25% dip over a year ago despite the dramatic race won by Jimmie Johnson on the final lap. The race drew a 3.32 overnight rating, NBC announced Monday. Last year’s broadcast — which was aided by the fact the race was delayed 90 minutes and took up nearly the entire first hour of Football Night in America — earned a 4.41 rating. NASCAR ratings tend to edge higher when the final national numbers are released.(USA Today), see race-by-race TV Ratings for 2016 and a comparison chart on the 2016 TV Ratings page.(11-22-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR ended its season with another double-digit decline, but the numbers were not nearly as bleak as in the preceding weeks. The NASCAR Chase For the Cup finale from Homestead (FL) drew a 3.5 rating and 6.1 million viewers on NBC and NBCSN Sunday afternoon, per Nielsen fast-nationals. Jimmie Johnson’s title-clinching win trails only last year as the highest rated and most-watched Homestead race since 2011 (4.0, 6.8M) and ranks behind those aforementioned races as the third-most watched Chase For the Cup telecast since 2009. For the season, it was the top Sprint Cup race since Talladega on FOX in May (4.0, 6.7M).(Sports Media Watch)(11-25-2016) - Phoenix TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Phoenix, the penultimate race in the Chase For the Cup, had a 2.41 final rating and 4.028 million viewers on the NBC broadcast network Sunday afternoon – down 23% in ratings and 21% in viewership from 2014 on ESPN, the last time the race was run as scheduled (3.1, 5.1M). Last year’s race was postponed due to rain and aired on NBCSN, earning a 1.4 and 2.2 million (Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily)(11-16-2016)
- Texas TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from rained delayed Texas Motor Speedway earned a 1.1 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday evening with 1.806 million viewers. The race was scheduled to air on NBC on Sunday afternoon but was rained delayed about 6 hours and switched to NBCSN as an NFL game was on NBC (Show Buzz Daily). Not a direct comparison but last year on NBC the race had a 2.6 fast rating, 2.7 final rating and 4.551 million viewers.(11-9-2016)
- Martinsville TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Martinsville, the seventh of ten Chase For the Cup races, had a 1.6 final rating and 2.7 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon – down 20% in ratings and viewership from last year (2.0, 3.4M) and down 36% and 35%, respectively, from 2014 on ESPN (2.5, 4.1M). Jimmie Johnson’s win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched fall Martinsville race since at least 2000, falling below the previous marks set last year. The past ten Sprint Cup races, and 11 of the past 12, have hit multi-year lows in ratings and viewership.(Sports Media Watch)(11-5-2016)
- Talladega TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Talladega, the sixth race in the Chase For the Cup, earned a 2.2 final rating and 3.6 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon – down 15% in ratings and 16% in viewership from last year (2.6, 4.2M) and down 27% and 28%, respectively, from 2014 on ESPN (3.0, 4.8M). Joey Logano’s win ranks as the lowest rated edition of the race since at least 2000 and the least-watched since at least 2001, falling below the previous marks set last year. Even with the lower numbers, Talladega delivered the highest rating and viewership of this year’s Chase For the Cup, edging the previous marks of 2.1 and 3.4 million. It ranks as the highest rated and most-watched race since Darlington on NBC Labor Day weekend (2.8, 4.6M).(Sports Media Watch), see race-by-race TV Ratings for 2016 and a comparison chart on the 2016 TV Ratings page.(10-27-2016)
- Kansas TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kansas, the fifth race in the Chase For the Cup, scored a 2.0 overnight rating on NBC Sunday afternoon – down 9% from last year (2.2) and even with 2014 on ESPN. Excluding rainouts, the 2.0 is the lowest for a Sprint Cup race on broadcast television since at least 2004.(Sports Media Watch);
AND The final rating was 2.11 household rating with 3.445 million viewers (ShowBuzzDaily)(10-18-2016) - Charlotte TV Ratings: Postponed NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Charlotte, the fourth race in the Chase For the Cup, had a 1.2 overnight rating on NBC Sunday afternoon – down 14% from the same race last year, which was also postponed to Sunday but aired on NBCSN (1.4). Figures do not include simulcast coverage on NBCSN, which could make up the difference. The last time the race was run as scheduled in its Saturday night timeslot, coverage on ABC scored a 2.9.(Sports Media Watch)(10-11-2016) UPDATE The final NBC rating was a 2.1 household rating with 3.221 million viewers and NBCSN’s was .074 household rating with 1.148 million viewers.(ShowBuzzDaily)(10-12-2016)
- Dover TV Ratings: The final NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the Chase’s opening Round of 16 at Dover scored a 1.53 overnight rating on NBCSN, averaging 2.6 million household viewers. That compares with a 1.92/3.2m for this race last year and a 1.55 rating for the previous week’s Chase race at New Hampshire, which had been the lowest in the history of the Chase.(Racer)
AND NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Dover, the third race in the Chase For the Cup, earned a 1.5 final rating and 2.558 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon – down 21% in ratings and viewership from last year (1.9, 3.2M) and down 35% and 32%, respectively, from 2014 on ESPN (2.3, 3.8M). Excluding rainouts, Martin Truex Jr.’s win ranks as the lowest rated Chase For the Cup race ever (120 dating back to 2004) – falling below the previous mark set a week earlier at New Hampshire (from 1.55 to 1.53). The Chase has now earned a record-low rating in three straight weeks. Sunday’s race narrowly avoided a viewership low by edging New Hampshire (2.56M to 2.54M). Ratings and viewership were also the lowest for the fall Dover race since at least 2000 and 2001, respectively, falling below the previous marks set last year.(Sports Media Watch / Showbuzz Daily)(10-6-2016) - New Hampshire TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from New Hampshire, the second race in the Chase For the Cup, had 2.5 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon -down 14% from last year, down 34% from 2014 on ESPN (3.9M), and the smallest audience in the history of the Chase (dates back to 2004). The previous low was set just one week earlier by the Chicago race (2.7M). Ratings dropped 12% from last year (1.77 to 1.55) and also ranked as the lowest in the history of the Chase. The previous mark was nearly a full point higher, a 1.64 for Chicago last week. Kevin Harvick’s win ranks as the lowest rated fall New Hampshire race since at least 2000 and the least-watched since at least 2001, falling below the previous marks set last year.(Sports Media Watch)(9-28-2016)
