2017 NASCAR Season - Television Ratings Thread

NJJammer said:
Maybe someone with some know-how about the TV biz can comment on this but I believe the networks promise advertisers x-amount of eyeballs for the commercial time they paid for and if the eyeballs are less than promised, they make up for it with more ad time.
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We could just ask the forum authority on everything instead! In all seriousness it would be good to hear from someone in the know about this sort of things.
 
Being down in mid single digits can almost be seen as a victory these days.
 
http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/skedball-weekend-sports-tv-ratings-4-29-30-2017.html

Weekend-Sports-Sat-Sun-2017-04-29.png
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Two years ago this race would have beat out both NBA games. I think we can finally put to rest that BS claim that NASCAR is the most watched sporting event of a weekend. This is maybe the 7th most popular sport in the country folks, not a major sport. Time to start acknowledging that.
 
Acs said:
Two years ago this race would have beat out both NBA games. I think we can finally put to rest that BS claim that NASCAR is the most watched sporting event of a weekend. This is maybe the 7th most popular sport in the country folks, not a major sport. Time to start acknowledging that.
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Completely agree, and the thing I like the most with these graphics are the demographic numbers. While the premier NHL and MLB games aren't getting total numbers that NASCAR is getting it's still very evident that they're whipping ass when it comes to attracting youth and are setting themselves up for the future much better. Lots of work to do on that front still. When the top NHL playoff game of the weekend gets two million fewer viewers overall but still brings in more people under the age of 50 that's incredibly telling.
 
Acs said:
Two years ago this race would have beat out both NBA games. I think we can finally put to rest that BS claim that NASCAR is the most watched sporting event of a weekend. This is maybe the 7th most popular sport in the country folks, not a major sport. Time to start acknowledging that.
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There will be apologists that pound their chests saying that every commercial was sold in the Nascar broadcast and that it was the highest rated auto programming for the weekend and they will do it with a straight face.

One thing that really interested me was that the NHL's audience for its Saturday night game was about 55% of what Nascar's Sunday race was yet the NHL had a higher number of people between 18-49 watching. That, in and of itself, speaks LOUDLY.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Completely agree, and the thing I like the most with these graphics are the demographic numbers. While the premier NHL and MLB games aren't getting total numbers that NASCAR is getting it's still very evident that they're whipping ass when it comes to attracting youth and are setting themselves up for the future much better. Lots of work to do on that front still. When the top NHL playoff game of the weekend gets two million fewer viewers overall but still brings in more people under the age of 50 that's incredibly telling.
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I should have read your post first before sending mine but we both noticed the same thing. I know the NHL draws relatively small numbers in the USA but the make up of those numbers is terrific and I would hitch my wagon to the NHL everyday of the week and twice on Sunday over Nascar. Every year for the last 8-10 years I have wondered if this will be the year Nascar hits bottom and levels out to no avail.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
One thing that really interested me was that the NHL's audience for its Saturday night game was about 55% of what Nascar's Sunday race was yet the NHL had a higher number of people between 18-49 watching. That, in and of itself, speaks LOUDLY.
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Go Pens!
 
Even with the marketing of Dale Jr retiring & the possibility of watching him win at his best track, NASCAR couldnt put it in the green.

NASCAR Cup Series racing from Talladega (Ala.) earned a 3.4 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 11% from both last year and 2015 (3.8) and the lowest overnight for the race since at least 1998 — including a 2006 rainout (3.8).

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/05/nascar-ratings-down-talladega-lowest-overnight-1998/
 
ChexOrWrex said:
Even with the marketing of Dale Jr retiring & the possibility of watching him win at his best track, NASCAR couldnt put it in the green.

NASCAR Cup Series racing from Talladega (Ala.) earned a 3.4 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 11% from both last year and 2015 (3.8) and the lowest overnight for the race since at least 1998 — including a 2006 rainout (3.8).

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/05/nascar-ratings-down-talladega-lowest-overnight-1998/
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OUCH!
 
Heh, heh....

Everyone wantin' ta 'sperience Da Big 'Un was there.......................
 
NJJammer said:
OUCH!
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A 30% decline in TV ratings in 5 years and half the seats ripped out equals a BIG OUCH. It is going to be touch and go to see if we can have our first sub 2 million audience this year.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
Even with the marketing of Dale Jr retiring & the possibility of watching him win at his best track, NASCAR couldnt put it in the green.

NASCAR Cup Series racing from Talladega (Ala.) earned a 3.4 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 11% from both last year and 2015 (3.8) and the lowest overnight for the race since at least 1998 — including a 2006 rainout (3.8).

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/05/nascar-ratings-down-talladega-lowest-overnight-1998/
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Now this one is pretty surprising to me.

It's gonna be really close with Atlanta for the second-best TV performance of the season once the finals come out.
 
FLRacingFan said:
http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/skedball-weekend-sports-tv-ratings-5-6-7-2017.html

For comparison, last year's Talladega numbers are in the second chart: http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/skedball-weekend-sports-tv-ratings-4-29-30-2017.html

I would say what is most surprising to me is actually the Xfinity race shedding ~1 million viewers in one year.
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That is a stunning drop and the demo number was basically lopped in half. Dont forget, plate racing is enormously popular. If we say it enough, it makes it true.
 
Did we beat Bowling for Dollars? Did we beat Junior League Curling? Do we need to cancel races to make more room for street luge on ESPN/NBCSN/CBSSN/FS1?

Actually, we beat every other event except the Kentucky Derby. Xfinity numbers are not the barometer of Nascar health, but was last year shown on Fox or FS1?

The year-on-year declines are not pretty, but Nascar is still a valuable TV property IMO.
 
