Atlanta TV ratings down 27% in key demographic

D

Digger

Guest
Atlanta TV Ratings down 14%: NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on Fox earned a 5.5/12 (8.9 million viewers) on Sunday for the Kobalt 500 from Atlanta. NASCAR ranked as the highest-rated and most-watched sports event of the weekend for the fourth consecutive week. Although Sunday's rating is down -14% compared to last year's 6.4/15 (10.6 mill), it's up +6% over 2007's 5.2/12. A huge factor in the year-to-year decline was competition from the Duke-North Carolina college basketball game on CBS (2.9/6, 4.6 mill.). The Duke-UNC rating more than tripled the weak 1.1/2 delivered in the same window last year by Purdue-Michigan, and combined viewing of pro and college basketball opposite NASCAR was up by roughly two and a half million viewers. Fox got a lucky break when the final national rating for the Atlanta race came in a tenth of a point higher than the preliminary rating released on Tuesday, a rare occurrence. Men 18-34 continue to be a trouble spot for NASCAR. Ratings in that demo were down -27% (2.4 vs. 3.3) for the Atlanta race, nearly doubling the overall Household decline. One month into the season, NASCAR racing is being impacted by two disappointing trends on the track: lead changes per race are at an all-time low, while caution flags per race are near an all-time high. The season's first four points races have averaged just 14 lead changes per race. The same races a year ago averaged 30 lead changes. Through four races, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 6.7/13 (11.3 million viewers), down -11% from last year's 7.5/14 (12.9 mill.). NASCAR's year-to-year comparison continues to be skewed by rainouts in this year's highly-rated Daytona race and last year's lower-rated Fontana race. While it's easy to focus on the -11% year-to-year skid, it's also important to note that this season's 6.7/13 average is still more than double the rating of the NBA On ABC (2.8/6) and is greater than the combined ratings of the NBA on ABC, NCAA Basketball on CBS, and PGA Golf on all broadcasters (5.8/13 combined).(Fox). For more on TV Ratings for 2009, see my 2009 TV Ratings page.(3-13-2009)
 
The races so far IMHO have been boring. Whoever gets out in front stays there until a pit stop, it seems once the leader breaks free it's color me gone.

Cautions. Ill handling COT's? Inexperienced drivers in COT's? Tires? Wasn't it Biffle who spun all by himself and had no idea what happened? He's not inexperienced. In any event there's a lot more of them, plus the manditory caution with 20 laps +/- to go.

In any event I DVR and watch when I want, no more wasted Sunday afternoons. 4 hour race takes about 2 hours to get thru when you fast forward thru commercials, cutaway car segments, digger etc.
 
SST55 said:
The races so far IMHO have been boring. Whoever gets out in front stays there until a pit stop, it seems once the leader breaks free it's color me gone.
Click to expand...

Sounds like the old car. NASCAR doesn't get teams will hit on something and they'll stink up the show. It doesn't matter if they're in the COT, COY, dirt late models, or a Cobalt 4-banger. I think they lost a lot of people when they switched to the COT and the fact it didn't produce any better racing, probably worse, than the old car.
 
ok... i'm gonna have to say this.........

I think there is alot wrong with NASCAR and the ratings just prove it.
1. The KEY area, (ie Carolinas, and mid atlantic, and deep south) are bein squeezed out. We are tryin to be replaced by the yuppie, corporate image and money of the left coast and midle america. Guess what NASCAR, the grass roots of NASCAR are in the South..... you run us off, and the others get bored, you are left with less ticket sales, and drops in viewers. Sorry, after the boom of the 90's NASCAR was hip, and a "new fad"...... the old gaurd is leavin with the bored "new" fans.
2. NASCAR is waaaaay to clean cut. We need more personalities. I'm sick of the young, clean cut, all american image. We need more ruff necks. Money and sponsorship has ruined the image. Don't they realize that sponsors sold MORE of their products back then BECAUSE of the bad boy image. ( Not the spoiled, jerk bad boys of today....) but guys who took no crud, and wasn't afraid to speak their minds......
3 too much is bain made of the COT..... drivers whine and cry about it all the time.... Shut up already..... we pay to see you DRIVE. If it doesn't handle, use some talent, and DRIVE it. Ya rarely heard Earnhardt cryin over the car..... he would MAKE it do what HE wanted it to.
4. No grey areas in racing...... For goodness sake. Do away with all these rules. Let the guys pick gear rates, coil springs, shocks, etc....... either that, or just rename it to NASCAR presents IROC, and prep all the cars for the teams and dole them out on Sat....... Let's see creativity in NASCAR again.
5. Diversity...... and no i don't mean in the drivers.......if a Mexican, African American, Chinese, or Martian wants to race, fine.... let em race. What I mean, is we need character in tracks...... back in the day, each track had somethin that set them apart.... not just location. Remember N Wilsboro.... up hil back stretch, down hill front...... Rockingham..... rough surface, tough turn 4....... Darlington... nuff said. Now we have kansas..... Vegas, California..... I usually have trouble figuring out where they are when I see the video......
There are plenty more, but i've ranted long enough...... Just think that until NASCAR figures out WHO and WHERE got them to this spot........ they are goin to continue to do even DUMBER things to "tweak" the sport....... and the results will continue. You know, the definition of stupidity could be doing the same thing over and over, expectin a different result........ Wish NASCAR would look into what they are doin.........
 
speedwayphoto said:
ok... i'm gonna have to say this.........

