After two postponements and a two-hour fire delay, the 2012 Daytona 500 was down only slightly from last year.
The 2012 Daytona 500 earned a 7.7 overnight rating on FOX Monday night, down 6% from last year (8.2), but up 10% from 2010 (7.0).
The race — originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon and then Monday afternoon — was delayed for two hours due to a fiery explosion. Thanks to the delay, FOX did not go off the air until after 1 AM ET.
The delay and the late finish likely had a negative impact on the numbers.
Monday’s race should finish as the fourth straight Daytona 500 to earn a single-digit final rating. From 2001-2008, the race drew a double-digit rating in all but one year.
For some perspective, the Daytona 500 drew a lower overnight than every game of the NBA Finals (the series-low was a 10.5 for Game 2), and six of the seven World Series games (Game 3 drew a 7.4). However, the race earned a larger overnight than both the Orange Bowl (4.5) and Sugar Bowl (6.3) on ESPN.
(Monday’s numbers from Sports Business Daily)
