NASCAR - Television Ratings Thread

dpkimmel2001

dpkimmel2001

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Just about to get this season underway. Any predictions on how this year's television ratings are going to play out? Last year started with an increase in ratings @ Daytona but by the time we hit the end of the year @ Homestead, they dropped like a sack of potatoes.
 
The ratings will double by Charlotte?
 
A bigger decrease than we've seen in several years due to no more Dale Jr, Matt Kenseth and Danica
 
Not good, the casuals that only tune in for Daytona, have the olympics, and who knows what happens with jr nation disbanding. My guess 5% drop at the start of the season, but the closer we get to the end, that number could reach 20% or more vs last year.
 
always brings back the joke. Couple of guys stranded in the dessert see a lion off in the distance and it is coming at them at a high rate of speed. One of them looks at the other and says, what are you doing putting tennis shoes on you can't out run that lion? The other one says calmly, I don't have to out run the lion, I only have to outrun you. Despite the hysteria, snarking, optimism or the drama. Nascar just has to stay ahead of the other racing series.
 
First of all I need to say that I do real bad when it comes to guessing what is ahead but thats never stopped me from playing the fool before. My guess is that when you adjust things for rain outs and delays the ratings will be down 10% this year compared with last year.
 
StandOnIt said:
always brings back the joke. Couple of guys stranded in the dessert see a lion off in the distance and it is coming at them at a high rate of speed. One of them looks at the other and says, what are you doing putting tennis shoes on you can't out run that lion? The other one says calmly, I don't have to out run the lion, I only have to outrun you. Despite the hysteria, snarking, optimism or the drama. Nascar just has to stay ahead of the other racing series.
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I hope you are right that everyone will be OK as long as Nascar beats other racing.
 
A TV ratings drop by 8-12% from last season due to an increase in the popularity of online streaming resulting in an overall (though unknown) increase in total viewership.

Is viewership a word? Must be, my phone autocorrected to it lol just doesn't sound like an actual word to me when I say it out loud.
 
Well. I'll take an entirely different approach. I'm looking for the numbers to stay about the same as last year. and I would love to see an increase in viewers. There are some new story lines that could/should unfold. 1st, there's a chance this rookie class could be one of the best in a long time. They may all be very competitive early on. 2nd, I have a feeling Kyle Busch is going to be in a "take no prisoners" mode more than normal. I can't explain it, just have a feeling. 3rd, several solid veterans and former champs are nearing the end of their careers. I'm betting all of them would love to notch another win or two. 4th, some of the distractions will be leaving. Time for some new blood to garner attention. 5th Chase and Larson are capable of putting on a great show racing each other, and a win by Chase will be a good thing. I wouldn't be surprised to see Chase pick up a pile of Jrs. fans. So. I'm optimistic heading into Daytona. I'm really hoping for a great year.
 
Yeah my guess is about the same also. Depends on the weather, how many delays. I think the coverage or lack of counts for some of it. Nascar should hopefully have a bit better ratings average in the playoffs with the switching up to the Roval. Lots of young blood back into the sport and some of them are working hard making a name for themselves and the sport using social media. When Jr reluctantly started using social media he went from nothing to wearing it out when he saw the benefits. Most of the older drivers don't use it much.
 
mack said:
Well. I'll take an entirely different approach. I'm looking for the numbers to stay about the same as last year. and I would love to see an increase in viewers. There are some new story lines that could/should unfold. 1st, there's a chance this rookie class could be one of the best in a long time. They may all be very competitive early on. 2nd, I have a feeling Kyle Busch is going to be in a "take no prisoners" mode more than normal. I can't explain it, just have a feeling. 3rd, several solid veterans and former champs are nearing the end of their careers. I'm betting all of them would love to notch another win or two. 4th, some of the distractions will be leaving. Time for some new blood to garner attention. 5th Chase and Larson are capable of putting on a great show racing each other, and a win by Chase will be a good thing. I wouldn't be surprised to see Chase pick up a pile of Jrs. fans. So. I'm optimistic heading into Daytona. I'm really hoping for a great year.
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We've been hearing this same story for the past 3 seasons and viewership's gone down...so why would this year be any different??
 
Speedbowl14 said:
We've been hearing this same story for the past 3 seasons and viewership's gone down...so why would this year be any different??
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He wrote a whole paragraph with reasons? As far as I am concerned, compared to football sport even a 10% decline would be doing better than they have this season. Declining TV overall viewership is a big part of the equation.
 
Speedbowl14 said:
We've been hearing this same story for the past 3 seasons and viewership's gone down...so why would this year be any different??
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Well, I listed the reasons that I thought of. I make no promises that it will stay the same or be any better. I'm just wishful thinking and being optimistic. Honestly, at some point the numbers have to head back northward, or it's over.
 
