With some of the novelty wearing off and competition from the Grammy Awards likely luring away viewers, ratings for NASCAR’s second “Clash” at the LA Coliseum could not measure up to the first.
Sunday’s NASCAR “Clash” at the Los Angeles Coliseum averaged a 2.0 rating and 3.65 million viewers on FOX, down 13% in ratings and 15% in viewership from last year, when the event took place at the Coliseum for the first time (2.3, 4.28M). Ratings and viewership still outpaced the previous five years, when the event took place in Daytona and aired on FS1.
It is worth noting that this year’s audience is the lowest for the “Clash” on broadcast television since Fox Sports began airing NASCAR in 2001. Viewership for the preseason exhibition topped out at 8.5 million 15 years ago and maintained an average north of seven million as late as 2012.
Despite the smaller audience, the race still delivered NASCAR’s largest audience since the Coca-Cola 600 on FOX last May (3.87M), outpacing all of last season’s playoff races (which aired opposite the NFL). Last year’s season finale from Phoenix averaged 3.21 million on NBC.
The “Clash” ranked second for a busy weekend of sporting events behind only the NFL “Pro Bowl Games” and ahead of the likes of North Carolina-Duke men’s college basketball (1.4, 2.86M), the PGA Tour at Pebble Beach (1.4, 2.27M), the NHL All-Star Game (0.8, 1.50M) and all three nationally televised NBA games. It trailed the UNC-Duke game in adults 18-49 (1.09M to 879K).
Coverage aired directly opposite the Grammy Awards on CBS, which averaged 12.5 million viewers. Last year’s coverage overlapped with NBC’s primetime Winter Olympics coverage (12.9M).
Qualifying prior to the race averaged a 1.3 and 2.37 million, down from last year in a midday window (1.6, 2.56M). Practice on Saturday drew a 0.35 and 589,000 on FS1, up sharply from last year on FS2 (0.22, 350K).
(Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 2.7)