- Chicago TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Chicagoland earned a 1.5 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 15% from last year (1.8) and down 32% from 2014 on ESPN (2.7). Overnights even dropped from 2013, when the race was delayed multiple times and moved from ESPN to ESPN2 (1.6). Excluding rainouts, the 1.5 overnight is tied as the lowest of the season for a Sprint Cup race, matching Richmond the previous week. Only one race all of last season had as low an overnight, coverage from Kansas that did not finish until after 1 AM ET due to rain.(Sports Media Watch), see race-by-race TV Ratings for 2016 and a comparison chart on the 2016 TV Ratings page.(9-20-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Chicagoland, the first race in the Chase For the Cup, posted a 1.6 final rating and 2.7 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon – down 16% in ratings and 17% in viewership from last year (1.9, 3.2M) and down 30% and 27%, respectively, from 2014 on ESPN (2.3, 3.7M). Excluding rainouts, the race ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Chase For the Cup telecast ever (118 races dating back to 2004). Sunday’s race also delivered the lowest rating and viewership ever for the Sprint Cup at Chicagoland (dates back to 2001). In addition to those low marks, the 1.6 rating is tied as the lowest for any Sprint Cup race in at least eight years.(Sports Media Watch)(9-22-2016) - Richmond TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Richmond earned a 1.5 overnight rating on NBCSN Saturday night, down 12% from last year (1.7) and down 44% from 2014 on broadcast network ABC (2.7). The 1.5 is the lowest of the season for a Sprint Cup race. Keep in mind NASCAR faced unique competition from Saturday’s Virginia Tech/Tennessee college football game, which took place from the Bristol Motor Speedway racetrack (3.8). (NBC Sports / Sports Media Watch), see race-by-race TV Ratings for 2016 and a comparison chart on the 2016 TV Ratings page.(9-13-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Richmond earned a 1.6 final rating and 2.7 million viewers on NBCSN Saturday night, down 11% in ratings and 12% in viewership from last year (1.8, 3.1M) and down 47% and 45%, respectively, from 2014 on ABC (3.0, 4.9M). Denny Hamlin’s win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Sprint Cup race from Richmond since at least 2001, falling below the previous marks set last year. Moreover, the 1.6 rating is tied as the lowest for any Sprint Cup race in at least eight years (excluding rainouts), matching the mark set by Kansas on Fox Sports 1 last year. Saturday’s race had unusual competition from the Virginia Tech/Tennessee college football game on ABC, which took place from Bristol Motor Speedway. The so-called “Battle at Bristol” more than doubled NASCAR with 5.8 million viewers.(Sports Media Watch)(9-15-2016) - Darlington TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Darlington earned a 2.6 overnight rating on NBC Sunday night, down 24% from last year (3.4) and down 19% from 2014, when the race took place on a Saturday night in May and aired on FOX (3.2). The 2.6 is the lowest for the Sprint Cup at Darlington, including the defunct 400 mile race that ended in 2004, since at least 2002. The 2.6 is also tied as the fourth-lowest for any Sprint Cup race on broadcast since at least 2004. Head-to-head, NASCAR on NBC was more-than-doubled by the competing Notre Dame/Texas college football game on ABC (7.0). Last year’s race faced no such competition.(Sports Media Watch), see race-by-race TV Ratings for 2016 and a comparison chart on the 2016 TV Ratings page.(9-7-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Darlington earned a 2.8 final rating and 4.6 million viewers on NBC Sunday night, down 24% in ratings and 22% in viewership from last year (3.7, 5.9M) and down 22% and 23%, respectively, from 2014 – when the race took place on a Saturday night in May and aired on FOX (3.6, 6.0M). The 2.8 is also the lowest for NASCAR on Labor Day weekend since the same 2000 Southern 500.(Sports Media Watch)(9-9-2016) - Michigan TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Michigan earned a 1.9 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 20% from last year (2.4) and down 37% from 2014 (3.0). Excluding rainouts, the 1.9 is the third-lowest for a Sprint Cup race this season – ahead of only Kentucky in July and Kansas in May (1.8 for each).(NBC Sports/Sports Media Watch), see race-by-race TV Ratings for 2016 and a comparison chart on the 2016 TV Ratings page.(8-31-2016)
UPDATE: Free from rain and the Olympics for the first time in more than a month, NASCAR still hit a multi-year low at Michigan over the weekend. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Michigan earned a 2.1 final rating and 3.4 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 19% in ratings and 21% in viewership from last year (2.6, 4.3M) and down 34% in both measures from 2014 on ESPN (3.2, 5.2M). While Sunday’s race did not face the Olympics, it did air somewhat formidable competition from the NFL preseason. The competing Chargers/Vikings game posted a 3.3 rating and 5.3 million viewers, easily topping NASCAR.(ShowBuzz Daily / Sports Media Watch)(9-1-2016) - Bristol TV Ratings: Postponed a day due to rain, NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Bristol earned a 1.5 final rating and 2.7 million viewers on CNBC Sunday afternoon. Last year’s race had a 2.1 and 3.6 million run as scheduled on a Saturday night. Viewership easily topped the season’s previous postponed races – both at Pocono – which earned 1.4 and 1.7 million on Monday afternoons. The previous night, 23 minutes of live racing had 2.5 million on NBCSN.(Sports Media Watch and ShowBuzz Daily )(8-24-2016)
- Watkins Glen TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Watkins Glen earned a 2.1 overnight rating on USA Network Sunday afternoon, down 13% from last year on NBCSN (2.4) and down 30% from 2014 on ESPN (3.0). The last time the race aired opposite the Olympics, 2012, it earned a 2.7 on ESPN. Seven of the past nine Sprint Cup races have posted declines in the metered markets, not including the two rained out Pocono races.(Sports Media Watch via Sports Business Daily)