From Vince Martin. Has great insight into the business of ISC.
"TV ratings are collapsing - to an extent that can't be explained away by cord-cutting. Attendance still is down, despite lower gas prices and a stronger economy. With the departure of Dale Earnhardt Jr. - the most popular driverfor the last 15 consecutive years - that trend is not reversing, no matter what the sport's officials and ISC management claim about the new 'stage' format or the supposed potential of younger drivers."
"President John Saunders argued on the Q4 call that TV viewership "remains among the strongest of all sports properties". Total unique viewers were second only to the NFL, he pointed out. And he added that "it's important to look at NASCAR or any sports property by cross-platform consumption," due to the impact of cord-cutting. Those ratings are collapsing. Viewership fell 11% in 2017. That's not just cord-cutting. NFL ratings have fallen roughly 9%, a drop that has led to all sorts of discussion about the impact of concussions and protesting players. NBA ratings have increased. An increase in unspecified digital consumption in one demographic (not NASCAR's key demographic, by the way) comes nowhere close to offsetting that pressure. Viewership now is down 22% since 2014. The loss of the sport's most popular driver, on the heels of the retirement of Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, is the last thing the sport needs."

https://seekingalpha.com/article/41...&dr=1&utoken=01ef6c873b0add016de175f1d52da901
 
rowdy3 said:
From Vince Martin. Has great insight into the business of ISC.
"TV ratings are collapsing - to an extent that can't be explained away by cord-cutting. Attendance still is down, despite lower gas prices and a stronger economy. With the departure of Dale Earnhardt Jr. - the most popular driverfor the last 15 consecutive years - that trend is not reversing, no matter what the sport's officials and ISC management claim about the new 'stage' format or the supposed potential of younger drivers."
"President John Saunders argued on the Q4 call that TV viewership "remains among the strongest of all sports properties". Total unique viewers were second only to the NFL, he pointed out. And he added that "it's important to look at NASCAR or any sports property by cross-platform consumption," due to the impact of cord-cutting. Those ratings are collapsing. Viewership fell 11% in 2017. That's not just cord-cutting. NFL ratings have fallen roughly 9%, a drop that has led to all sorts of discussion about the impact of concussions and protesting players. NBA ratings have increased. An increase in unspecified digital consumption in one demographic (not NASCAR's key demographic, by the way) comes nowhere close to offsetting that pressure. Viewership now is down 22% since 2014. The loss of the sport's most popular driver, on the heels of the retirement of Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, is the last thing the sport needs."

https://seekingalpha.com/article/41...&dr=1&utoken=01ef6c873b0add016de175f1d52da901
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Great post!

I laugh at those that believe NASCAR isn't in trouble. They sound like those that shouted that the king still had his clothes on. They will be the first to complain when the sport is pushed to Yada Yada Sports Channel 3 because they will have to pay more to watch it or that channel isn't offered by their carrier. (I do find it interesting that the NBA's ratings are up).
 
At the end of the day, fans tune in for content/entertainment. It's up to NASCAR to provide that. I've never seen an insatiable desire by a large portion of fans for more 1.5 mile tracks. The traditional fans loved North Wilkesboro, Bristol, Matinsville, Talladega, Daytona, Darlington, or in other words the traditional venues. In my opinion, NASCAR has chased after "fans" that were never going to hang around too long. Casual at best. Traditional race fans loved beating and banging, rivalries, bad blood, passion, heated discussions and such. Not a bunch of company spokesmen super cool hipster types. Line 'em up, and let 'em race. The more corporate America stops dictating political correctness to everything from the pre show to the post show, the better off the sport will be. Just my two cents,
 
Very good post Mack........ There's a whole lot of truth in what you just said........ and another thing I might add..... I've been a fan since the 60's and one of the things I enjoyed the most was the ingenuity and inventiveness ...... i.e.(some might call it cheating.... I call it thinking out of the box..... as Smokey would say... if it's not specifically mentioned in the rule book..... it's legal)....... now the rule book reads like the Internal Revenue Service wrote it. There are no gray areas left.... All the teams are hamstrung to running spec cars and equipment......even down to the size and grade of hardware used..... that took a great deal of the interest out of the sport for me. IROC was interesting... but... it was just an exhibition series. To me.... we are getting way too close to total spec racing.....
 
mack said:
The more corporate America stops dictating political correctness to everything from the pre show to the post show, the better off the sport will be. Just my two cents,
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Corporate America is what funds the sport. Without it the sport doesn't function. Brand A, which has a $ 100 million to $ ______ billion dollar logo/brand identity, doesn't want a 22 year old driver devaluing their brand. Thus, the confines of what the sponsor allows a driver to say. To expect anything else isn't the reality of the world we live within. Drivers, team owners, and the team's employees know that they are one comment away from the unemployment line. Do you think Kurt Busch would ever express his true feeling about anything in an interview after the road he's traveled?
 
It's a double edged sword. Traditional old race fans tuned in to see the event. The race. Not corporate schmoozers. They have successfully removed any and all personality. Bland doesn't sell to well. The numbers are showing that.
 

