The Indianapolis 500 is not the only Memorial Day Weekend auto race facing ratings erosion.
Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 drew a 4.0/9 final rating and 6.5 million viewers on FOX, down 15% in ratings and 14% in viewership from 2008 (4.7, 7.6 mil), and down 11% and 13%, respectively, from 2007 (4.5, 7.5 mil).
Last year’s race was rained out and run on Memorial Day, earning a 3.3 rating and 5.3 million viewers.
Excluding last year’s race, this marks the lowest rating ever for the Coca-Cola 600 on FOX, and the lowest rating for the race overall since 2000 (3.4 on TBS).
Additionally, this is the least-viewed edition of the race since at least 2002 (viewership prior to ’02 was unavailable).
To put the numbers in perspective, the race drew a 6.1 rating and 10.2 million viewers as recently as 2005.
Despite the declines, Sunday’s race will likely finish as the second-highest rated, second-most viewed sporting event of the three-day Memorial Day weekend (Sat-Mon), behind only Lakers/Suns Game 6 on TNT (4.8, 8.2 mil).
Final averages for NASCAR on FOX during the 2010 season were not immediately available.
Ratings/Viewership For Coca-Cola 600 Since 1999
* Postponed to Memorial Day due to rain.
| Year | Date | Winner | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sun., 5/30/10 | Busch |
FOX
|
4.0
|
6,547
|
| 2009* | Mon., 5/25/09 | Reutimann |
FOX
|
3.3
|
5,318
|
| 2008 | Sun., 5/25/08 | Kahne |
FOX
|
4.7
|
7,584
|
| 2007 | Sun., 5/27/07 | Mears |
FOX
|
4.5
|
7,496
|
| 2006 | Sun., 5/28/06 | Kahne |
FOX
|
5.1
|
8,365
|
| 2005 | Sun., 5/29/05 | Johnson |
FOX
|
6.1
|
10,235
|
| 2004 | Sun., 5/30/04 | Johnson |
FOX
|
5.0
|
8,322
|
| 2003 | Sun., 5/25/03 | Johnson |
FOX
|
4.7
|
8,042
|
| 2002 | Sun., 5/26/02 | Martin |
FOX
|
5.1
|
8,416
|
| 2001 | Sun., 5/27/01 | Burton |
FOX
|
5.3
|
—
|
| 2000 | Sun., 5/28/00 | Kenseth |
TBS
|
3.4
|
—
|
| 1999 | Sun., 5/30/99 | Burton |
TBS
|
3.8
|
—
|
