Television ratings hit a record-low for the season’s first Sprint Cup race from Texas.
Last Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup NRA 500 from Texas drew a 3.8 final rating and 6.3 million viewers on FOX last Saturday night, down 5% in ratings and 7% in viewership from last year (4.0, 6.8M), and down 5% and 11%, respectively, from 2011 (4.0, 7.0M).
Excluding rainouts, the 3.8 rating is the lowest ever for the spring Texas race (dates back to 1997). As recently as 2007, the race drew a 5.6 rating and 9.3 million viewers.
Saturday’s race also ranks as the lowest rated Sprint Cup telecast of the 2013 season. Every other race has drawn at least 4% of U.S. TV homes.
Overall, the NRA 500 narrowly avoided the lowest rating ever for a “NASCAR on FOX” telecast. The current record low is a 3.6 final rating, set by last year’s Capital City 400 from Richmond (VA) and the 2009 Subway Fresh Fit 500 from Phoenix.
Of the seven NASCAR on FOX telecasts this season, four have had increases in ratings, two have had declines, and one has been flat. FOX is averaging a 5.4 rating and 8.9 million viewers for NASCAR coverage, up 2% and 1%, respectively, from the comparable point last year (5.3, 8.8M).
Ratings/Viewership For Spring Texas Race
Past decade
* 2010 race PPD to Monday afternoon
| Year | Date | Winner | Net | Rating | Viewers (000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2013
|
Sat., 4/13/13 | Ky. Busch | FOX |
3.8
|
6.3M
|
|
2012
|
Sat., 4/14/13 | Biffle | FOX |
4.0
|
6.8M
|
|
2011
|
Sat., 4/9/11 | Kenseth | FOX |
4.0
|
7.0M
|
|
2010
|
Mon., 4/19/10 | Hamlin | FOX |
2.1
|
2.9M
|
|
2009
|
Sun., 4/5/09 | Gordon | FOX |
4.7
|
6.9M
|
|
2008
|
Sun., 4/6/08 | Edwards | FOX |
5.4
|
8.6M
|
|
2007
|
Sun., 4/15/07 | Burton | FOX |
5.6
|
9.3M
|
|
2006
|
Sun., 4/9/06 | Kahne | FOX |
5.4
|
8.7M
|
|
2005
|
Sun., 4/17/05 | Biffle | FOX |
5.7
|
8.7M
|
|
2004
|
Sun., 4/4/04 | Sadler | FOX |
6.0
|
9.7M
|
|
2003
|
Sun., 3/30/03 | Newman | FOX |
6.3
|
10.2M
|
(Weekend ratings from Sports Business Daily, with additional info from Jayski)
