UPDATE: Last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Darlington (SC) averaged a 1.4 rating and 2.43 million viewers on NBCSN, up 27% in ratings and 31% in viewership from last year’s race, which began after 10 PM ET due to rain (1.1, 1.86M) but down a tick and 9% respectively from 2018 (1.5, 2.66M). This year’s race was the first of the NASCAR playoffs. Prior to this year, Darlington served as the final race of the regular season. Last year’s first playoff race — the Brickyard 400 — aired on the NBC broadcast network and averaged a 1.9 and 2.97 million.
Kevin Harvick’s win ranks as the most-watched Cup Series race on NBCSN since the network’s season premiere at Texas in mid-July (2.73M).
After four-straight years airing opposite primetime college football games, Darlington instead faced an NBA playoff game on ABC (Rockets-Lakers: 2.9, 5.43M) and a Stanley Cup playoff game on NBC (Stars-Golden Knights: 0.9, 1.64M).
ORIGINAL POST 9-9-2020: The NASCAR Cup Series throwback race averaged a 1.37 Nielsen rating and 2.4 million household viewers Sunday on NBCSN, while the horses were galloping to a 4.79/9.3m average on NBC on Saturday night. That’s up from a 1.14 rating and 1.9 million viewers for Darlington last year on NBCSN, although that race was delayed by rain for an extended period.
Like last year, the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington was on NBC Saturday afternoon, and averaged a 0.73 rating and 1.2m viewers, compared to a 1.06/1.7m in 2019.
NASCAR’s Gander Outdoors and RV Truck Series race at Darlington averaged a 0.34 and 595,000 on FS1.
— Racer —