I think there is alot wrong with NASCAR and the ratings just prove it.
1. The KEY area, (ie Carolinas, and mid atlantic, and deep south) are bein squeezed out. We are tryin to be replaced by the yuppie, corporate image and money of the left coast and midle america. Guess what NASCAR, the grass roots of NASCAR are in the South..... you run us off, and the others get bored, you are left with less ticket sales, and drops in viewers. Sorry, after the boom of the 90's NASCAR was hip, and a "new fad"...... the old gaurd is leavin with the bored "new" fans.
2. NASCAR is waaaaay to clean cut. We need more personalities. I'm sick of the young, clean cut, all american image. We need more ruff necks. Money and sponsorship has ruined the image. Don't they realize that sponsors sold MORE of their products back then BECAUSE of the bad boy image. ( Not the spoiled, jerk bad boys of today....) but guys who took no crud, and wasn't afraid to speak their minds......
3 too much is bain made of the COT..... drivers whine and cry about it all the time.... Shut up already..... we pay to see you DRIVE. If it doesn't handle, use some talent, and DRIVE it. Ya rarely heard Earnhardt cryin over the car..... he would MAKE it do what HE wanted it to.
4. No grey areas in racing...... For goodness sake. Do away with all these rules. Let the guys pick gear rates, coil springs, shocks, etc....... either that, or just rename it to NASCAR presents IROC, and prep all the cars for the teams and dole them out on Sat....... Let's see creativity in NASCAR again.
5. Diversity...... and no i don't mean in the drivers.......if a Mexican, African American, Chinese, or Martian wants to race, fine.... let em race. What I mean, is we need character in tracks...... back in the day, each track had somethin that set them apart.... not just location. Remember N Wilsboro.... up hil back stretch, down hill front...... Rockingham..... rough surface, tough turn 4....... Darlington... nuff said. Now we have kansas..... Vegas, California..... I usually have trouble figuring out where they are when I see the video......
There are plenty more, but i've ranted long enough...... Just think that until NASCAR figures out WHO and WHERE got them to this spot........ they are goin to continue to do even DUMBER things to "tweak" the sport....... and the results will continue. You know, the definition of stupidity could be doing the same thing over and over, expectin a different result........ Wish NASCAR would look into what they are doin.........
Click to expand...

+1
 
Seeing's I'm a Yankee :D I'll skip commenting on #1
#2 Agreed, we need more Cale and Allison bros fisticuffs, or Spencer and the shrub boys.
#3 There was no need for the radical change in making the COT. It was a kneejerk reaction to Sr's death. Neil Bonnet, John Nemechek, Kenny Irwin, Adam Petty, and Sr all died of head injuries. Yet Sr's was a fluke, the others died when their car slammed the wall on the drivers side
#4 Mandated shocks, springs, etc weight of engine components ie pistons no less than 400 grams. Let the guys build a car that's safe, after that Katie bar the door.
#5 Cars all fit a common template and run on a cookie cutter tracks.

The COT was supposed to contain costs, wonder what Childress,Roush and Hendrick have to say. Saw a interview with Richard Petty must be 15+ years ago, he couldn't believe it was costing 4-5 million to field his car. That's why STP got out, they could no longer afford it.
 
speedway, you go man. I think that we all have seen where NASCAR is heading and you have really hit the nail on the head. The biggest problem is the root of all evil...money. NASCAR is no longer a series where backyard mechanics and bootleggers get together to see who's better. It used to be that the car was owned by the driver, who more than likely was the chief mechanic. Then later, those mechanics gave up the driving and just owned the team, but could still work on the cars and the drivers would have to help. Now days, teams are corporately owned, few drivers know much about the internal combustion engine, their job is to drive, and the mechanics have to have a college degree. Why? Because if you don't have all of that, you won't be able to make the millions that are in the business.
 
I agree with most, especially #1. I think I will walk on #3 though, It was a mistake on Nascar's part.
 
SST55 said:
The races so far IMHO have been boring. Whoever gets out in front stays there until a pit stop, it seems once the leader breaks free it's color me gone.

Cautions. Ill handling COT's? Inexperienced drivers in COT's? Tires? Wasn't it Biffle who spun all by himself and had no idea what happened? He's not inexperienced. In any event there's a lot more of them, plus the manditory caution with 20 laps +/- to go.

In any event I DVR and watch when I want, no more wasted Sunday afternoons. 4 hour race takes about 2 hours to get thru when you fast forward thru commercials, cutaway car segments, digger etc.
Click to expand...

I'd have to agree, even when I'm home and really don't have any "honey to do" things I still watch just the last segment of the race. It has become boring, predictable, and for the most part the Fox coverage is a joke. The COT needs the new tire combo now that is supposed to be put on it next year. Why this was not developed when the car was is beyond me, but Nascar really screwed up that process. The car needs to drive better, handle better in traffic, so that there is more passing and side by side racing. At first I was a big proponent of the new car because of its' safety, but I'd have to give it a thumbs down after watching it in action the last 39 or so races. Give me the older congfiguration car any day, much better racing, and then I think we would see ratings go up and more fans in the stands.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom