On a crowded sports Sunday, the second race of the Sprint Cup season hit a speed-bump in the overnight ratings.
Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Subway Fresh Fit 500 earned a 5.0 overnight rating on FOX, down 6% from the same race last year (5.3), and even with the Auto Club 500 in 2010 (5.0).
The 5.0 overnight is tied as the lowest for the second race of the NASCAR season (currently Phoenix, previously Fontana and Rockingham) since FOX began airing races in 2001.
That said, the 5.0 also ranks as the second-highest overnight in the history of the Subway Fresh Fit 500 (dates back to 2005). Prior to 2011, the race aired on a Saturday night in April.
Despite the lower numbers, the race earned the second-largest overnight rating for a sporting event over the weekend, trailing only the Heat/Lakers NBA regular season game on ABC (5.2).
Overnight Ratings For the Second Race of the NASCAR Season
Since FOX began televising races in 2001
(Sunday’s overnight obtained from Jayski.com)
