Overnight ratings increased double-digits for Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s victory at Michigan. In other news, the Nationwide Series and IndyCar also saw increases over the weekend.
- Sprint Cup Sees Double-Digit Increase on TNT: Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Michigan drew a 3.1 overnight rating on TNT Sunday afternoon, up 15% from last year (2.7). The race marked the first time in four years that Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a Sprint Cup race. Despite the increase, the 3.1 is the lowest of the season for any NASCAR Sprint Cup race, and marks a slight drop from a 3.2 for the previous week’s Pocono 400. (Sports Business Daily)
- Nationwide Series From Michigan Up: The NASCAR Nationwide Series Alliance Truck Parts 250 from Michigan drew a 1.6 overnight rating on ABC Saturday afternoon, up 14% from last year (1.4). This year’s telecast window was shortened to two hours in order to accommodate a rain-delayed IndyCar race on ABC earlier in the afternoon. (Sports Business Daily)
- Recent IndyCar Numbers, Including Texas: Rain-affected coverage of Sunday’s IndyCar Series Milwaukee IndyFest drew a 1.0 overnight rating on ABC Saturday, up a tick from the same race on the same weekend last year. Race coverage lasted one hour on ABC before moving to ESPNEWS. The previous weekend, the Firestone 550 from Texas drew 384,000 viewers on NBC Sports Network, down 27% from last year (525K). This year’s race aired opposite Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals and Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final. (Sports Business Daily, NBC Sports)
