Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega averaged a 2.8 rating and 4.70 million viewers on FOX, tying the season-opening Daytona 500 and subsequent Daytona Roval as the highest rated telecast of the season. It trails only those races as the most-watched, with the Roval second (4.75M) and 500 first (4.83M).
Ratings were flat and viewership increased 4% from the last time Talladega was run as scheduled two years ago (2.8, 4.52M). Compared to last year’s “spring” Talladega race, a Monday makeup in June, ratings increased a third (from 2.1) and viewership 41% (from 3.33M).
The corresponding Xfinity Series race pulled a 1.0 and 1.60 million on FOX Saturday — up 60% in ratings and viewership from June of last year (0.65, 998K) and up 65% and 62% respectively from the previous April edition in 2019 (0.63, 988K). Keep in mind the race aired on FS1 in those years.
The ARCA Series at Talladega rounded out the weekend slate with a 0.29 (+21%) and 471,000 (+31%).
AND
.@FoxTV earned a 2.81 rating and 4.701 million viewers for Sunday's @Geico 500 at Talladega, up 4% from the 2019 edition and one of the highest rated races since last year's May Darlington event after the pandemic break.
➖ It was the highest-rated sports event of the weekend. pic.twitter.com/OCUStyY15N
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) April 27, 2021