NASCAR TV Ratings down at all but 2 races in 2006
Quote selected text Published September 23rd, 2006 in NASCAR News
TV ratings from NASCAR’s first championship chase race weren’t impressive - the Loudon race pulled a 3.1 rating on TNT (which Neilsen said translates to 4.792 million viewers), down 12% from the 2005 race.
In comparison, NBC’s Labor Day Sunday prime-time coverage of the California 500 pulled a 5.1 (8.4 million viewers); and NBC’s NFL Sunday prime-time game Sept. 17 pulled an 11.9 rating (18.4 million viewers).
ESPN, which will return to major coverage of NASCAR next summer, also scored big with the NFL, an 8.2 rating (12.570 million viewers) and 7.1 (10.495 million viewers) for its two Monday-night games on Sept. 11. Only two of the year’s 27 races have had gains, the Daytona 500 and Martinsville.
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I would say the problem lies with TNT not Nascar, TNT is terrible what a bad channel choice you need cable to watch the channel as its not a network like nbc, cbs, fox etc. Their coverage is terrible I love the fox nascar coverage its lively and colorful the TNT coverage is boring at best.
I have to admit…..I MISS DW!!! Fox coverage of Nascar is the best. I always make a greater effort to watch the races in the beginning of the year when they are on Fox, but not so much the end of the year when it’s on NBC/TNT. My satellite coverage doesn’t include NBC, and I have the best package, so most races on that network I am unable to see do to no conventional antenna so I just don’t watch at all. Why can’t they just get their own network like the NFL did?
The spike in NASCAR rating last year was an interesting phenomenon. I never expected it to last, NASCAR was surprised it was catching Hockey 6 years ago, now with its sites squarely targeted on MLB it needs to get more creative in the coverage. The problems lies in the 1.5 and 2 mile cookie cutter ovals that often lead to long greens runs in the middle of the race, I even find myself nodding off. I think adding a 1 more roadtrack would be start. I would like to see the comparison between FOX and NBC. Largely because NASCAR fans hate NBC’s coverage. Hopefully ESPN has plan to help NASCAR’s continual growth as a sport.