2017 NASCAR Season - Television Ratings Thread

Skoalbandit33 said:
He must not have seen the post from @FLRacingFan earlier in the thread that partially read:

"Despite being up 5 percent in viewership for the Daytona 500, the sport’s biggest race, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was down 12 percent in viewership from the first half of last season, from an average of 5.6 million to 4.9 million. After Daytona, Fox Sports only saw one more race with an audience uptick, and eight of 14 races studied saw double-digit percentage declines compared to 2016."
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I still see people on Indycar forums defending their ratings, so I guess we have a longs ways to go before we hear anything negative from a select crowd.
 
Ford Racing said:
I still see people on Indycar forums defending their ratings, so I guess we have a longs ways to go before we hear anything negative from a select crowd.
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Some people enjoy the races without concerning themselves with how many other people are watching.

Some people need their choices to be endorsed by the masses. The difference results in opposite forum points of view. Perhaps you'd prefer a place where everyone sees things the same way.
 
Ford Racing said:
I still see people on Indycar forums defending their ratings, so I guess we have a longs ways to go before we hear anything negative from a select crowd.
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It is interesting being an IndyCar fan because of the steady but slight increases for the cable races yet remembering it's still maybe ~500k viewers.
 
The stats posted say last Sunday's race attracted 3.2 million viewers which is down slightly from last year. Of those viewers 68% were over 50, 17% were between the ages of 18 and 49 and 11% were between the ages of 18-34.

You can interpret those facts in any which way you choose too and attempt to make them say whatever you would like but it doesn't change them.
 
I would really like to see a national pole taken that would tell us if people are tuning out of the races but interested enough to keep checking in for updates etc. plus those streaming do to network costs. VS those fans who tuned out because of the networks production, poor coverage of the race while adding people like Rutledge and non-stop chatter from the booth that insults most knowledgeable fans.
How can the networks and Nascar try to fix anything if they don't know what to fix? The above pole would be expensive especially if it is nationwide and includes 1 million households but in the long run it may have greater value than all the small poles currently being funded.
 
Team Penske said:
I would really like to see a national pole taken that would tell us if people are tuning out of the races but interested enough to keep checking in for updates etc. plus those streaming do to network costs. VS those fans who tuned out because of the networks production, poor coverage of the race while adding people like Rutledge and non-stop chatter from the booth that insults most knowledgeable fans.
How can the networks and Nascar try to fix anything if they don't know what to fix? The above pole would be expensive especially if it is nationwide and includes 1 million households but in the long run it may have greater value than all the small poles currently being funded.
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yep, that is a problem with some of the posters, they shush shush and poo poo the continuing to get larger fan base that uses other ways to watch sporting events and TV in general.They refuse to take that into account that today's antique and behind the curve way of surveying shouldn't be taken as gospel.

The NFL is more popular than ever, but they have been diluting the delivery mediums for a while now. Last year I watched every game I could on my Verizon phone, and that made it so much easier to 'cut the cord' on traditional cable, knowing I'd still be able to watch NFL games live! Plus with games on Yahoo and Twitter I can still watch the NFL without ever getting a cable subscription. So maybe the NFL ratings aren't declining, it's traditionally delivered television programming that is.
This is football, but applies to racing also

With the RedZone channel, Twitter, highlight shows and a hundred fantasy outlets saturating the airwaves, ratings are down for traditional broadcasts, and they will continue to decline because it’s a lousy way to consume NFL football. The old-timers watched an entire game but are tired of all the commercials, while the newly minted fans happily consume the NFL in short bytes from non-broadcast sources.
 
I agree. Here in Canada the networks bribe the CRTC who govern our content and costs. We have so many crappy shows with Canadian content, they are not worth showing and yet we must pay a $25.00 + tax fee just to get a connection. After that you pay extra for what you want.
I pay $8. month for TSN so I can watch some Nascar. Once I figure out this streaming thing I will cancel all satellite.
 
Team Penske said:
I agree. Here in Canada the networks bribe the CRTC who govern our content and costs. We have so many crappy shows with Canadian content, they are not worth showing and yet we must pay a $25.00 + tax fee just to get a connection. After that you pay extra for what you want.
I pay $8. month for TSN so I can watch some Nascar. Once I figure out this streaming thing I will cancel all satellite.
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I am coming up for a visit soon (Dorset area) and will see if I can get any usable info to pass on. The way people consume entertainment previously only seen on traditional TV's is changing rapidly. I well remember standing on one leg with one arm behind my back and 2 fingers touching one of the rabbit ears to watch TV and/or going outside to manipulate the antenna. All I really need is the ability to watch out of market football and hockey games plus Netflix and life is good.

