NASCAR ended its season with another double-digit decline, but the numbers were not nearly as bleak as in the preceding weeks.
The NASCAR Chase For the Cup finale from Homestead (FL) drew a 3.5 rating and 6.1 million viewers on NBC and NBCSN Sunday afternoon, per Nielsen fast-nationals — down 20% in ratings and viewership from last year, when a rain delay pushed the finish into primetime and preempted much of NBC’s NFL pregame (4.4, 7.6M), but up 13% and 16% respectively from 2014 on ESPN (3.1, 5.2M).
Jimmie Johnson‘s title-clinching win trails only last year as the highest rated and most-watched Homestead race since 2011 (4.0, 6.8M) and ranks behind those aforementioned races as the third-most watched Chase For the Cup telecast since 2009.
For the season, it was the top Sprint Cup race since Talladega on FOX in May (4.0, 6.7M).
Excluding rainouts, Homestead was the first Sprint Cup race since the Brickyard 400 in July to avoid a multi-year low in ratings or viewership — ending a brutal stretch of 11 straight races to hit an all-time or decade-plus low. It was still the 12th straight race to decline from last year and the 11th straight to drop by double-digits.
Overall, of the 29 Sprint Cup races that can be compared to last year, 21 declined in ratings and 22 declined in viewership. That includes 15 that dropped double-digits in one or both measures.
Sunday’s race peaked at a 4.8 rating and 8.4 million viewers from 6:45-7 PM ET, four million fewer viewers and one full hour earlier than last year (12.4M from 7:45-7:56 PM).
(Sun. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box 11/21)
