Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. has not been able to lift NASCAR television ratings this season.
NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Martinsville, the seventh race in the Chase For the Cup, drew a 2.5 final rating and 4.1 million viewers on ESPN — down 7% in ratings and 5% in viewership from last year (2.7, 4.3M) and up 4% and 13%, respectively, from 2012 (2.4, 3.6M).
Ratings and viewership were the third-lowest for the fall Martinsville race since at least 2000, ahead of only 2012 and 2010 (2.4, 4.0M). Of the 29 races this season that can be compared to last year, 24 have had declines in ratings and 23 have had declines in viewership.
Earnhardt Jr. won Sunday’s race — his fourth victory of the season — but even NASCAR’s biggest star has not moved the needle much. Three of his four victories have had declines in ratings and viewership, with the June race from Pocono the lone exception (+7% and +3%, respectively).
(Sun. numbers from ESPN)
