NASCAR’s television ratings sank to its lowest ratings of the season last Sunday.
Sunday’s Tums Fast Relief 500 drew a mere 2.9 rating and 4.7 million viewers on ABC, down 12% and 9%, respectively, from a 3.3 and 5.2 million last year, and the lowest rated, least-viewed NASCAR race of the season — on broadcast or cable.
This marks the lowest rated NASCAR race on broadcast since at least ’05, and one of the lowest (if not the lowest) rated NASCAR races on broadcast since ’01.
Additionally, this is the lowest rated Tums Fast Relief 500 since the race moved to broadcast in ’02. Ratings and viewership for the race have declined each year since 2005.
So far this season, 29 NASCAR races on FOX, TNT, ESPN and ABC have averaged a 4.1 rating and 6.7 million viewers, down 9% in ratings and viewership from a 4.5 and 7.3 million for the comparable races last year. That excludes the Coca Cola 600, Pennsylvania 500 and Heluva Good! at the Glen, each of which was postponed due to rain.
Of those 29 races, 23 have had a decline in ratings compared to last year.
Ratings/viewership for Tums Fast Relief 500 since ’00
* 2001 race was originally set to air on NBC, but was postponed to Monday and aired on TNT
Ratings and shares presented for races on broadcast; U.S. rating presented with cable rating in parentheses () for races on cable
| Year | Date | Winner | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sun., 10/25/09 | Hamlin | ABC |
2.9/-
|
4.7 mil
|
| 2008 | Sun., 10/19/08 | Johnson | ABC |
3.3/7
|
5.2 mil
|
| 2007 | Sun., 10/21/07 | Johnson | ABC |
3.7/-
|
5.6 mil
|
| 2006 | Sun., 10/22/06 | Johnson | NBC |
4.1/9
|
6.6 mil
|
| 2005 | Sun., 10/23/05 | Gordon | NBC |
4.7/10
|
7.1 mil
|
| 2004 | Sun., 10/24/04 | Johnson | NBC |
4.4/10
|
6.8 mil
|
| 2003 | Sun., 10/19/03 | Gordon | NBC |
4.0/10
|
6.4 mil
|
| 2002 | Sun., 10/20/02 | Busch | NBC |
4.4/11
|
6.9 mil
|
| 2001* | Mon., 10/15/01 | Craven | TNT |
1.2 (1.5)
|
n/a
|
| 2000 | Sun., 10/1/09 | Stewart | ESPN |
2.3 (2.9)
|
n/a
|
Source: Jayski