Nascar ratings are what they are and I don't see changing Sunday start times having any impact positively or negatively. I did chuckle when Brent Dewar said later start times were made to accommodate the fans in Cali seeing that is where the most fans were. IMO it would be better to say nothing than something crazy.
 
NASCAR enhances management team with new additions

2 guys that have been appointed to do Digital and social platforms. Evan Parker and Scott Warfied

Parker will head NASCAR’s digital, social and entertainment platforms with a focus on the fan base. He will report to SVP & Chief Marketing Officer Jill Gregory. Warfield will be in charge of the creation and implementation of content and strategic partnerships across NASCAR’s digital and social platforms.
“Because our fans consume our product in a variety of evolving ways, it’s more important than ever to dedicate strategic leadership and resources to these multi-faceted efforts,” Executive Vice President and Chief Global Sales and Marketing Officer Steve Phelps said. “We have enjoyed significant growth across all our digital and social media platforms and look forward to delivering innovative content that our race fans have come to expect from NASCAR. The leadership of these talented individuals will ensure we are staying ahead in our efforts to deliver content to the best fans in sports.”

https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-c...es-management-team-with-new-additions-932590/
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
My viewing habits are slowly migrating to either streaming or following the sport in other digital platforms. If they are counting only my television viewing as part of the ratings, I'm turning into a lost viewer.
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I think more and more people are looking to get out from under the heavy handedness of cable/sat providers and I expect many of them will get into the streaming business if they haven't already. I am finding that I am watching more and more YouTube content as there is some really cool and offbeat stuff available. I could see Nascar having its own channel in the future as it could be of great use in being a one stop shop for everything with opportunities to promote upcoming events.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
I think more and more people are looking to get out from under the heavy handedness of cable/sat providers and I expect many of them will get into the streaming business if they haven't already. I am finding that I am watching more and more YouTube content as there is some really cool and offbeat stuff available. I could see Nascar having its own channel in the future as it could be of great use in being a one stop shop for everything with opportunities to promote upcoming events.
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So this idea would make a ton of sense. The WWE did this. It gives the fan base everything that they want. If you are an old school fan you can watch classic content as well as documentaries. If you are fringe and just watch occasionally then you can tune in for the broadcast of the actual races on the weekends. It serves a purpose for every type of fan and they can charge a minimal subscription cost and have it available to everyone across all of the digital media platforms and the app.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
I think more and more people are looking to get out from under the heavy handedness of cable/sat providers and I expect many of them will get into the streaming business if they haven't already. I am finding that I am watching more and more YouTube content as there is some really cool and offbeat stuff available. I could see Nascar having its own channel in the future as it could be of great use in being a one stop shop for everything with opportunities to promote upcoming events.
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NASCAR is way behind digitally compared to other sports and entertainment leagues. A lot of that has to do with their TV contracts too. They signed away streaming rights to NBC and Fox.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
My viewing habits are slowly migrating to either streaming or following the sport in other digital platforms. If they are counting only my television viewing as part of the ratings, I'm turning into a lost viewer.
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I watched last weeks race on a iPad while I waxed my wife's car.It seems less and
less I will watch a race on cable tv.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
NASCAR is way behind digitally compared to other sports and entertainment leagues. A lot of that has to do with their TV contracts too. They signed away streaming rights to NBC and Fox.
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Thanks for the info as I wasn't aware of that. IMO Nascar is usually more reactive than proactive so it isn't a huge surprise they are lagging compared to the sports world but I am surprised they signed away streaming rights.
 
They sold the rights.

Maybe NBC / Fox saw the long-term value of them. :D
 
aunty dive said:
Some people enjoy the races without concerning themselves with how many other people are watching.

Some people need their choices to be endorsed by the masses. The difference results in opposite forum points of view. Perhaps you'd prefer a place where everyone sees things the same way.
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I enjoy it as well without worrying. I believe it's dishonest to put a positive spin on ratings when they have been decreasing for 10 years. I still enjoy watching Indycar even though 300,000 people might be watching.
 
