It is still too early to call it a trend, but NASCAR ratings might finally be heading in the right direction.
Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix earned a 2.9 rating and 4.79 million viewers on FOX, up a tick in ratings and 5% in viewership from last year (2.8, 4.58M), but down 12% and 11% respectively from 2017 (3.3, 5.39M).
Kyle Busch‘s win, which peaked with 5.37 million viewers, was the second straight NASCAR race to post an increase over last season, marking the first time since 2016 that consecutive races have increased.
Only four races increased all of last season, and each was aided by a significant change — a move from cable to broadcast (Michigan and Watkins Glen), a move away from NFL competition (Chicagoland) or a new format (the Charlotte “Roval”).
It was the first spring Phoenix race to increase since 2011, when it moved from mid-April to the weekend after the Daytona 500. Overall, it was the first increase at the track since the fall race there in 2014.
Despite the improved numbers, ratings and viewership topped only last year as the lowest ever for the spring Phoenix race (dates back to 2011).
As is typical in the early part of the season, NASCAR was the highest rated and most-watched sporting event of the weekend. It comfortably topped the previous night’s Duke-North Carolina men’s college basketball game on ESPN (2.5, 4.16M). In adults 18-49, it ranked third (0.8) behind Duke-UNC (1.2) and a Celtics-Lakers NBA game on ABC (1.0).
For the season, NASCAR on FOX is averaging 6.34 million viewers — up 3% from last year (6.17M).
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 3.12; Fox Sports PR/Twitter 3.12]
