Ratings were a mixed bag for NASCAR’s doubleheader at Pocono.
Race one of NASCAR’s Cup Series doubleheader at Pocono averaged a 1.6 rating and 2.57 million viewers on FOX Saturday, up 12% in ratings and 8% in viewership from last season’s first Pocono race (1.45, 2.39M), but flat and down 4% respectively from 2018 (1.6, 2.67M), both of which aired on FS1.
Kevin Harvick’s win narrowly avoided becoming the least-watched Cup Series race ever on broadcast television, edging out last year’s fall Phoenix race on NBC (2.570M to 2.567M). It tied that race as the lowest rated.
Keep in mind it was the first Cup Series race on a Saturday afternoon since 2000.
Race two on Sunday averaged a 1.6 and 2.66 million on FS1, down a tick in ratings and 2% in viewership from last year’s second Pocono race (1.7, 2.71M) and down a tick and 3% respectively from 2018 (1.7, 2.75M). Those races aired on NBCSN.
Denny Hamlin’s win, which was delayed multiple times due to rain, ranks second out of the five Cup Series races on FS1 this season. Bristol had a 1.7 and 2.93 million in May. Keep in mind only two of the five Cup races on FS1 this year aired on weekends; the other were low-rated weeknight races.
The Pocono races rank as the two lowest rated and least-watched weekend Cup Series races this season, both falling below the previous marks set at Homestead earlier this month (1.8, 2.78M).
For the weekend, NASCAR ranked second and third among sportscasts behind the final round of the PGA Tour at Hartford on CBS (2.0, 3.07M).
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 6.30]
