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)
