After getting off to a slow start with the Brickyard 400, NASCAR on ESPN bounced back with strong numbers for Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500.
The Pennsylvania 500 drew a 3.8 U.S. rating and 6.202 million viewers on ESPN Sunday afternoon, even in ratings and virtually even in viewership compared to 2008 (3.8, 6.191 mil). Last year’s race was rained out and postponed to Monday, drawing a 1.6 U.S. rating and 2.246 million viewers.
Compared to 2007, Sunday’s race was even in ratings and up 3% in viewership from a 3.8 and 6.000 million.
This marks the most-viewed Pennsylvania 500 since 2006, when the race drew 6.739 million viewers on TNT. Viewership has increased every year since ’06, excluding last year’s rained-out race.
Sunday’s race ranks as the highest rated, most-viewed NASCAR race of the season on cable, topping the previous highs of 3.6 (Brickyard 400 and Coke Zero 400) and 6.127 million viewers (Coke Zero 400).
Ratings/Viewership For NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 Dating Back To ’99
| Year | Date | Winner | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sun., 8/1/10 | Biffle |
ESPN
|
3.8
|
6,202
|
| 2009 | Mon., 8/3/09* | Hamlin |
ESPN
|
1.6
|
2,246
|
| 2008 | Sun., 8/3/08 | Edwards |
ESPN
|
3.8
|
6,191
|
| 2007 | Sun., 8/5/07 | Ku. Busch |
ESPN
|
3.8
|
6,000
|
| 2006 | Sun., 7/23/06 | Hamlin |
TNT
|
4.1
|
6,739
|
| 2005 | Sun., 7/24/05 | Ku. Busch |
TNT
|
4.7
|
7,150
|
| 2004 | Sun., 8/1/04 | Johnson |
TNT
|
3.8
|
5,737
|
| 2003 | Sun., 7/27/03 | Newman |
TNT
|
3.7
|
6,006
|
| 2002 | Sun., 7/28/02 | Elliot |
TNT
|
4.1
|
6,376
|
| 2001 | Sun., 7/29/01 | Labonte |
TNT
|
4.1
|
6,791
|
| 2000 | Sun., 7/23/00 | R. Wallace |
TBS
|
3.3
|
—
|
| 1999 | Sun., 7/25/00 | Labonte |
TBS
|
4.0
|
—
|
(TV By The Numbers)
