Despite a new format and a later start time, Daytona 500 ratings could only match last year’s near-record low.
The NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 delivered a 6.6 final rating and 11.9 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, flat in ratings and up 5% in viewership from last year (6.6, 11.4M) but down 14% and 11% respectively from 2015 (7.7, 13.4M).
Kurt Busch‘s win, which peaked with 14.0 million viewers in the fast-nationals, tied the second-lowest Daytona 500 rating since the live start-to-finish coverage of the race began in 1979. Only the 2014 race, which was pushed into primetime due to lengthy rain delays and faced the Olympics on NBC, had a lower rating (5.6).
Sunday’s race also delivered the third-smallest Daytona 500 audience since 1995 (11.4M), ranking ahead of only last year and 2014 (9.3M) over that span. Figures do not include the 40,000 who streamed coverage on Fox Sports GO, a record for NASCAR on the streaming platform, or the Spanish-language audience on Fox Deportes (n/a). Even with those numbers added to the mix, the audience of 12.0 million still ranks as the third-smallest in 22 years.
The Daytona 500 has now failed to earn at least a 7.0 rating or 12 million viewers in three of the past four years. During NASCAR’s 2000s heyday, the race topped a 10.0 rating and 17 million viewers in seven of eight years from 2001-08.
Though ratings were flat overall, Sunday’s race did post growth in key demographics — including an uptick among adults 18-49 (from 2.7 to 2.8). Ratings hit a four-year high among adults 18-34, rising 13% from 1.6 to 1.8. In addition, the five percent bump in viewership ended a streak of 12 straight Cup Series races to decline year-over-year.
Compared to other sports, the Daytona 500 trailed every game of the World Series and NBA Finals, all three games of last year’s NCAA Final Four, the final round of The Masters (7.7, 12.4M) and the race portion of the Kentucky Derby (9.0, 15.5M). It did top all-but-four of last season’s college football bowl games, including the half of the “New Year’s Six” — the Orange, Sugar and Cotton Bowls.
Greensboro N.C. led all markets Sunday with a 17.5 rating, followed by Greenville S.C. (16.5), Indianapolis (14.4), Knoxville TN (12.7) and Jacksonville (12.4).
(Sun. numbers from Fox Sports)
