Recent sports TV ratings, including NASCAR at Daytona; local ratings for baseball’s Twins, Phillies, Braves and White Sox; the start of the Tour de France; and the BIG3.
Rainy Daytona 400 down from last Sunday postponement
Postponed from Saturday night due to rain, last Sunday’s NASCAR Daytona 400 averaged a 2.1 rating and 3.29 million viewers on NBC. Ratings and viewership fell 13% and 17% respectively from the last time the race was postponed to Sunday afternoon, 2014 on TNT (2.4, 3.98M). Last year’s race, which was run as scheduled, had a 2.7 and 4.44 million.
In addition to being postponed, the race was shortened with 33 laps to go. Even with the postponement, the race still ranked third for the weekend among sporting events, trailing only the Women’s World Cup Final and Gold Cup Final.
Twins ratings up big at All-Star break
Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball games averaged a 6.12 rating on Fox Sports North through the All-Star break, up 41% from last year and the third-highest average in baseball. The Cardinals rank second at a 6.2 (-8%). The Brewers reportedly lead the league, but averages for the team were not immediately available.
In other local action, Phillies games have averaged a 4.4 on NBC Sports Philadelphia (+23%), on pace for a seven-year high; the Braves have averaged a 3.2 on Fox Sports South (+6%); and the White Sox have averaged a 1.18 on NBC Sports Chicago, the team’s highest since 2014.
Better start for Tour de France
Live coverage of the Tour de France averaged 290,000 viewers on NBCSN through Tuesday, up 23% from last year (235K) and the highest since 2016. Each of the first four stages increased over last year, the first such occurrence since 2010.
BIG3 down in third CBS outing, with caveat
Coverage of BIG3 basketball had a 0.5 rating and 713,000 on CBS last weekend, down a tick in ratings and 22% in viewership from coverage on FOX in week three of last season (0.6, 909K). Keep in mind last year’s telecast aired on a Friday night opposite little competition, while this year’s telecast aired on a Sunday morning opposite the Women’s World Cup Final.
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 7.10; NBC Sports Philadelphia, Chicago Tribune 7.9, Fox Sports North 7.12, St. Louis Business Journal 7.10, Atlanta Journal-Constitution 7.11; NBC Sports PR 7.12]