AND 3.828 million viewers (SportsTVratings)(8-9-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Watkins Glen (NY) earned a 2.3 final rating and 3.8 million viewers on USA Network Sunday afternoon, down 8% in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year on NBCSN (2.5, 4.0M) and down 26% and 22%, respectively, from 2014 on ESPN (3.1, 4.9M). The last time the race aired opposite the Olympics, 2012, it had a 2.8 and 4.5 million.(Sports Media Watch)(8-10-2016) - Pocono TV Ratings: Postponed NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Pocono earned 1.5 million viewers on NBCSN Monday afternoon, slightly ahead of the season’s first Pocono race – which was also postponed to Monday (1.4M). Ratings were not immediately available. Rainout coverage on Sunday delivered a 1.1 final rating and 1.7 million viewers.(Sports Media Watch)(8-6-2016)
- Indianapolis TV Ratings: With Jeff Gordon coming out of retirement to replace Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 scored a double-digit increase over last year. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Indianapolis earned a 3.1 rating and 5.2 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, according to Nielsen fast-nationals – up 3% in ratings and 11% in viewership from last year (3.0, 4.7M) and down 9% and about even, respectively, compared to 2014 on ESPN (3.4, 5.2M). Kyle Busch’s win, in which Gordon finished 13th, ranks as the highest rated and most-watched program in the history of NBCSN (previously VERSUS and OLN). The previous highs were set by last year’s race. It was also the third of the past five Sprint Cup races to post an increase in ratings and viewership. Excluding races that were postponed either this year or last, seven of 17 races this season have posted an increase in ratings and/or viewership.(Sports Media Watch)(7-26-2016)
- New Hampshire TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from New Hampshire scored a 2.0 overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 13% from last year (2.3) and down 23% from 2014 on TNT (2.6). Overnights for the race have now dropped a full point in three years (from 3.0 in 2013).(Sports Media Watch)(7-19-2016)
UPDATE: For the second straight week, NASCAR ratings dropped on NBCSN. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from New Hampshire scored a 2.1 and 3.3 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 13% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (2.4, 3.7M) and down 22% and 23%, respectively, from 2014 on TNT (2.7, 4.3M). Keep in mind Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed Sunday’s race due to concussion symptoms. His absence may or may not have had an impact on the numbers. As was the case with Kentucky the previous week, poor numbers for NASCAR are still big numbers for NBCSN. Sunday’s race delivered the network’s largest audience since last year’s Martinsville Chase For the Cup race (3.4M), exceeding even Games 2 and 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.(Sports Media Watch)(7-21-2016) - 50 Most-Watched Sporting Events of 2016: Past the halfway point of 2016, here is a look at the top sporting events of the year so far. With few exceptions, this year has been marked by declines. The Super Bowl posted declines in ratings and viewership for the first time in three years. College football’s national championship sank double-digits. The NCAA Final Four delivered some of its worst numbers on record. Five of seven NBA Finals games declined. The MLB All-Star Game hit a record low. The Kentucky Derby, Masters and Daytona 500 also fell, as did smaller events like the Indy 500 and Stanley Cup final. Bright spots have included the most-watched AFC Championship Game in 30 years (Patriots/Broncos), the most-watched NBA game in 18 years (Cavaliers/Warriors Game 7), the most-watched NBA game ever on cable (Thunder/Warriors Game 7), and the most-watched Copa America match ever (Chile/Argentina). And even in a down year, the Super Bowl still delivered the third-largest audience in U.S. television history.(Sports Media Watch)
NASCAR’s only event on the list was the Daytona 500. It was the 31st most-watched event. Shown on FOX, the race got a 6.6 rating, with 11.36 million viewers.(7-16-2016) - Kentucky TV Ratings UPDATE: Sprint Cup racing from Kentucky earned a 1.8 overnight rating on NBCSN Saturday night, according to Sports Business Daily, down 10% from last year and 2014 (2.0). Excluding rainouts, the 1.8 is tied as the lowest of the season for a Sprint Cup race – matching Kansas on Fox Sports 1 in May.(Sports Media Watch)(7-12-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kentucky earned a 1.9 final rating and 3.2 million viewers on NBCSN Saturday night, down 5% in ratings and 1% in viewership from last year (2.0, 3.2M), down 17% and 11%, respectively, from 2014 (2.3, 3.6M), and the lowest rated and least-watched Sprint Cup race from Kentucky (dates back to 2011). Kentucky was the ninth race this season to hit a multi-year low in ratings and/or viewership (excluding rainout years), joining Michigan, Charlotte, Richmond, Bristol, Texas, Fontana, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Though low overall, Saturday’s race was the most-watched program on NBCSN since last year’s Martinsville race (3.4M) – topping Games 2 and 3 of the Stanley Cup Final (2.5M and 2.8M, respectively). Head-to-head, NASCAR on NBCSN topped competing coverage of Major League Baseball on FOX (2.1M) but trailed the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials on NBC (3.4M).(Sports Media Watch)(7-14-2015) - Daytona TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Daytona earned a 3.4 rating and 5.7 million viewers on NBC Saturday night, per Nielsen fast-nationals – up 26% in ratings and 43% in viewership from last year’s race, which was run on a Sunday and delayed several hours due to rain (2.7, 4.0M). The 2014 race was postponed a full day from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon, earning a 2.4 and 4.0 million on TNT. Brad Keselowski’s win, which peaked at a 3.9 and 6.5 million from 10:30-11 PM ET, ranks as the highest rated Firecracker 400 since 2013 (3.5) and the most-watched since 2012, when coverage aired on both TNT and TruTV (6.2M).(Sports Media Watch / NBC Twitter)(7-5-2016)
- Sonoma TV Ratings: NASCAR closed out its run on the FOX Sports networks with the Sprint Cup race at Sonoma and scored a 2.2 rating on FOX Sports 1, averaging 3.9 million viewers. That was down from a 2.4 rating for this race last year but still up from a 2.0 for the last FS1 Cup race at Michigan. NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series scored another solid 593,000 average viewers for its Saturday race from Gateway on FS1 (Racer)(6-29-2016)
