After nine races, it seems clear that a sizable portion of NASCAR’s audience has tuned out — at least in the major markets.
Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 drew a 4.5/11 overnight rating on FOX, down 14% from last year, and the lowest overnight rating for the race since 2000, excluding the rained-out ’06 race. Previously, the race had never drawn less than a 5.0 overnight on FOX.
Since drawing a 6.1 overnight in ’05, ratings for the Aaron’s 499 have declined 26%.
This marks the ninth straight NASCAR race on FOX to see a double-digit decline in overnight ratings.
Despite the lower number, the 4.5 was the highest overnight of the weekend for a sporting event on broadcast, edging two NBA games on ABC.
Overnight ratings for the Aaron’s 499 since ’99.
| Year | Date | Time | Winner | Net | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sun., 4/26/09 | 2:30 PM | Keselowski | FOX | |
| 2008 | Sun., 4/27/08 | 2:15 PM | Busch | FOX | |
| 2007 | Sun., 4/29/07 | 2:30 PM | Gordon | FOX | |
| 2006 | Sun., 4/30/06 | N/A | Johnson | FOX | |
| 2005 | Sun., 5/1/05 | 12:30 PM | Gordon | FOX | |
| 2004 | Sun., 4/25/04 | 1:30 PM | Gordon | FOX | |
| 2003 | Sun., 4/6/03 | 1:00 PM | Earnhardt, Jr. | FOX | |
| 2002 | Sun., 4/21/02 | 2:15 PM | Earnhardt, Jr. | FOX | |
| 2001 | Sun., 4/22/01 | 1:00 PM | Hamilton | FOX | |
| 2000 | Sun., 4/16/00 | 1:00 PM | Gordon | ABC | |
| 1999 | Sun., 4/25/99 | 1:00 PM | Earnhardt | ABC |
