NASCAR on FOX hit a record-low in the overnights over the weekend.
Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Southern 500 from Darlington (SC) earned a 3.2 overnight rating on FOX, down 9% from each of the past three years (3.5) and the lowest ever for a Sprint Cup telecast on FOX (dates back to 2001).
The previous low for NASCAR on FOX was a 3.3 overnight for the 2009 Subway Fresh Fit 500 from Phoenix, also on a Saturday night.
Six of the seven lowest rated NASCAR races on FOX in the metered markets each took place on a Saturday night — 2014 Darlington (3.2), 2013 Richmond (3.4), 2012 Richmond (3.4), 2011 Richmond (3.4), 2010 Richmond (3.4), and 2009 Phoenix (3.3). The lone exception was the rain-drenched 2012 Fontana race, which earned a 3.4 overnight on a Sunday afternoon.
Prior to this year, the Darlington race took place in May opposite the NBA Playoffs. This year’s race, by contrast, faced little competition.
(This year’s numbers from Sports Business Daily)
