The good times may very well be rolling again for NASCAR, which for the third straight race hit a multi-year high in viewership.
Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte earned a 4.5 final rating and 8.132 million viewers on FOX, up 13% in ratings and 24% in viewership from last year (4.0, 6.547M), but down 4% and 7%, respectively, from 2008 (4.7, 7.584M).
The 2009 race was postponed from Sunday to Monday (Memorial Day) due to rain. The rescheduled race drew a 3.3 and 5.318 million viewers.
This marks the highest rated edition of the Coca-Cola 600 since 2008 (4.7), and the most-viewed since 2006 (8.365M). The five-year high in viewership comes on the heels of the most-viewed spring Dover race in at least ten years, and the most-viewed Darlington race in three years.
The Coca-Cola 600 will more than likely will finish ahead of Sunday’s IndyCar Indianapolis 500 when final numbers for that event are released. The Indy 500 drew a 4.3 overnight rating, and final ratings for the race typically decline from the overnight.
The race ranked an impressive 12th for the week on broadcast in the all-important adults 18-49 demographic, with a 2.5 rating in the demo. Overall, the race ranked as the 17th-most viewed program of the week on broadcast.
(Numbers from TV By the Numbers)
