Daytona 500 TV ratings up from last year
Quote selected text Published February 18th, 2008 in NASCAR News
Yesterday’s 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Fox scored increased average audience, total audience and household ratings compared to a year ago, according to fast national figures released today by Nielsen Media Research. The 50th Daytona 500 earned a 10.2/20 household rating/share and averaged 17.8 million viewers, and both the rating and average audience are +1% better than a year ago (10.1/20, 17.5 million). It was also the second highest-rated and second most-watched 500 ever on Fox, trailing the 2005 race in both stats.
33.5 million Americans watched at least part of the Great American Race, a +2% improvement over 2007’s 33.0 million. The Daytona 500 remains far and away the top-rated event in American motorsports. Yesterday’s race more than doubled the rating of last year’s Indianapolis 500 (+137% vs. 4.3/12). Fox’s improved Daytona 500 rating completed a Speedweeks “triple play” as the Daytona 500 (+1%), Daytona Pole Qualifying (+4%), and Budweiser Shootout (+6%) all posted gains over the same events in 2007. This is the first time that all of Fox’s Speedweeks programming has boasted a year-to-year increase.
[Fox PR]
- Overnight TV ratings up for Bud Shootout and qualifying
- Is NASCAR’s momentum stalling?
- NASCAR admits stagnant phase
- NASCAR overall TV ratings down 2nd straight year
- Despite ESPN’s bullish predictions, NASCAR TV ratings continue to decline
Well I hope that their TV success will make the TV advertisers show a good balance sheet for this season because if they keep up showing more commercials than racing, they will lose a lot of their audience. It was ridiculous.
And, oh yes, Fox needs a new producer. Hire one that understands that the viewing audience wants to see racing not cam shafts and air filters!
This is from Jayski.
“Commercial breakdown, driver focus, and links related to the 2008 Daytona 500:
Total number of commercials: 122
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 65
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 37
Total amount of time these brief promos take during broadcast: app. 4 min. 35
Start time to record race/commercial periods: 3:20 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 6:58 PM
Total minutes: 218
Minutes of race broadcast: 166
Minutes of commercials: 52
Number of missed restarts: 0
See full report at CawsnJaws. com.(2-18-2008)”
So one hour of commercials plus about 3 hours of racing. So you figure 4 total hours with about 13 minutes of commercials an hour. No figure in that about 4-5 of those minutes per hour were reserved for local breaks which according to the FCC they have to take. Now subtract the NASCAR mandated commercials, or about 3 minutes per hour. That leaves the network with about 5 minutes per hour to make a profit which they use most of to pay NASCAR to broadcast the race.
woooooooooooooo Nascar is back baby!!! HA HA awsome this is just awsome. Congrats to Ryan Newman…. I dont think I have ever screamed and yelled so much then I did last night WHEN NEWMAN WON
I LOVE IT. Looks like the COT will make Nascar better than it was. Look already the ratings are up and its looking good.. Nascar is the #1 sport in america in my mind. Im sorry but the NFL needs to take notice NASCAR IS BACK WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I didn’t notice that big a difference with commercials at “the right time”. Did anyone?
I’m glad the ratigns were up but im so sick and tired of these races starting so late. When they say 2pm lets start the race at 2pm not a hour and a half of prerace stuff with all the 500 winners if you are a true fan you should know all of that stuff. IM so sick of all these west coast people complaing we have to get up ealry we can’t go to church. it seems you manage with every other show. come on NASCAR you say you wanna get back to the roots well start when we used to i can’t remember the daytona 500 finishing in the dark except for the past couple years
Guy wrote:
I’m pretty sure that was ESPN that said they were going to do that not FOX.
Scholl wrote:
You do realize that shows that are live in lets say New York, are shown on a 3 hour delay in California (well except for like the News channels. Like on the East Coast we watch GMA from 7 to 9am, but it is not shown on the West coast the same time we are watching it here, it is shown there at 7am local time. Same for the late night talk shows that come on after the news, they are showed at 1135pm local time on the west coast.
So they don’t really have to deal with it for any show except the NFL.
Ratings up? Why that race was boring I bout fell asleep several times.
I hope these were good numbers and not NA$CARS numbers.I watched some of the entertainment and it looked like the last few Daytona events ,the last 2 laps were the only ones raced.See what we get this weekend……..
