NASCAR ratings scored a rare increase in Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s TV debut, though a scheduling change was the primary factor.
Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Chicagoland 400 earned a 1.6 rating and 2.55 million viewers on NBCSN, per Nielsen fast-nationals — up 14% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (1.4, 2.31M) and flat and down 5% respectively from 2016 (1.6, 2.69M).
Kyle Busch‘s dramatic win, which peaked with 3.35 million from 5:15-5:30 PM ET, was just the second Cup Series race all season to increase. Michigan posted an increase three weeks earlier. Like Michigan, which moved up from FS1 to FOX, this week’s increase was largely due to a scheduling change.
Prior to this year, the Chicagoland race took place in September opposite the NFL. While this year’s race had tough competition of its own — the World Cup — there is simply no comparison. Last year’s competing NFL windows exceeded 25 million viewers.
The race had a 2.8 and 4.6 million the last time it took place during the summer, 2010 on TNT. It aired on a Saturday night that year. The last time it faced the World Cup — 2006, when TNT’s coverage overlapped with the end of the final — it had a 4.2 and 6.8 million.
Compared to NBCSN’s first race of last season, Kentucky on a Saturday night, ratings were flat and viewership fell 6% from 2.71 million.
Earnhardt Jr.’s debut was not a particularly big draw even by the weak standards of this season. Of the 16 Cup Series races this year (excluding rainouts), Sunday’s race was the third-least watched behind Sonoma the previous week (2.33M) and Kansas in May (2.04M), both of which aired on FS1. Of course it was just the second of those 16 races to face the World Cup.
Streaming viewership had a minimal impact on the overall numbers, boosting the audience from 2.55 to 2.56 million.
[Numbers from NBC Sports PR 7.2]
