After two weeks of merely slight declines, NASCAR overnights sank by double-digits again this weekend.
NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Fontana (CA) earned a 3.5 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 13% from last year and 2014 (4.0 both years) and the lowest overnight for the race since rain-shortened coverage drew a 3.4 in 2012. Outside of 2012, no edition of the race has had a lower overnight since at least 1998.*
All five Sprint Cup races this season have had a decline in the metered markets, with Sunday’s 13 percent drop the third by double-digits.
Fontana was also the third straight race to set or tie a multi-year low. Phoenix had its lowest overnight in six years and Las Vegas tied its lowest mark since moving to FOX in 2001. That list does not include Atlanta, which was the lowest rated post-Daytona race in the metered markets since FOX acquired right.
The race actually faced lighter competition from the NCAA Tournament, which had double-digit declines for all four of its telecast windows on Sunday. Excluding the tournament, it ranked second for the weekend among sporting events behind ABC’s Warriors/Spurs NBA game Saturday night (3.7).
* Does not include the fall race that was run from 2004-10.
(Wknd. numbers via Sports Business Daily)