I agree with Lee. Boorrring! I have never watched a race so boring in my life! I don’t care whether there were wrecks or not. It was just boring.
I thought these cars were suppose to be more competative WITH each other and we weren’t going to have these huge gaps on the track anymore with the new COT’s?
YAWN!
This Daytona Race reminds me of the tapes I watch of Daytona from when the track opened, till about the mid 80’s.
But the reason the race is boring is because of two things.
1. Its about 250 miles too long.
2. The track is about 1.5 miles to long.
The last 25 laps were decent. It was a little tiring/boring at times.
I’ll take this, and all the glitter seen (great pre show, wonderful post show)
anyday. The race was great - bunched and there wasn’t one, two or three leading
the pack lap after lap. What on earth are people saying here? I
have watched racing for 30 years and this was ‘race’ if every
a race to see. Who would of thought Flying Ryan would of showed
on up. The changes - dodge showed up, but history that was in
the making, done when Hamlin won in Toyota. Kuddo’s to Stewart
because he drove his heart out, always does. There is something
about the guy I really like - perhaps it’s knowing he wanted
to win - I will always choose hunger, over banking anyday in
sports. Mark Martin, last year oh my lord was that so close,
and yet here you are once again and well, a great driver who
just won’t win Daytona - I’m still going to pull for him because
he has done so much, for so many years - but then what on
earth was this? Sam Hornish Jr and I can’t believe it. You and
Juan Taco both now have surprised me into thinking it isn’t
that hard. You both make it seem easy, it’s not. Tony Stewart
afterall, showed us that you can come from IRL to Cup. My
question is if ratified (IRL/CART) and paid more knowing danger
zone is higher, do you think the same would be true if going
from CUP to there? I say, your just born with it. I agree with
the commerical stuff. Personally, subway needs to stop promoting
a jerk who treats subway employee’s like dirt. Yes, I can say
that. Over and Over, Same thing and comes with it I guess. Because
I’m a gamer meaning if you aren’t ‘grab pine meat’, the best
commerical to me was when Kenny Wallace and his beautiful wife
traveling in a motorcoach, ending at the coast. So What! I love
Kenny and Spencer - those guy are never boring and if you listen
closely, they tell it like it is ‘with tac’ and I can always
bit into this more, than being played “WWF”. Entertainment, not
a fan of a homewrecker “trisha”, not that most of the world
couldn’t see through that - and didn’t like it. But I am a fan
of Brooks and Dunn, and those guys are terrific? As was Petty
and the Heartbreakers, Superbowl half time. Love Music, and
if you go to a race you get a concert with that pit pass and
won’t pay an arm and leg to see it. Television coverage was
good, “get a stabilizer bar” and then I won’t feel like
I’m on a rollarcoaster. My only request, noting if were
talking racing because what I propose needs done, takes
too long. Not here. But will ask Nascar this -
If you market and sell me someone, please show me them and
let me hear the masses scream when being introduced. I do
not wish to hear opinions from broadcasters, they have been
talking for a couple hours already. Show me Drivers, Show me
Teams preparing (mentally and physically). Show me WAR is coming
and the anticipation of Sweet Victory or Agony of Defeat.
Go Wendygirl, Larry and Curley and Moe “I hope to find you in
vegas - just love you guys”. J.R. all of the pit reporting
I think this show was better than it has been. Always room to
improve on it. You say feel asleep but I say well what would
you do to make it better Guest - any of you. Commericals is
a start “limitations”. COT makes the driver’s ‘earn it’, they
bump and bang (I saw alot of this) without flying like dorothy,
no more dead drivers - please. Alot to this sport, but for
some it’s hard to know why they say, boring.
I loved it - and felt it - tony you were so close but man,
what are you doing. Born an original, god please don’t let
him die a copy. You are one of the best driver’s overall
in all of racing, my generation. Can I take some of that
pressure - they say happy but I’m seeing pop! There is anger
brewing folks. Good, Bad and Ugly - it’s coming. Kurt and Kyle
are going to fight. So is Jr. SO is everyone - the time is
now. Nascar needs to let them have their moments - even if
they tear up, choke because they are missing somebody. So was
I DW…So was I - miss him very much.
DONE