For the second time this season, a Saturday night NASCAR race drew near record low ratings on FOX.
Saturday’s Heath Calhoun 400 drew a 3.7 final rating and 6.2 million viewers on FOX, down 8% in ratings and 7% in viewership from last year (4.0, 6.7 mil), down 18% and 15%, respectively, from 2008 (4.5, 7.3 mil), and down 14% and 12%, respectively, from 2007 (4.3, 7.0 mil).
This marks the lowest rated, least-viewed edition of the Your-Name-Here 400 (named each year after a contest winner) since the race moved to broadcast in 2007.
Saturday’s race is tied with April’s Subway Fresh Fit 600 as the second-lowest rated NASCAR race ever on FOX. The only race to draw a lower rating was last year’s Subway Fresh Fit 500, which drew a 3.6 on a Saturday night.
Overall, the six lowest rated NASCAR races on FOX have taken place within the last two years, and five of those races have aired on Saturday nights.
Despite the lower number, Saturday’s race outdrew Celtics/Cavaliers Game 1 on TNT (3.4, 5.7 mil). Keep in mind that the NASCAR race aired on broadcast television, while the NBA game aired on cable.
Lowest Rated NASCAR Races Ever on FOX
| # | Date | Race | Location | Net | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat., 4/18/09 | Subway Fresh Fit 500 | Phoenix | FOX |
3.6
|
| 2 | Sat., 5/1/10 | Heath Calhoun 400 | Richmond | FOX |
3.7
|
| 3 | Sat., 4/10/10 | Subway Fresh Fit 600 | Phoenix | FOX |
3.7
|
| T4 | Sun., 5/31/09 | Autism Speaks 400 | Dover | FOX |
4.0
|
| T4 | Sat., 5/9/09 | Southern 500 | Darlington | FOX |
4.0
|
| T4 | Sat., 5/2/09 | Russ Friedman 400 | Richmond | FOX |
4.0
|
