While the total audience who saw at least some part of the Daytona 500 grew to 29.8 million from 26.2 million in 2009, average viewing dropped to 13.3 million viewers from last year's 15.95 million according to preliminary Nielsen data and was the smallest average audience since 2000's 12.9 million.
Yesterday's race was impacted by lengthy delays totaling nearly 2.5 hours. The delays themselves are factored out of the viewing averages, but the delays still wind up significantly impacting the ratings.
via FOX:
VIEWERS TUNE IN TO EPIC Daytona 500 ON FOX
Total Audience Up +14% Over 2009
New York – Almost 30 million people saw at least some part of FOX Sports’ coverage of the dramatic 2010 Daytona 500 yesterday, a race that lasted more than six hours and included 52 lead changes, a Daytona-record 21 different drivers taking the lead and a spectacular finish as Jamie McMurray held off Dale Earnhardt Jr’s charge in the final lap to claim his first Daytona 500 win.
Nielsen Media Research estimates that 29.8 million Americans watched at least some part of this year’s Daytona 500, a +14% gain over last year’s 26.2 million.
Two unprecedented delays to repair asphalt damage on the track totaled almost two and half hours and had a sizable impact on the rating. The race portion of the 2010 Daytona 500 broadcast earned a fast national rating of 7.7/16 (13.3 million viewers), compared to last year's 9.2/19. The delays were excluded from the rating as Nielsen Media Research treats them as they would a rain delay during an MLB game.
In the 31-year history of flag-to-flag television coverage of the Daytona 500, there have been two previous races that were delayed and re-started and both suffered sizable ratings decreases. The 1995 running was delayed over two hours by rain and the result was a -19% decline versus prior year (7.8 vs. 9.6). The 2003 race on FOX was also delayed by rain and not run to the full 500 miles. That race rated -10% lower than the 2002 running on NBC (9.8 vs. 10.9).
Despite the delays, there were substantial ratings gains in key NASCAR markets including Atlanta (+11%; 11.0 vs. 9.9), Charlotte (+8%, 16.8 vs. 15.6), Norfolk (+7%, 12.2 vs. 11.4) and Ft. Myers (+12%, 10.0 vs. 8.9). Greensboro (NC) led all local markets with a 16.9/28. Charlotte 16.8/30; Greenville (SC), 16.6/27; Indianapolis, 16.0/28; Orlando, 15.4/29; Louisville, 13.3/22; Nashville, 13.1/21; Knoxville, 13.0, 19; Jacksonville, 12.8/22 and Dayton, 12.7/23 round out the top 10 metered markets.
I was enjoying this race until the pothole delay, then I took a nap and lost interest, still don’t know or care who won.
Watched parts. Mostly watched the Olympics. Great finish.
Jamie McMurray won the race.
Nobody cares. NASCAR is about as relebvant as rotary phones.
Sunday’s race proved nothing to either side of the NASCAR road. Fans will argue the race’s competitive finish saved the race. Detractors will complain about the lengthy delays. For another year at least, NASCAR will continue to stay on the outside of the Big Sports in America, waiting for its change to merge.
The long delay was only part of the problem. The other problem is the number of wrecks with under ten laps to go with all of the restarts. I can’t remember the last time that I watched a race that had a clean finish without interruption with twenty laps to go.
@Sturific: NASCAR is far more popular than you may think, and will become more popular. As much as I am annoyed by the over the top Danica Patrick coverage, she does add viewers to the NASCAR audience. Granted, she is racing in the Nationwide series, and not the Sprint cup. The sad part is that there were two women racing in the first Nationwide race and unfortunately, Danica seemed to get the bulk of the media coverage.
Nascar is the 2nd largest sport in the United States. Only the NFL has a larger audience. The race was great. The track repairs were unfortunate but unavoidable. Sometimes shit happens and you just have to deal with it.
NASCAR lost me when they went with the top 35 get to race no matter if someone else is faster. This is not fair, it should be like the NHRA(drag racing) GO FAST OR GO HOME. They should stop babying those teams.
NO DANICA = EPIC FAIL!
Can’t wait for the real racing (F1) season to start. It’s shaping up to be a great one!