Ratings continue to drop for NASCAR.
Sunday’s Food City 500 drew a 4.4 final rating and 7.4 million viewers on FOX, down 2% in ratings and virtually flat in viewership from last year (4.5, 7.4 mil), and down 20% and 17%, respectively, from 2008 (5.5, 8.9 mil).
This marks the lowest rated Food City 500 since 2000, when the race aired on ESPN (3.7).
With the lone exception of the 2003 race (5.5), the Food City 500 drew a 6.0 rating or higher each year from 2001-06, including a 6.3 in ’05.
So far this season, all five NASCAR races on FOX have had declines in ratings compared to last year. Three of the five races have seen ratings hit at least a 10-year low.
Dating back to late 2008, 37 of the last 47 Sprint Cup telecasts (includes the Budweiser Shootout, Daytona Pole Qualifying and All-Star Race) have had declines in ratings.
(Nielsen)