LewTheShoe said:
Xfinity numbers are not the barometer of Nascar health, but was last year shown on Fox or FS1?
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I got confused with the two links @FLRacingFan provided, but the 2016 and 2017 Talladega Xfinity races were both aired on Fox. 2016's aired a week earlier.

The competition from street luge could have been more intense this week than last. I think they're in the playoffs now.
 
LewTheShoe said:
Did we beat Bowling for Dollars? Did we beat Junior League Curling? Do we need to cancel races to make more room for street luge on ESPN/NBCSN/CBSSN/FS1?

Actually, we beat every other event except the Kentucky Derby. Xfinity numbers are not the barometer of Nascar health, but was last year shown on Fox or FS1?

The year-on-year declines are not pretty, but Nascar is still a valuable TV property IMO.
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By my count Cup was #1 on Sunday, #3 on the weekend. Xfinity was #5 on Saturday, #11 on the weekend. Xfinity was on FOX both times, and it doesn't look like it ran up against anything particularly strong this year so I'm not sure why the sharp drop.

NASCAR is a valuable TV property, although I'd hesitate to say it's as valuable as FOX and NBC were anticipating.
 
FLRacingFan said:
By my count Cup was #1 on Sunday, #3 on the weekend. Xfinity was #5 on Saturday, #11 on the weekend.
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The Cup race was #3 in total viewers and #7 in the demo advertisers care about, behind four NBA games and one NHL game. I agree with your conclusion though.
 
One thing I don't know is the relative importance of The Demographic to cable networks trying to build a subscriber base. I totally get The Demographic for most advertisers, but I seem to recall an article last year about the importance of subscribers being paramount to these cable sports networks...:idunno:
 
gnomesayin said:
That is a stunning drop and the demo number was basically lopped in half. Dont forget, plate racing is enormously popular. If we say it enough, it makes it true.
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Do you think that X and trucks will need to merge into 1 series in the future?
 
FLRacingFan said:
By my count Cup was #1 on Sunday, #3 on the weekend. Xfinity was #5 on Saturday, #11 on the weekend. Xfinity was on FOX both times, and it doesn't look like it ran up against anything particularly strong this year so I'm not sure why the sharp drop.

NASCAR is a valuable TV property, although I'd hesitate to say it's as valuable as FOX and NBC were anticipating.
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What I don't understand is when FOX and NBC signed the contracts with Nascar it had been a shrinking property for some time so I can't fathom what their expectations were. Another thing I don't understand is why they paid such an exorbitant price for Nascar as I don't recall any other networks even being interested in the series and ESPN and TNT couldn't run away fast enough. The Networks should have done what Monster did and say this is what we will pay and you can take it or leave it.
 
LewTheShoe said:
One thing I don't know is the relative importance of The Demographic to cable networks trying to build a subscriber base. I totally get The Demographic for most advertisers, but I seem to recall an article last year about the importance of subscribers being paramount to these cable sports networks...:idunno:
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If they were or became pure subscription services, I could see this being more true. HBO and Netflix still care about the demographic makeup of their paying subscriber base for all sorts of ancillary reasons, but it's not because of advertising. The cable sports networks are still largely supported by ads though (don't we know it given all the complaints about too many commercials) and subject to the needs of that industry. Also, one of the reasons Fox jumped so heartily into televising sports in the 90s and 00s was as a vehicle to promote their original programming. You can bet they have a preference as to who sees those promos they feature during race and sports broadcasts.

All I'm saying is that I'm fairly confident there isn't a TV executive working anywhere who would look at those weekend numbers for the NBA and NASCAR and say "I'd rather have the NASCAR audience." They'd take the larger 18-49 audience every time.
 
gnomesayin said:
If they were or became pure subscription services, I could see this being more true. HBO and Netflix still care about the demographic makeup of their paying subscriber base for all sorts of ancillary reasons, but it's not because of advertising. The cable sports networks are still largely supported by ads though (don't we know it given all the complaints about too many commercials) and subject to the needs of that industry. Also, one of the reasons Fox jumped so heartily into televising sports in the 90s and 00s was as a vehicle to promote their original programming. You can bet they have a preference as to who sees those promos they feature during race and sports broadcasts.

All I'm saying is that I'm fairly confident there isn't a TV executive working anywhere who would look at those weekend numbers for the NBA and NASCAR and say "I'd rather have the NASCAR audience." They'd take the larger 18-49 audience every time.
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The shame is the racing has been about as good as it is going to get this year given the car, tracks and rules in place so if the preferred demo is not interested in what has been on display this year IDK what will do it.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
Do you think that X and trucks will need to merge into 1 series in the future?
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The payout of TV money to the tracks and the teams is very heavily skewed to Cup, with paltry sums to Xfinity and even less to trucks. I believe that indicates the networks are paying very little for the minor league rights. So from that angle, no, I don't see pressure to merge the two.

From the competitor side, car counts and sponsorship of the cars, that could be a different deal. Whp knows, not me.
 
LewTheShoe said:
The payout of TV money to the tracks and the teams is very heavily skewed to Cup, with paltry sums to Xfinity and even less to trucks. I believe that indicates the networks are paying very little for the minor league rights. So from that angle, no, I don't see pressure to merge the two.

From the competitor side, car counts and sponsorship of the cars, that could be a different deal. Whp knows, not me.
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Childress running 5 and 6 cars in Xfinity and Jr sometimes runs 5, Gallagher racing has added an xfinity car to its 4 truck teams pieces. Sorry I don't see any of this, brand new teams are adding cars and old teams are adding vehicles to the lower series.
 
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