There were fans in the stands, but fewer watching on TV, for the NASCAR All-Star Race. Also: MLS is Back is trending above last year’s comparable matches; the UFC hit a viewer low for midweek main event; and more.
NASCAR All-Star Race hits viewership low
Wednesday’s NASCAR All-Star Race averaged 2.08 million viewers on FS1, the smallest audience for the event since at least 2003. Viewership fell 15% from last year (2.44M) and 16% from 2018 (2.47M), when the race took place as scheduled on a Saturday in May.
Chase Elliott’s win increased 21% over the previous midweek Cup Series race, Martinsville last month (1.71M). It was the most-watched midweek race since Darlington in May (2.09M).
Viewership for the All-Star Race has now declined in five straight years. Wednesday’s rating was not immediately available.
ESPN airs its least-watched UFC main event
The latest UFC on ESPN main event averaged 536,000 viewers Wednesday night, marking the least-watched main event on the ESPN family of networks (13 total). The previous low was 672,000 for a main event in March that was added to ESPN’s schedule at the last minute.
Despite the low numbers, the telecast was ESPN’s most-watched weekday program in nearly two months — since a re-air of Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals in May (608K).
MLS is Back trending above last year’s matches
ESPN averaged 311,000 viewers for its first five matches of the MLS is Back Tournament, up 15% from the comparable dates of last season. Including matches on ESPN Deportes, the average of 337,000 marks a 24% increase.
Elsewhere, FOX averaged a 0.36 rating and 587,000 for Saturday’s weather-delayed Atlanta-NY Red Bulls match, the largest audience of the tournament thus far. Compared to the season’s previous FOX window, Nashville-Atlanta on the opening weekend of the season, ratings fell 22% (from 0.46) and viewership 22% (from 756K).
Plus: Premier League, PTI, celebrity golf
NBC averaged a 0.6 rating and 945,000 viewers for Saturday’s Chelsea-Sheffield English Premier League match, the second-largest EPL audience since the league returned from hiatus last month. Liverpool-Everton averaged 997,000 on June 21. … ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption averaged 424,000 in its return as a standalone program Monday, down 50% from its previous edition on March 11 (841K) and down 39% from the comparable July date last year (697K). It was still ESPN’s most-watched program of the day. … Coverage of the American Century Championship (celebrity golf) averaged a 0.50 rating (-6%) and 754,000 viewers (+1%) on NBC Saturday and a 0.55 (-7%) and 799,000 (-8%) on Sunday.