- Michigan TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Michigan earned a 2.0 overnight rating on Fox Sports 1 Sunday afternoon, the same as last year, but down 23% from coverage on TNT in 2014 (2.6). Going out to the hundredth, it had a 2.04 overnight – up 4% from last year’s 1.97. It was just the second Sprint Cup race of the season to avoid a decline in the overnights, joining Kansas on FS1 in May (+10%). That does not include races that were rained out last year. Both this year and last, the race faced mitigating circumstances. Last year’s race was repeatedly delayed by rain and halted after 138 of 200 laps. This year’s race, on a far more serious note, aired on a day of major national news that overshadowed all other events.(ShowBuzz Daily / Sports Media Watch)(6-14-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Michigan earned 3.5 million viewers on FS1 Sunday afternoon, down 2% from last year (3.5M) and down 19% from 2014 on TNT (4.3M). Ratings were not immediately available. Joey Logano’s win ranks as the least-watched edition of the race since at least 2000, falling below the previous mark set last year. Viewership has declined for four consecutive years after reaching 5.3 million in 2012. It should be noted that Sunday’s race aired on a day of wall-to-wall breaking news coverage on broadcast and cable. Sunday’s race marked the first time this season that viewership has declined for a NASCAR points race on Fox Sports 1 (four telecasts).(Sports Media Watch)(6-16-2016) - Pocono TV Ratings: Postponed a day due to rain, NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Pocono had 1.4 million viewers on Fox Sports 1 Monday afternoon. It was the first Monday Sprint Cup race since Texas in 2014, which aired on the FOX broadcast network. Viewership for that telecast was not immediately available. Rainout coverage the previous day had a slightly smaller audience (1.39M to 1.38M).(Sports Media Watch.(6-9-2016)
- Charlotte Overnight TV Ratings UPDATE: The Sunday before Memorial Day was predictably quiet in the broadcast ratings. FOX’s coverage of the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 was the night’s ratings leader, averaging a 1.3/6 in adults 18-49, 3.16 total overnight rating (versus 3.59 rating last year) with 5.57 million viewers, pending updates.(TVbytheNumbers / Nielsen Company / showbuzzdaily.com)
AND The 2016 Indianapolis 500 earned a 4.12 overnight rating on ABC Sunday afternoon, down 5% from last year (4.27) and even with 2014. The 4.1 is tied as the third-lowest for the race since it began airing live in 1986 (Sports Media Watch), see race-by-race TV Ratings for 2016 and a comparison chart on the 2016 TV Ratings page.(5-31-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Charlotte earned a 3.4 final rating and 5.7 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 11% in ratings and viewership from last year (3.8, 6.4M) and down 17% and 18%, respectively, from 2014 (4.1, 7.0M). Martin Truex Jr.’s win, in which he led for a NASCAR-record 588 of the 600 miles, tied the lowest rating for the Coca-Cola 600 since at least 1996 – matching the 2000 race on TBS. It also earned the smallest audience for the race since at least 2000. Keep in mind that excludes the 2009 race, which was postponed due to rain and earned a 3.3 and 5.3 million on Memorial Day.(Sports Media Watch)(6-3-2016) - All-Star Race TV Ratings UPDATE: The 2016 NASCAR All-Star Race earned a 1.7 overnight rating on Fox Sports 1 Saturday night, down 19% from last year (2.1) and even with 2014. The 1.7 is tied as the lowest for the race in at least four years (complete overnights prior to 2013 were not available). The All-Star Race ranks as the lowest rated Sprint Cup telecast of the season in the metered markets, falling below the previous mark set by Kansas two weeks earlier (1.8). No other race has dipped below the 2.0 mark. As is usually the case, NASCAR’s All-Star event pales in comparison to those in other sports. The NBA All-Star Game had a 5.4 in February, the NFL Pro Bowl had a 5.0 in January, and the MLB All-Star Game had a 7.8 last July. The race did top the NHL All-Star Game, which had a 1.2.(Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily) see race-by-race TV Ratings for 2016 and a comparison chart on the 2016 TV Ratings page.(5-24-2016)
UPDATE: The 2016 NASCAR All-Star Race had a 2.0 final rating and 3.291 million viewers on Fox Sports 1 Saturday night, down 5% in ratings and 14% in viewership from last year (2.1, 3.8M) and down 9% and 5%, respectively, from 2014 (2.2, 3.5M). The 2.0 rating is the lowest for the All-Star Race since at least 1999, falling below the previous mark set last year. Viewership was also the lowest in at least ten years. Head-to-head, it trailed the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals on ESPN (3.3, 5.5M) but not the NHL conference finals on NBC (1.4, 2.3M) and – notably – Major League Baseball on the FOX broadcast network (1.4, 2.2M).(Sports Media Watch / Programming Insider)(5-26-2016) - Dover TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Dover earned a 2.2 overnight rating on Fox Sports 1 Sunday afternoon, down a tick from last year (2.3) and down a third from 2014 on the FOX broadcast network (3.3). The 2.2 is the lowest for the race in at least a decade, falling below last year. Sunday’s race was the first in three weeks to post a decline in the metered markets. Kansas increased 20% the previous week and Talladega pulled even two weeks ago.(Sports Media Watch)(5-17-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Dover earned nearly 4.0 million viewers on Fox Sports 1 Sunday afternoon, up 1% from last year (3.9M) but down 26% from 2014 on the FOX broadcast network (5.4M). Ratings were not immediately available. The increase in viewership marks a turnaround from the overnight ratings, which fell by 4%. Keep in mind that does not necessarily mean final ratings increased, as the two metrics are separate and can go in opposite directions. Viewership has now increased for the past three NASCAR races, with Kansas up 27% the previous week and Talladega up 6% two weeks prior. Eight of the previous nine races either declined from last year or could not be compared due to rain. All three races on Fox Sports 1 this season have posted a year-over-year increase, with the caveat that last year’s numbers set the bar low. Sunday’s race ranks as the sixth-most watched NASCAR telecast in the history of the network, including its days as Speed Channel.(Sports Media Watch / Show Buzz Daily)(5-20-2016) - Kansas TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kansas earned a 1.8 overnight rating on Fox Sports 1 Saturday night, up 20% from last year (1.5) but down 45% from 2014 on the FOX broadcast network (3.3). Last year’s race was delayed two hours due to rain and finished after 1:00am/et. The 1.8 overnight is the second-lowest ever for the race, which was first run in 2011. It is also the second-lowest for a Sprint Cup race on FS1 (eight telecasts). In both cases, last year’s race holds the bottom spot. In part due to the low bar set last year, Saturday’s race was the first of the season to post a year-over-year increase in the metered markets.(Sports Media Watch)(5-10-2016)
