Even with the low bar set last year, NASCAR Michigan viewership declined on Fox Sports 1.
NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Michigan earned 3.5 million viewers on FS1 Sunday afternoon, down 2% from last year (3.5M) and down 19% from 2014 on TNT (4.3M). Ratings were not immediately available.
Joey Logano‘s win ranks as the least-watched edition of the race since at least 2000, falling below the previous mark set last year. Viewership has declined for four consecutive years after reaching 5.3 million in 2012.
It should be noted that Sunday’s race aired on a day of wall-to-wall breaking news coverage on broadcast and cable.
Sunday’s race marked the first time this season that viewership has declined for a NASCAR points race on Fox Sports 1 (four telecasts). Benefiting from the low bars set last year, viewership increased 4% at Martinsville, 27% at Kansas, and 1% at Dover.
Of the season’s 12 races that can be compared to last year,* it was the eighth to post a year-over-year decline.
Though this site does not typically go into NASCAR demographic numbers, it is worth noting that Sunday’s race had a 0.7 rating among adults under the age of 50 and a 2.3 among those over 50. In the over 50 demo, it was the day’s top program on cable — even topping Game of Thrones on HBO (2.27 to 2.26).
* Excluding races that were rained out this year (Pocono) or last year (Bristol and Richmond).
(Sun. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily)
