For the first time in the Chase For the Cup, viewership declined from last year.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup AAA Texas 500, the eighth race in the Chase For the Cup, earned a 2.9 U.S. rating and 4.726 million viewers on ESPN Sunday — flat in ratings and down 2% in viewership from last year (2.9, 4.846M), and down 22% and 19%, respectively, from 2009 (3.7, 5.827M, ABC).
This marks the lowest rated (tie) and least-viewed edition of the race since it debuted in 2005. For some perspective, the debut race drew a comparably massive 5.1 and 8.066 million viewers on NBC.
In addition, Sunday’s race ranks as the first Chase For the Cup telecast of the season to have a decline in viewership compared to last year. Every Chase race has been either flat or up in ratings.
So far this season — and especially during the Chase — NASCAR has recovered somewhat from last year’s generally mediocre numbers. Of the 27 races that can be compared to last year, 15 have had increases in ratings and 18 have had increases in viewership.
Ratings/Viewership For AAA Texas 500
Dating back to inaugural 2005 race
|
Year
|
Date
|
Winner
|
Net
|
Rating
|
Viewers (000)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2011
|
Sun., 11/6/11 | Stewart | ESPN |
2.9
|
4,726
|
|
2010
|
Sun., 11/7/10 | Hamlin | ESPN |
2.9
|
4,846
|
|
2009
|
Sun., 11/8/09 | Busch | ABC |
3.7
|
5,827
|
|
2008
|
Sun., 11/2/08 | Edwards | ABC |
3.7
|
5,890
|
|
2007
|
Sun., 11/4/07 | Johnson | ABC |
3.7
|
6,011
|
|
2006
|
Sun., 11/5/06 | Stewart | NBC |
4.3
|
7,150
|
|
2005
|
Sun., 11/6/05 | Edwards | NBC |
5.1
|
8,066
|
(Sunday’s numbers from ESPN)
