Hurricane-related preemptions resulted in a double-digit decline in ratings and viewership for the first NASCAR race of the season on ABC.
Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Irwin Tools Night Race from Bristol (TN) earned a 3.0 final rating and 5.067 million viewers on ABC, down 14% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (3.5, 5.842M), and down 9% and 5%, respectively, from 2009 (3.3, 5.323M).
Ratings for the race were tied as the lowest since 2000 (2.9, ESPN), while viewership was the lowest since 2008 (4.997M, ESPN).
The race was preempted in several local markets due to local news coverage of Hurricane Irene and, in other markets, NFL preseason games.
In markets where the game was preempted, the race aired on ESPN or ESPN2. The cable audiences were not included in the final numbers.
(This year’s numbers from ESPN)
