One of NASCAR’s most popular tracks could not step the downward trend in Sprint Cup ratings.
NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Talladega, the sixth race in the Chase For the Cup, earned a 2.2 final rating and 3.6 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon — down 15% in ratings and 16% in viewership from last year (2.6, 4.2M) and down 27% and 28%, respectively, from 2014 on ESPN (3.0, 4.8M).
Joey Logano‘s win ranks as the lowest rated edition of the race since at least 2000 and the least-watched since at least 2001, falling below the previous marks set last year. As recently as eight years ago, the race had a 4.6 and 7.4 million on broadcast network ABC. It returns to broadcast next year on NBC.
Talladega was the ninth straight Sprint Cup race and the 11th of the past 12 to hit a multi-year low in ratings and viewership. That excludes postponed races at Pocono, Bristol and Charlotte. For the season, 19 races have hit multi-year lows.
Even with the lower numbers, Talladega delivered the highest rating and viewership of this year’s Chase For the Cup, edging the previous marks of 2.1 and 3.4 million. It ranks as the highest rated and most-watched race since Darlington on NBC Labor Day weekend (2.8, 4.6M).
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 10/25)