Ford Racing said:
I enjoy it as well without worrying. I believe it's dishonest to put a positive spin on ratings when they have been decreasing for 10 years. I still enjoy watching Indycar even though 300,000 people might be watching.
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A conversation about numbers of people using media platforms other than television is not spin, my friend.

The TV ratings are dreadful. The other numbers are creeping upward. That's simply factual reality.
 
aunty dive said:
A conversation about numbers of people using media platforms other than television is not spin, my friend.

The TV ratings are dreadful. The other numbers are creeping upward. That's simply factual reality.
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That's not what the conversation was about. He said "the numbers fly in the face of the hogwash that this thread and most of the forum threads are full of" and that's simply not the case. Nothing he posted contradicted anything that was said. Also, streaming numbers do not come close to making up for lost TV viewers.
 
Ford Racing said:
That's not what the conversation was about. He said "the numbers fly in the face of the hogwash that this thread and most of the forum threads are full of" and that's simply not the case. Nothing he posted contradicted anything that was said. Also, streaming numbers do not come close to making up for lost TV viewers.
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That's the conversation I'm interested in ... the new paradigm that's affecting all television programming. The rest of the hogwash bores me.

At no point did I suggest that streaming numbers are making up the lost numbers. Futurists predict the demise of television viewing as we know it. We will see.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
My viewing habits are slowly migrating to either streaming or following the sport in other digital platforms. If they are counting only my television viewing as part of the ratings, I'm turning into a lost viewer.
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FOX Sports GO and NBC Sports Live Extra figures and social content ratings (publicly available) are all recorded. Virtual MVPD record-keeping began recently too.
 
Here's an example...

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you mean this?

DAYTONA 500 on FOX Scores More Than 23 Million Total Viewers
FOX, FOX Sports GO & FOX Deportes Draw Average Audience of 12 Million, Up 5% Over 2016

But sports media watch reported this
Daytona 500 Ratings Among Lowest Ever Despite Viewership Bump
The NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 delivered a 6.6 final rating and 11.9 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, flat in ratings and up 5% in viewership from last year (6.6, 11.4M) but down 14% and 11% respectively from 2015 (7.7, 13.4M).

 
a bit confusing, 23 million total viewers? and average audience. I guess at one time there were 23 million watching? but then averaged out at 12.
 
StandOnIt said:
you mean this?

DAYTONA 500 on FOX Scores More Than 23 Million Total Viewers
FOX, FOX Sports GO & FOX Deportes Draw Average Audience of 12 Million, Up 5% Over 2016

But sports media watch reported this
Daytona 500 Ratings Among Lowest Ever Despite Viewership Bump
The NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 delivered a 6.6 final rating and 11.9 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, flat in ratings and up 5% in viewership from last year (6.6, 11.4M) but down 14% and 11% respectively from 2015 (7.7, 13.4M).
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One is broadcast PR and one is a report/recap. Both are saying the same thing.
 
What I see in this thread is the reporting of the the 2017 Television Numbers which makes sense since it is the purpose of the thread. By and large the numbers show what a bloodbath Nascar has taken over the past 15 years or so and even more troubling than the average number of people watching is the average age of the viewer. These facts should not be in dispute.

I also see some folks trying to mitigate Nascar's plunge in popularity by cherry picking a couple of stats from here and there as well as alluding to hits on websites and social media. I won't say what is said is intentionally dishonest but it is terribly misleading as only a fraction of the whole is being spoken of. IMO it is like a person saying that a track recently installed 50,000 new seats which is technically correct but the whole story is they also removed 100,000 old seats because they went unsold.

There are many negative things occurring in Nascar right now such as the sponsorship problem, lack of marketable personalities, lack of interesting tracks and races, the lack of Monster being able to move the needle in a positive direction, the very old age of the audience and the tiny number of young people interested in the series and on and on and on. However if you are a fan and love the racing and the series who cares? Just continue to enjoy it and don't concern yourself with what you can't control and are not interested in anyway. Nascar will always be with us in one form or another so in the end it will all be good. I think the downsizing Nascar has to go through may end up leading to a better product.
 
