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)
