In an up-and-down season for NASCAR ratings, Michigan was one of the better draws.
Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race from Michigan averaged a 1.8 rating and 2.90 million viewers on NBCSN, up 13% in ratings and 14% in viewership from last year (1.6, 2.54M), but down 10% and 8% respectively from 2017 (2.0, 3.16M).
Kevin Harvick‘s win was the ninth Cup Series race this season to increase over last year, the most at this point of the season since 2013 (11). It snapped a streak of four straight declines for the August Michigan race, which had not increased since 2014.
It also ranks as the most-watched NASCAR race on cable since Darlington on NBCSN in 2017 (3.10M).
The race had an additional streaming audience of 23,000 viewers on NBC Sports digital platforms, bringing combined viewership up to 2.92 million.
For the third straight week, and the seventh time this season, NASCAR was the weekend’s most-watched sporting event. Sunday’s race edged out the night’s US Gymnastics Championships telecast on NBC (2.78M). It ranked third for the weekend in adults 18-49, its 0.43 rating trailing the gymnastics telecast (0.55) and a Cowboys-49ers NFL preseason game (0.51).
Even with the increase, Sunday’s race topped only last year as the lowest rated at Michigan since at least 1998 and the least-watched since at least 2000. Just five years ago, the race was substantially stronger at a 3.2 and 5.15 million on ESPN.
[Nielsen estimates via ShowBuzz Daily 8.13]
