NASCAR scored a big ratings jump at the Brickyard 400, but with a caveat.
Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 averaged a 2.7 rating and 4.34 million viewers on NBC, up 41% in ratings and 46% in viewership from last year, when the race was run in September opposite NFL games (1.8, 2.97M).
Kevin Harvick’s win, which was delayed more than an hour due to rain, ranks as the most-watched NASCAR event since the season resumed at Darlington in mid-May (3.7, 6.32M). The race peaked with 5.02 million viewers from 8:30-8:45 PM ET and averaged 4.37 million with streaming included.
Despite the big increase — the biggest for the race since its NBC debut in 2001 — ratings and viewership topped only last year as the lowest ever for the Brickyard 400 (excluding rainouts). Compared to the last time the race was run outside of NFL season — July 2017 — ratings declined 21% (from 3.4) and viewership 23% (from 5.63M).
Compared to the same July 4 weekend last year, ratings and viewership increased 26% and 32% respectively from a Daytona race that was originally scheduled for a Saturday night and postponed to Sunday due to rain (2.1, 3.29M). Versus the last time that Daytona race was run as scheduled — 2018 — ratings were flat and viewership declined 2% from 4.45 million.
In a year bereft of live sports, Sunday’s race was the most-watched sportscast on NBC since the Vikings-49ers NFC Divisional Round game in January. Overall, it ranks as the 38th-most watched sportscast this year. (A list of the 50 most-watched sports shows through June is available here).
Indianapolis led all markets Sunday with a 9.4 rating, followed by Greensboro, N.C. at a 6.7. Charlotte (5.8), Columbus, Ohio (5.4) and Nashville (4.9) rounded out the top five.
NASCAR Brickyard 400 ratings, viewership, all-time
[Numbers from NBC Sports]
