NASCAR did not draw award-winning ratings opposite The Oscars on Sunday.
The Auto Club 500 drew a 5.3/8 overnight rating on FOX Sunday night, down 13% from a 6.1/10 for last year’s rain-drenched event. The 5.3 is the lowest overnight for the Auto Club 500 since the race moved to its current February date in 2005, and the lowest for the race since the ’03 edition drew a 4.9.
Despite the decline in ratings, FOX finished second for the night in total viewers and in the adults 18-49 and 18-34 demographics, behind only Oscar-fueled ABC.
So far in 2009, ratings have declined for all four NASCAR Sprint Cup telecasts on FOX (Budweiser Shootout, Daytona Pole Qualifying, Daytona 500 and Auto Club 500).
Overnight ratings for the Auto Club 500 since 2005.
* race concluded on Monday due to rain
5.3/8: Matt Kenseth (Sun., 2/22/09, 6 PM FOX)
6.1/10*: Carl Edwards (Sun., 2/24/08, 6:30 PM FOX)
6.2/11: Matt Kenseth (Sun., 2/25/07, 3:45 PM FOX)
6.2/12: Matt Kenseth (Sun., 2/26/06, 4:15 PM FOX)
7.1/14: Greg Biffle (Sun., 2/27/05, 3:15 PM FOX)