UPDATE: With the caveat that last year’s race set a historically low bar, Sprint Cup viewership increased for the second straight week. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kansas delivered 3.1 million viewers on Fox Sports 1 Saturday night, up 27% from last year (2.5M) but down 45% from 2014 on the FOX broadcast network (5.8M). Ratings were not immediately available. Despite the low numbers, Saturday’s race was the second straight Sprint Cup telecast to have an increase in viewership and just the third of the season, joining Talladega (+6%) and Martinsville (+4%).(Sports Media Watch)(5-12-2016) - Talladega TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Talladega earned a 3.8 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, flat in ratings compared to last year and down 5% from 2014 (4.0). The 3.8 overnight is tied with last year as the lowest for the spring Talladega race since at least 1998 (excluding rainouts). Despite the historic low, Sunday’s race was the first Sprint Cup telecast of the season to at least pull even with last year. Eight of the first ten races posted declines and two others – Bristol and Richmond – could not be compared because of last year’s rainouts. In addition, it ranks as the top rated NASCAR race in the metered markets in nearly two months, since Las Vegas in March (4.1). For the weekend, NASCAR on FOX ranked second among all sporting events behind the Blazers/Warriors NBA playoff game on ABC (5.0).(Sports Media Watch)(5-3-2016)
UPDATE: According to final numbers from Nielsen Media Research, Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from Talladega Superspeedway delivered a solid 4.0/10 and 6.7 million viewers, matching last year’s performance on a HH Rating basis and ticking up +6% on average audience (6.7 million vs. 6.3 million). On FOX Sports Go, Sunday’s race produced 54,318 streams with 25,372 unique streamers and 969,679 minutes streamed. Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY SERIES race on FOX posted nice increases for the Talladega 300 with a 1.9/5 and 2.9 million viewers, up +19% over last year’s 1.6/4 (2.4 million) to rank as the most-watched Xfinity Series telecast on any network since 2013’s running of the Daytona 300 on ESPN. It marks the fifth consecutive NASCAR XFINITY SERIES race to be either flat or up versus 2015 comparable events.(Fox).(5-6-2016) - Richmond TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Richmond earned a 2.9 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down a tick from 2014, when it aired on a Saturday night (3.0). Overnights also dropped 6% from last year, when the race was postponed from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon (3.1). The 2.9 overnight is the lowest ever for a Sunday Sprint Cup race on FOX, falling below the previous mark of 3.2 for Bristol one week prior. Regardless of day, it is tied as the second-lowest for a Sprint Cup race on FOX – matching Texas last year and ahead of Texas this year (2.5). Head-to-head, the race edged ABC’s competing Spurs/Grizzlies NBA playoff game (2.7) but was no match for Warriors/Rockets later in the day (5.4).(Sports Media Watch)(4-25-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Richmond earned a 3.1 final rating and 4.7 million viewers on FOX last Sunday afternoon, down 6% in ratings and 16% in viewership from 2014, the last time it was run as scheduled on a Saturday night (3.3, 5.6M). Last year’s race, which was postponed from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon, had a 3.3 and 5.2 million. The 3.1 rating is the lowest ever for a Sunday Sprint Cup race on FOX, falling below the previous mark of 3.4 for Bristol one week earlier, and the third-lowest regardless of day. The past three races on FOX rank among the network’s five lowest rated ever, with Texas dead last, Richmond third, and Bristol fifth at 3.4.(Sports Media Watch)(4-30-2016) - Bristol TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing from Bristol had a 3.2 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 27% from 2013, the last time it was run as scheduled (4.4). The race was deluged by rain the past two years, with FOX airing just a few laps before handing off to Fox Sports 1. The network’s abbreviated coverage had a 2.9 overnight last year and a 4.1 in 2014. Excluding rainouts, the 3.2 is the lowest for the spring Bristol race since it moved to FOX in 2001. The previous low was a 3.9 in 2011. It is also the lowest overnight for a Sunday Sprint Cup race on FOX, falling below a 3.3 for Dover in 2014. Overall, the 3.2 is tied as the fourth-lowest for any Sprint Cup race on FOX, regardless of day – matching Darlington in 2014 and ahead of only Texas the previous week (2.5), Texas last year (2.9) and Richmond in 2014 (3.0). Head-to-head, #19-Carl Edwards’ win trailed competing coverage of the Pistons/Cavaliers NBA playoff game on ABC (4.1). As NASCAR ratings tend to rise from the overnights to the final, while NBA ratings decline, the race could still come out ahead when the final numbers are released (Spoirts Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)(4-19-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Bristol (TN) earned a 3.4 final rating and 5.5 million viewers on FOX last Sunday afternoon, down 26% in ratings and 27% in viewership from 2013, the last time the race was run as scheduled (4.6, 7.5M). Both last year and in 2014, FOX aired only brief snippets of the race due to extensive rain delays. The network drew a 3.3 and 5.1 million for less than 15 minutes of racing last year, and a 4.5 and 7.3 million for 45 minutes of coverage in 2014. Despite the lower numbers, NASCAR on FOX was still the most-watched sports broadcast of the weekend – edging ABC’s Pistons/Cavaliers NBA playoff game (5.4M).(Sports Media Watch)(4-23-2016) - Texas TV Ratings UPDATE2: FOX’s coverage of NASCAR’s Duck Commander 500 led a typically quiet Saturday. In primetime the race scored a 0.9 rating / 3 share (4.22 million viewers) in adults 18-49, pending updates, tying with CBS’ “48 Hours” for the top rating of the night.(TV by the Numbers)(4-11-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Texas earned a 2.5 overnight rating on FOX Saturday night, down 14% from last year (2.9) and the lowest overnight ever for a Sprint Cup race on FOX. The 2.5 is also the lowest ever for the spring Texas race (dates back to 1997). In both cases, the previous low was set last year. No doubt contributing to the record-low performance was a nearly two-hour rain delay that pushed the start of the race past 9:30 PM ET. Despite the decline, the race was the top sporting event of the weekend outside of The Masters.(Sports Media Watch)(4-12-2016)
