NASCAR had another rough outing in the ratings last weekend.
NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kansas, the fifth of ten Chase For the Cup races, had a 2.1 final rating and 3.4 million viewers on the NBC broadcast network Sunday afternoon — down 15% in ratings and viewership from last year (2.5, 4.0M) and down 9% and 4%, respectively, from 2014 on cable network ESPN (2.3, 3.6M).
Kevin Harvick‘s win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched fall Kansas race since it began in 2001. The previous marks were a 2.3 (twice) and 3.6 million in 2014.
Excluding rainouts, the 2.1 rating is the lowest ever for a Chase For the Cup race on a broadcast network, and the lowest for any Sprint Cup race on broadcast since at least 2003. In both cases, the previous marks were last year’s 2.5.
Sunday’s race was the eighth straight to hit multi-year lows in ratings and viewership, and the 10th of the past 11. Keep in mind that excludes the postponed Pocono, Bristol and Charlotte races, the latter of which scored an increase over last year’s postponement.
For the season, 18 of 27 races have tied or hit multi-year lows in ratings and viewership: Las Vegas, Phoenix, Fontana, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Charlotte, Michigan, Kentucky, Loudon, Watkins Glen, Michigan again, Darlington, Richmond again, Chicago, Loudon again, Dover and now Kansas.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 10/18)
