For the second straight week, NASCAR ratings dropped on NBCSN.
NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from New Hampshire scored a 2.1 and 3.3 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon, down 13% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (2.4, 3.7M) and down 22% and 23%, respectively, from 2014 on TNT (2.7, 4.3M).
Matt Kenseth‘s win was the lowest rated summer New Hampshire race since at least 1998 and the least-watched since at least 2000. As recently as three years ago, the race had a 3.2 and 4.9 million — mediocre at the time, but strong by today’s standards (at least for cable). Ratings and viewership have fallen by nearly half over the past decade, dropping from a 3.9 and 6.2 million in 2006.
Keep in mind Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed Sunday’s race due to concussion symptoms. His absence may or may not have had an impact on the numbers.
Loudon was the tenth race this season to hit a multi-year low in ratings and/or viewership, joining Kentucky, Michigan, Charlotte, Richmond, Bristol, Texas, Fontana, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
As was the case with Kentucky the previous week, poor numbers for NASCAR are still big numbers for NBCSN. Sunday’s race delivered the network’s largest audience since last year’s Martinsville Chase For the Cup race (3.4M), exceeding even Games 2 and 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
(Sat. numbers from ShowBuzz Daily)
