UPDATE: There were no fans at the track, but more than usual watching on TV, for NASCAR’s return at Darlington.
NASCAR Cup Series racing from Darlington (S.C.) averaged a 3.7 rating and 6.32 million viewers on FOX Sunday, per Nielsen fast-nationals — marking the highest rated and most-watched Cup Series race outside of the Daytona 500 since Atlanta in 2017 (3.8, 6.60M).
Kevin Harvick’s win, which peaked with 6.81 million viewers from 7:15 PM ET through the conclusion, ranks as the most-watched race at Darlington since 2011 (6.98M) and the most-watched race in the month of May since Talladega in 2016 (6.66M).
Greensboro, N.C., led all markets Sunday with a 9.5 rating, followed by Charlotte (9.1) and Indianapolis (8.9). Nashville (6.7) and Jacksonville (6.4) rounded out the top five.
The race averaged an additional 40,000 viewers on Fox Sports’ digital platforms, trailing only this year’s Daytona 500 as the company’s largest NASCAR streaming audience.
ORIGINAL POST: Fox Sports earned a 3.7 rating and 6.3 million viewers for Sunday’s The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway.
The race was the most-watched non-Daytona race since March 2017.
A big day for live sports … @NASCARonFOX returns in style.
Next NASCAR Cup Series race: Toyota 500, Darlington Raceway
Wednesday, May 20 | 7:30 PM ET | FS1 & FOX Sports app pic.twitter.com/9maSAkje6E
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) May 18, 2020
.@FoxTV earned a 3.7 rating and 6.323 million viewers for yesterday's The Real Heroes 400 @TooToughToTame.
➖ For comparison, 7.026 million people tuned into this year's postponed Daytona 500 on a Monday afternoon.
📸: (@ChrisGraythen / Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/PgxgxTpWfR
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) May 18, 2020