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), see race-by-race TV Ratings for 2016 and a comparison chart on the 2016 TV Ratings page.
