After five of the first six NASCAR Sprint Cup races suffered declines in ratings compared to last year, the past two races have been able to stem the trend.
Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup STP 400 from Kansas drew a 4.3 final rating and 6.830 million viewers on FOX, up 10% in ratings and 8% in viewership from the inaugural edition of the race last year, which took place in June (3.9, 6.300M).
The race ranks as the second of the season to have an increase in ratings or viewership compared to last year.
On a packed sports weekend, the NASCAR race was the highest rated and most-viewed event.
Ratings Flat For Texas Race: The previous week, the Samsung Mobile 500 from Texas drew a 4.0 final rating and 6.766 million viewers — flat in ratings and down 4% in viewership compared to last year (4.0, 7.036M), but up 3% and 13%, respectively, from the comparable Subway Fresh Fit 500 from Phoenix in 2010 (3.7, 5.977M).
Excluding rainouts, the race ranks as the lowest rated (tie) edition of the spring Texas race since its inception in 1997 and the least-viewed since at least 2001 (viewership prior to 2002 was not available).
Ratings/Viewership For NASCAR Sprint Cup Races
During the 2012 season
|
Date
|
Location
|
Net
|
Rating
|
vs. ’11
|
vs. ’10
|
Viewers (000)
|
vs. ’11
|
vs. ’10
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., 2/27/12 | Daytona | FOX |
8.0
|
-8%
|
+4%
|
13,669
|
-12%
|
3%
|
| Sun., 3/4/12 | Phoenix | FOX |
5.6
|
-5%
|
51%
|
9,230
|
-11%
|
54%
|
| Sun., 3/11/12 | Las Vegas | FOX |
5.2
|
-12%
|
18%
|
8,528
|
-15%
|
19%
|
| Sun., 3/18/12 | Bristol | FOX |
4.4
|
+2%
|
even
|
7,307
|
+1%
|
-1%
|
| Sun., 3/25/12 | Fontana | FOX |
3.8
|
-17%
|
-32%
|
6,153
|
-24%
|
-33%
|
| Sun., 4/1/12 | Martinsville | FOX |
4.3
|
-2%
|
rainout
|
6,835
|
-5%
|
rainout
|
| Sun., 4/14/12 | Texas | FOX |
4.0
|
even
|
rainout
|
6,766
|
-4%
|
rainout
|
| Sun., 4/22/12 | Kansas | FOX |
4.3
|
+10%
|
no race
|
6,830
|
+8%
|
no race
|
(April 14 and April 22 numbers from Jayski)