UPDATE2: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Texas earned a 2.7 final rating and 4.3 million viewers on FOX last Saturday night, down 7% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (2.9, 4.8M). The start of the race was delayed more than an hour due to rain. Excluding rainouts – i.e., races that were postponed rather than delayed – the 2.7 rating is the lowest ever for a NASCAR Sprint Cup race on FOX. This is the second straight year Texas has set a network low, though rain was clearly a factor this time around. The 2.7 is also the lowest ever for the spring Texas race (dates back to 1997). Since earning a 5.6 in 2007, ratings for the race have declined in each successive year (again excluding rainouts). Despite the lower numbers, NASCAR on FOX topped the combined audience of the Warriors/Grizzlies and Cavaliers/Bulls NBA games on ESPN and ABC (4.2M). Keep in mind ESPN’s Warriors coverage was blacked out in the Bay Area. For the weekend, it was the top sporting event outside of The Masters.(Sports Media Watch / Programming Insider)(4-16-2016) - Texas NXS TV Ratings: NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Texas drew 1.2 million viewers on Fox Sports 1 Friday night, the exact same audience – down to the third decimal – as last year (1.172M). Compared to 2014, when coverage aired on ESPN, viewership declined 30% from 1.7 million. (Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily)(4-12-2016)
- Martinsville Overnight TV Ratings UPDATE: A downturn in ratings has followed NASCAR from big FOX to Fox Sports 1. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Martinsville (VA) earned a 2.2 overnight rating on FS1 Sunday afternoon, down 12% from last year (2.5) and down 42% from 2014 on the FOX broadcast network (3.8). The double-digit drop is especially notable considering that last year’s race aired opposite the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. This year’s race had much lighter competition from the NBA on ABC (1.7) and Opening Day baseball on ESPN (1.4) and ESPN2 (0.7). Not surprisingly, the 2.2 is the lowest for the spring Martinsville race since at least 2002. All six NASCAR Sprint Cup races this season have had a decline in the overnights, with four of those six by double-digits.(Sports Media Watch)(4-5-2016)
UPDATE: The Sprint Cup Series race from Martinsville, the first of the 2016 season to air live on FS1, scored 4,232,000 viewers according to Nielsen Media Research, up 4% from last year’s 4,061,000, making it the most-watched racing event and daytime telecast ever on FS1. The race was the ninth most-watched telecast in FS1 history and the most-watched since Game 6 of last year’s ALCS between Toronto and Kansas City. Among Adults18-49, it was up 7% over last year’s race (1,198,000 vs. 1,121,000). On FOX Sports GO, the telecast delivered 46,930 streams, 25,322 unique streamers and 1,853,642 minutes streamed. On Saturday, FS1 scored viewership increases with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from Martinsville (1,177,000; up 7%), Monster Energy Supercross from Santa Clara (239,000; up 42%) and the FIA Formula E Championship from Long Beach (189,000; up 73%). FS1 was No. 1 among all ad-supported cable sports networks during the Trucks race.(Fox Sports)(4-6-2016) - Auto Club TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Auto Club Speedway earned a 3.5 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 13% from last year and 2014 (4.0 both years) and the lowest overnight for the race since rain-shortened coverage drew a 3.4 in 2012. Outside of 2012, no edition of the race has had a lower overnight since at least 1998 (Does not include the fall race that was run from 2004-2010). The race faced lighter competition from the NCAA Tournament, which had double-digit declines for all four of its telecast windows on Sunday. Excluding the tournament, it ranked second for the weekend among sporting events behind ABC’s Warriors/Spurs NBA game Saturday night (3.7).(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)
UPDATE: For the fifth straight week to start the season, NASCAR suffered declines in ratings and viewership. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Fontana earned a 4.0 final rating and 6.8 million viewers on FOX last Sunday afternoon, down 7% in ratings and viewership from last year (4.3, 7.3M) and down 9% and 4%, respectively, from 2014 (4.4, 7.1M). Ratings and viewership rank as the lowest for NASCAR from Fontana in four years, since rain-shortened coverage in 2012 (3.8, 6.2M). Ratings and viewership have now declined for every NASCAR Sprint Cup telecast this year, including exhibition events such as the Sprint Unlimited and Duel at Daytona. The past four races have set or tied a multi-year low in at least one measure.(Sports Business Daily / Sports Media Watch).(3-27-2016) - Phoenix TV Ratings UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Phoenix drew a 3.6 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 5% from last year (3.8), and down 25% from 2014, when the race was the second of the season (4.8). The 3.6 overnight is the lowest for NASCAR from Phoenix since 2010, the last time it aired on a Saturday night (3.4). The six-year low continued a season-long trend for NASCAR. Las Vegas tied its lowest overnight since moving to FOX in 2001, Atlanta earned the lowest overnight since 2000 for the second race of the season, and the Daytona 500 had its second-lowest overnight since live start-to-finish coverage began in 1979. After overnights dropped by double-digits at Daytona (-16%) and Atlanta (-27%), Sunday’s race was the second straight to drop by only five percent. While a decline is still a decline, the single-digit slide marks a noticeable improvement. For the weekend, NASCAR on FOX trailed only the NCAA Selection Show (3.7) among sports programs. It will almost certainly come out ahead when the final numbers are released.(Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily)(3-15-2016)
UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Phoenix drew a 4.0 final rating and 6.6 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, down a tick in ratings and 5% in viewership from last year (4.1, 7.0M) and down 25% in both measures from 2014, when it was the second race of the season (5.3, 8.8M). Kevin Harvick’s win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Sprint Cup race from Phoenix since 2010 – the last time the race took place on a Saturday night (3.7, 6.0M).(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily).(3-19-2016) - Phoenix XFINITY race TV ratings: NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Phoenix scored a 1.2 final rating and 1.8 million viewers on FOX last Saturday, down 25% in ratings and 28% in viewership from last year (1.6, 2.5M). All four Xfinity Series races this season have had a decline in viewership. (via SBD)(Sports Media Watch)(3-19-2016)
