Ratings for the crown jewel of open wheel racing hit an all-time record low.
The 2010 Indianapolis 500 drew a 3.6 fast-national rating and 5.8 million viewers on ABC, down 10% in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year (4.0, 6.3 mil), down 22% and 20%, respectively, from 2008 (4.6, 7.2 mil), and down 16% and 10%, respectively, from 2007 (4.3, 6.4 mil).
This marks the lowest rated, least-viewed Indianapolis 500 since the race began airing live in 1986, surpassing the previous record low set last year. Additionally, this is the first time that the race has drawn fewer than 4% of U.S. television households.
Ratings and viewership for the race have declined by over 40% since 2005, when hype surrounding Danica Patrick lifted the numbers to a 6.5 rating and 9.7 million viewers. This year’s 3.6 also marks a 62% decline from the 9.4 the race drew in 1995, the last year before the IRL/CART split.
For the seventh time since 2002, the Indianapolis 500 was outdrawn by the Coca-Cola 600 in ratings (by 11%) and viewership (by 13%). This, despite the fact that the Coca-Cola 600 hit a 10-year low in the ratings.
Despite the declines, the Indianapolis 500 still topped both NHL Stanley Cup Final games over the weekend. The race also outdrew one of the highest-profile sporting events of the year — Tiger Woods‘ return to competitive golf during the first round of The Masters on ESPN (3.4, 4.9 mil).
Ratings For Indianapolis 500 Since 1992 (Viewership Since 2000)
(Sports Business Daily)
