UPDATE: Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Watkins Glen 355 had a 2.3 rating and 3.67 million viewers on the NBC broadcast network, up 15% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year on NBCSN (2.0, 3.25M) and flat and down 4% from 2016, when the race aired on USA Network opposite the Olympic Games (2.3, 3.83M).
[Chase] Elliott’s win was just the third Cup Series race all season to post an increase, joining Michigan in June and Chicagoland last month, though all three increases can be attributed to a scheduling change. Watkins Glen and Michigan both moved up from cable to broadcast, while Chicagoland moved from September (opposite the NFL) to July.
On a competitive sports weekend that included Yankees-Red Sox and Tiger Woods, NASCAR was the most-watched sporting event on any network. It edged the second-place final round of the Bridgestone Invitational head-to-head (2.3, 3.45M).
Original post: 8-6-2018
.@NBC earned a 2.3 overnight for yesterday's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series #GoBowlingAtTheGlen.
➖ Last year's race, which was on @NBCSN, got a 1.9.
➖ To likely be second most-viewed sports event of weekend after WGC-Bridgestone.
➖ The 2016 race on @USA_Network got a 2.1. pic.twitter.com/UoFj6TTCmI
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) August 6, 2018