- Las Vegas TV Ratings UPDATE: After two weeks of double-digit drops, NASCAR overnights fell only slightly over the weekend. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Las Vegas drew a 4.1 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 5% from last year (4.3) and even with 2014 (4.1). The 4.1 is tied as the lowest overnight for the race since it moved to FOX in 2001, matching 2014 and 2010. There was some good news in Sunday’s numbers, as the 5% decline marked a significant improvement from the previous two weeks – when overnights sank 16% at Daytona and 27% at Atlanta. For the weekend, NASCAR ranked as easily the highest rated sporting event on any network – comfortably ahead of the second-place finishers, the final round of the PGA Tour at Doral and the Warriors/Lakers NBA game on ABC (2.9 for both).(Sports Media Watch)(3-8-2016)
UPDATE: After a series of double-digit declines to open the season, NASCAR’s ratings fell only slightly last weekend. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Las Vegas drew a 4.4 final rating and 7.2 million viewers on FOX last Sunday afternoon, down 4% in ratings and 7% in viewership from last year (4.6, 7.7M). Compared to 2014, ratings dropped a tick and viewership increased a fraction of a percent (7.20M to 7.23M). The 4.4 rating is tied as the lowest for NASCAR from Las Vegas since FOX began airing the race in 2001, matching 2010. Viewership was the third-lowest for the race dating back to 2002, ahead of 2014 and 2010. Ratings and viewership have now dropped for every Sprint Cup telecast this season, including the Sprint Unlimited, Daytona 500 qualifying, and the Duel at Daytona. Despite the lower numbers, NASCAR easily topped the weekend sports slate – topping both the PGA Tour on NBC (2.6, 4.0M) and NBA on ABC (2.4, 3.7M) head-to-head.(Sports Media Watch)(3-12-2016) - Las Vegas XFINITY race TV ratings: NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Las Vegas drew 1.6 million viewers on Fox Sports 1 Saturday, down 15% from last year (1.9M) and 19% from 2014 on ESPN (2.0M). Viewership was the lowest for the race since at least 2007, falling below last year’s mark.(Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily)(3-8-2016)
- Atlanta TV Ratings UPDATE: Continuing a rough start to the season, NASCAR’s second race of the season scored its lowest overnight since FOX acquired rights. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Atlanta earned a 3.7 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 27% from last year (5.1) and the lowest overnight for the second race of the season since FOX began airing races in 2001. The previous low was a 4.8 for the 2014 Phoenix race. The second race of the season is usually the highest rated outside of Daytona, topping a 6.0 overnight in all-but-one year from 2001 to 2008 and a 5.0 in all-but-two years since. Overnights reached as high as 7.1 for the Auto Club 500 in 2005. For the weekend, NASCAR placed second among sporting events behind Saturday’s Warriors/Thunder NBA game on ABC (3.9). Because NBA ratings tend to decline from the overnight to the final, while NASCAR ratings remain stable or increase, the race will likely come out ahead in the final tally.(Sports Business Daily / Sports Media Watch)(3-1-2016)
UPDATE: One week after a near record-low for the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s second race of the season earned its lowest rating in 16 years. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Atlanta earned a 4.1 final rating and 6.8 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 27% in ratings and 28% in viewership from last year (5.6, 9.5M) and down 23% in both measures from the second race of the 2014 season, Phoenix (5.3, 8.8M). Jimmie Johnson’s win earned the lowest rating for NASCAR’s second race of the season in 16 years – since Rockingham on TNN in 2000 (3.9). The previous low over that span was the 5.3 for Phoenix in 2014. NASCAR’s second race of the season – previously Phoenix (2011-14), Fontana (2005-10) and Rockingham (prior to 2005) – is usually the highest rated outside of Daytona. For the weekend, NASCAR on FOX was the top sporting event on any network – ranking comfortably ahead of the Warriors/Thunder NBA game on ABC Saturday night (3.2, 5.3M).(Sports Media Watch)(3-5-2016) - Daytona 500 TV Ratings: the Daytona 500 Sprint Cup Series race from Daytona International Speedway scored a 6.14 over night rating on Sunday, February 21st. The race was broadcast on FOX (ShowBuzzDaily). In 2015 the overnight rating was 7.3 with a final rating of 7.7 and and average audience of 13.36 million. In 2014 the number were down mainly due to the race being postponed by rain and running from 8:25pm/et to 11:23pm/et, scoring an 5.6 rating with 9.3 million viewers. in 2013 the overnight was 10.0, with a final of 9.9 and 16.651 million average viewers.(2-22-2016)
UPDATE: Ratings for the Daytona 500 neared a record-low despite the closest finish in race history. The 2016 Daytona 500 earned a 6.6 final rating and 11.4 million viewers on FOX, down 14% in ratings and 15% in viewership from last year (7.7, 13.4M) but up 18% and 23%, respectively, from 2014, when coverage was delayed to primetime due to rain and faced the Winter Olympics (5.6, 9.3M). Denny Hamlin’s narrow win was the second-lowest rated Daytona 500 since live start-to-finish coverage began in 1979, ahead of only 2014. That spot was previously held by the 1990 race (7.3). It also scored the second-smallest audience for the race since 1991 (10.9M), again ahead of only 2014. Five of the ten lowest rated Daytona 500 telecasts have taken place in the past seven seasons. Compared to other sports, the Daytona 500 drew a lower rating and fewer viewers than every game of last year’s NBA Finals, World Series, Final Four and College Football Playoff, horse racing’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, and the final round of The Masters.(Sports Media Watch)(2-27-2016) - : NASCAR’s Can-Am Duel 150’s at Daytona attracted its smallest audience since moving to primetime three years ago. The NASCAR Duel at Daytona scored a 1.57 final rating and 2.542 million viewers on Fox Sports 1 Thursday night, down 11% in ratings and 16% in viewership from last year (1.8, 3.0M) and down 16% and 18%, respectively, from 2014 (1.9, 3.1M). Ratings and viewership rank as the lowest for the event since 2013, the final time it aired during the afternoon (1.3, 2.0M). Despite the declines, the telecast finished comfortably ahead of TNT’s NBA doubleheader – Cavaliers/Bulls (1.3, 1.9M) and Spurs/Clippers (1.1, 1.7M). The NBA games did finish ahead in adults 18-49, each scoring a 0.8 compared to NASCAR’s 0.5.(Sports Media Watch / Programming Insider)(2-22-2016)