I think that the big decline in viewership is partly due to cord cutters. But I also believe those cord cutters, and others, are getting together to watch races. Weather it be at someone's home, or out to a public place. I don't see the decline being as big as some would make it out to be. The high cost of cable is also a factor. While some don't cut the cord completely, they have gone to lower tier packages, that don't have the channels that the races are on. We have Xfinity's top package, and we still don't have Fox sports 2. It is not available to us, but just five miles away, it is part of the Xfinity basic package. It is stupid things like this that will also skew the numbers. When you see how many things are unaccounted for, then you can see why the numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. The root of all this is that the networks overpaid for the TV rights, and now are scrambling to save the profits they projected. Race fans will watch as long as races are shown. It doesn't where, or when, the race is the thing, it's why we watch.
 
Yogisd1 said:
I think that the big decline in viewership is partly due to cord cutters. But I also believe those cord cutters, and others, are getting together to watch races. Weather it be at someone's home, or out to a public place. I don't see the decline being as big as some would make it out to be. The high cost of cable is also a factor. While some don't cut the cord completely, they have gone to lower tier packages, that don't have the channels that the races are on. We have Xfinity's top package, and we still don't have Fox sports 2. It is not available to us, but just five miles away, it is part of the Xfinity basic package. It is stupid things like this that will also skew the numbers. When you see how many things are unaccounted for, then you can see why the numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. The root of all this is that the networks overpaid for the TV rights, and now are scrambling to save the profits they projected. Race fans will watch as long as races are shown. It doesn't where, or when, the race is the thing, it's why we watch.
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There are some other folks who also feel Nascar gets the short end of the stick when it comes to tabulating viewers. The good news is that Nascar programming is available to just about everyone that wants it as even though I was aware of Nascar I could only follow it on tape delay and magazines until the 80's when ESPN started covering it.
 
aunty dive said:
Some people enjoy the races without concerning themselves with how many other people are watching.

Some people need their choices to be endorsed by the masses. The difference results in opposite forum points of view. Perhaps you'd prefer a place where everyone sees things the same way.
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I really don't care how many people are in the stands, what I care about is quality of racing, so far not much of that.
 
Mopardh9 said:
I really don't care how many people are in the stands, what I care about is quality of racing, so far not much of that.
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I agree as the most important thing for the overwhelming majority is that they see a good race but of course what makes a good race can be debated all night long. I don't know any adult that makes decisions on what sports or entertainment options to follow based upon the approval of others or anyone that stays up at night worrying about attendance or TV ratings.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Adam Stern‏ @A_S12
Despite overnight being down, race being on FBN vs. FS1, last night's #DirtDerby @EldoraSpeedway was up 2% in viewership YOY (660K vs 644K).

Adam Stern‏ @A_S12
Viewership last night:
- U.S.A.-El Salvador Gold Cup quarterfinal on FS1: 1.05M viewers
- #DirtDerby @EldoraSpeedway on FBN: 660K viewers

Adam Stern‏ @A_S12
On the Fox Sports Go streaming service last night, the #DirtDerby @EldoraSpeedway averaged about 4,300 people streaming the race per minute.
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Streaming is the future, but it is apparently the present for very few. Even for a race in which many, many potential viewers didn't have access to the correct cable network, the average online audience was that tiny?

I don't think the head-to-head comparison between the race and Gold Cup game are that useful. The race would have had a larger audience on FS1, and the soccer game would have had a smaller audience on FS2 or FBN. How much so is anyone's guess. I personally believe the race might have won by more total viewers if they'd flipped networks. However, the caveat is that I bet the demo breakdown is more favorable for soccer.
 
gnomesayin said:
Streaming is the future, but it is apparently the present for very few. Even for a race in which many, many potential viewers didn't have access to the correct cable network, the average online audience was that tiny?

I don't think the head-to-head comparison between the race and Gold Cup game are that useful. The race would have had a larger audience on FS1, and the soccer game would have had a smaller audience on FS2 or FBN. How much so is anyone's guess. I personally believe the race might have won by more total viewers if they'd flipped networks. However, the caveat is that I bet the demo breakdown is more favorable for soccer.
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Eldora averaged 644K and 696K on FS1 the last two years, and FS1 and FBN are virtually in the same number of homes so I don't think it was really that consequential. FS2, certainly, but it's in only 50M homes so that's a given for any program that gets punted to that.
 
It's a shame rating does not count the large number of console NASCAR players
 
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