- Sprint Unlimited TV Ratings: NASCAR’s Sprint Unlimited earned a 2.6 overnight rating on FOX Saturday night, down 19% from last year (3.2) but up 44% from 2014 on Fox Sports 1 (1.8). The 2.6 is the lowest for the event on the FOX broadcast network (12 telecasts dating back to 2001).(Sports Media Watch)(2-17-2016)
UPDATE Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Unlimited earned a 2.8 final rating and 4.8 million viewers on FOX, down 13% in ratings and 14% in viewership from last year (3.2, 5.6M) but up 40% and 37%, respectively, from 2014 on Fox Sports 1 (2.0, 3.5M). Ratings and viewership rank as the lowest ever for the Sprint Unlimited (previously the Budweiser Shootout) on the FOX broadcast network. FOX aired the race every other year from 2001-06 and all-but-one year since. As recently as 2008, it pulled a 5.1 rating and 8.5 million viewers. Regardless of network, Saturday’s 2.8 rating was the second-lowest for the race since at least 1998 – ahead of only 2014 on FS1. Head-to-head, the Sprint Unlimited trailed competing coverage of NBA All-Star Saturday Night on TNT (3.2, 5.6M). The gap was especially wide among adults 18-49, with the NBA’s 2.6 more-than-doubling NASCAR’s 1.1. The race also trailed Saturday’s Republican primary debate on CBS, which drew an 8.1, 13.4 million and a 2.2 in the demo.(Sports Media Watch)(2-18-2016)
| Television Ratings – Three Year Table | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOX / FoxSports1(FS1) Coverage 16 Races | |||||
| (2016 race date) | Rating/Share/Viewers | Rating/Share/Viewers | Rating/Share/Viewers | ||
| Track/Race | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | ||
| Sprint Unlimited, Daytona – FOX 2/13 |
2.8 2.6* 4.8 million |
3.2 3.2* 5.61 million |
2.0 1.8* 3.526 million FoxSports1 |
||
| Daytona 500 Qualifying – FOX 2/14 | 2.1 3.4 million |
1.7 2.9 million |
|||
| Can-Am Duel 150’s, Daytona – FS1 2/18 | 1.57 2.548 million |
1.8 3.018 million |
1.9 3.122 million |
||
| 1) Daytona 500 – FOX 2/21 | 6.6 6.1* 11.4 million |
7.7 7.3* 13.36 million |
5.6 9.3 million (A14) |
||
| 2) Atlanta – FOX 2/28 | 4.1 3.7* 6.800 million |
5.6 5.1* 9.507 million (A15) |
3.2 3.0* 5.210 million ESPN 8/31 |
||
| 3) Las Vegas – FOX 3/6 | 4.4 4.1* 7.200 million |
4.6 4.3* 7.739 million |
4.5 4.1* 7.2 million |
||
| 4) Phoenix – FOX 3/13 | 4.0 3.6* 6.63 million |
4.1 3.8* 7.0 million (B15) |
5.3 4.8* 8.8 million 3/2 |
||
| 5) Auto Club (California) – FOX 3/20 | 4.0 3.52* 8.6 million |
4.3 4.0* 7.3 million |
4.4 4.0* 7.1 million 3/23 |
||
| 6) Martinsville – FS1 4/3 | 2.2* 4.232 million |
2.4 2.5* 4.061 million |
3.8* 6.7 million 3/30 FOX |
||
| 7) Texas – FOX 4/9 | 2.7 2.5* 4.22 million |
2.9/6 2.5* 4.842 million |
2.4 2.3* 3.8 million (A14) 4/6 Sunday |
||
| 8) Bristol – FOX 4/17 | 3.4 3.2* 5.5 million |
1.4 2.6 million (C15) FS1 3.3 |
4.5 4.1* 7.3 million (B14) 3/16 |
||
| 9) Richmond – FOX 4/24 | 3.4 3.2* 5.5 million |
3.3 3.1* 5.2 million (D15) Saturday night |
3.3 3.0* 5.6 million 4/26 |
||
| 10) Talladega – FOX 5/1 | 4.0 3.8* 6.7 million |
4.0 3.8* 6.31 million |
4.4 4.0* 6.9 million 5/4 |
||
| 11) Kansas – FS1 5/7 | 1.8* 3.1 million |
1.6 1.5* 2.48 million (E15) |
3.5 3.3* 5.573 million 5/10 |
||
| 12) Dover – FS1 5/15 | 2.2* 3.985 million |
2.5 2.3* 3.940 million 5/31 |
3.5 3.3/9* 5.4 million 6/1 |
||
| All-Star Race – FS1 5/21 | 2.0 1.7* 3.291 million |
2.1 2.1* 3,840 million |
2.2 1.7* 3.482 million |
||
| 13) Charlotte – FOX 5/29 | 3.4* 5.7 million viewers |
3.8/8 3.59* 6.408 million |
4.1/9 3.9* 6.956 million 5/25 |
||
| 14) Pocono – FS1 6/5(6/6) | (A16)
1.4 million |
2.3 2.3* 3.614 million |
3.0 4.482 million 6/8 TNT |
||
| 15) Michigan – FS1 6/12 | ? 2.0* 3.5 million |
2.2 2.0* 3.519 million |
2.7 4.254 million 6/15 TNT |
||
| 16) Sonoma – FS1 6/26 | 2.2 2.22* 3.9 million |
2.3 3.723 million |
2.8 2.6* 4.68 million 6/22 TNT |
||
| NBC / NBCSN / USA Coverage 20 Races | |||||
| Track/Race | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | ||
| (2015 date) | Rating/Share/Viewers | Rating/Share/Viewers | Rating/Share/Viewers | ||
| 17) Daytona – NBC 7/2 – Saturday | 3.4 5.695 million |
2.7 3.99 million (F15) Sunday |
2.4 4.0 million (D14) 7/5 TNT |
||
| 18) Kentucky – NBCSN 7/9 | 1.9 1.8* 3.2 million |
2.0 1.9* 3.22 million |
2.3 2.0* 3.6million 6/28 TNT |
||
| 19) New Hampshire – NBCSN 7/17 | 2.1 2.0* 3.3 million |
2.4 2.3* 3.67 million |
2.7 2.6* 4.3 million 7/13 TNT |
||
| 20) Indianapolis – NBCSN 7/24 | 3.1 5.21 million |
3.0 4.70 million |
3.4 3.2* 5.196 million ESPN 7/27 |
||
| 21) Pocono – NBCSN 7/31 (8/1) | (B16)rain ? 1.5 million |
2.6 4.26 million |
2.8 4.374 million ESPN 8/3 |
||
| 22) Watkins Glen – USA Network 8/7 | 2.3 2.1* 3.828 million |
2.5 2.4* 3.98 million NBCSN |
3.1 3.0* 4.939 million ESPN 8/10 |
||
| 23) Bristol – NBCSN 8/20 (8/21) | (C16)1.5 2.7 million |
2.1 3.608 million |
3.2 5.079 million ABC 8/23 |
||
| 24) Michigan – NBCSN 8/28 | 2.1 3.38 million |
2.6 2.4* 4.288 million ESPN 8/16 |
3.2 5.150 million ESPN 8/17 |
||
| 25) Darlington – NBC 9/4 | 2.8 4.64 million |
3.7 3.36* 5.92 million (G15) |
3.6 3.2* 5.921 million FOX 4/15 |
||
| 26) Richmond – NBCSN 9/11 | 1.6 2.71 million |
1.8 3.06 million |
3.0 4.920 million ABC 9/6 |
||
| 27) Chicago – NBCSN 9/18 | 1.6 2.69 million |
1.9 3.224 million |
2.3 3.711 million ESPN 9/14 |
||
| 28) New Hampshire – NBCSN 9/25 | 1.55 2.54 million |
1.8 2.94 million |
2.4hh 3.850 million ESPN 9/21 |
||
| 29) Dover – NBCSN 10/2 | 1.5 1.53* 2.558 million |
1.9 1.8* 3.239 million |
2.3 3.786 million ESPN 9/28 |
||
| 30) Charlotte – NBC 10/8 | 2.1/0.7 1.2* 3.221 & 1.148 million (D16)(NBC/NBCSN 10/9) |
1.6 1.4* 2.75 million (H15)(10/11) |
3.1 5.096 million (ABC 10/11) |
||
| 31) Kansas – NBC 10/16 | 2.1 2.0* 3.445 million |
2.5 2.2* 4.041 million |
2.3 2.0* 3.601 million ESPN 10/5 |
||
| 32) Talladega – NBCSN 10/23 | 2.3 3.6 million |
2.6 2.5* 4.24 million |
3.0 4.757 million ESPN 10/19 |
||
| 33) Martinsville – NBCSN 10/30 | 1.6 2.7 million |
2.0 1.9* 3.36 million |
2.5 2.3* 4.083 million ESPN 10/26 |
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| 34) Texas – NBC 11/6 | 1.1* 1.806 million (E16) NBCSN |
2.7 2.6* 4.551 million |
2.8 2.5* 4.749 million ESPN 11/2 |
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| 35) Phoenix – NBC 11/13 | 2.41 4.028 million |
1.4 1.3* 2.238 million (I15)(NBCSN) |
3.1 2.8* 5.091 million ESPN 11/9 |
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| 36) Homestead – NBC 11/20 | 3.5 6.1 million |
4.42 4.4* 7.64 million |
3.14 2.9* 5.223 million ESPN 11/16 |
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