Lots of good info and if I had to give the short story I would say that Nascar doesn't have big worries as long a big TV money is coming in. If the money drops a bunch in the next contracts it could cause some big headaches for some the tracks especially.[/QUOTE]
 
Mopardh9 said:
This
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I don't know. It's hard to say how much of an impact that will have. I've wondered if there hasn't been an over saturation of Jr. And, please everyone, don't take that as Jr. bashing. I'm not. I really like Jr. He was probably put in one of the toughest spots an athlete has ever been put in when his dad lost his life. There had to be enormous pressure on him, and he was only in his early twenties. Time has passed, his fans are some of the most loyal out there. I'm hoping those fans stay tuned to the sport. I feel like he had unreal expectations placed on him by others. My hope is he will be a great spokesman for the sport. Be visible in other words, more so than just in the booth. The Atlanta ratings are what I'm waiting to see. I think that will be an early indicator for the rest of the season. Who knows?
 
A decline, but slighter than we've seen in recent years. I don't think many fans were tuning in just to see Danica and Jr. run in the 20s, and Kenseth wasn't a superstar. I also think that if you've weathered the storm this far, through so many championship and race format changes, that you're not going to leave now that they finally leave things alone for once. Hell, reddit even tells me that all of Jr. Nation is now going to be rooting for Jeff Earnhardt!

Seriously though, there's more than enough talent for those fans to get behind now. I don't think it'll be as bad of a year as we've had.
 
Few sports and few forms of TV entertainment are bucking the overall trend of decreasing TV ratings. The NBA is a major exception, with several possible explanations. The default expectation for a property like NASCAR would be a 5-10% yearly decline.

There would need to be significant factors working in NASCAR'S favor to overcome that, like new crossover stars emerging that capture interest outside the faithful core audience. I think that's still another couple years away if it is going to happen. I don't see it right now. More likely is that the departure of Dale Jr. does loom for a segment of fans, and would contribute an additional 5-7% overall decline.

I believe there will be ratings bright spots with select races up. NASCAR would be smart to promote its "majors" in more standalone fashion, because it is easier to create heightened interest in special big events than it is for a 9-month season. Overall for the 2018 season, I would expect about a 12% decline. A 5% decline would actually be positive news, and would signal that audience contraction is slowing.
 
gnomesayin said:
Few sports and few forms of TV entertainment are bucking the overall trend of decreasing TV ratings. The NBA is a major exception, with several possible explanations. The default expectation for a property like NASCAR would be a 5-10% yearly decline.

There would need to be significant factors working in NASCAR'S favor to overcome that, like new crossover stars emerging that capture interest outside the faithful core audience. I think that's still another couple years away if it is going to happen. I don't see it right now. More likely is that the departure of Dale Jr. does loom for a segment of fans, and would contribute an additional 5-7% overall decline.

I believe there will be ratings bright spots with select races up. NASCAR would be smart to promote its "majors" in more standalone fashion, because it is easier to create heightened interest in special big events than it is for a 9-month season. Overall for the 2018 season, I would expect about a 12% decline. A 5% decline would actually be positive news, and would signal that audience contraction is slowing.
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Ya know, it's kinda sad when a 5% decline would be considered "good news". But you're probably right. I wonder if we'll see a realignment in the schedule in the next few years? I could go for a 28-30 race season. Even eliminate some venues. I know that's not going to happen. But if the day comes when the ratings are negligible at certain tracks and the attendance is zilch, how long do you stick with that? Look at Indy. Dead as a hammer. That would be one venue I wouldn't miss at all.
 
mack said:
Ya know, it's kinda sad when a 5% decline would be considered "good news". But you're probably right. I wonder if we'll see a realignment in the schedule in the next few years? I could go for a 28-30 race season. Even eliminate some venues. I know that's not going to happen. But if the day comes when the ratings are negligible at certain tracks and the attendance is zilch, how long do you stick with that? Look at Indy. Dead as a hammer. That would be one venue I wouldn't miss at all.
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Well despite what they are saying about our great economy, pay TV for whatever reasons one of them economic, is sharply declining, more than 5% as gnomesayin posted, so in the face of that decline only 5% would be an increase in viewership. The holy grail, the NFL viewership is reporting a regular season decline this year of a 12% average and since 2015 has been declining.
 
StandOnIt said:
Well despite what they are saying about our great economy, pay TV for whatever reasons one of them economic, is sharply declining, more than 5% as gnomesayin posted, so in the face of that decline only 5% would be an increase in viewership. The holy grail, the NFL viewership is reporting a regular season decline this year of a 12% average and since 2015 has been declining.
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All true. I think some of the NFL's problems are self inflicted. I wonder how NCAA football ratings did this year? I know the National Championship game was off the charts great ratings. To me, at some point NASCAR has to hit bottom for themselves. When the decrease finally levels off, then they'll know where they're at. I'm not an overly "Pollyanna" type, but I'm hoping some new faces, will help boost the numbers. Time will tell.
 
More people could start watching Nascar
mack said:
All true. I think some of the NFL's problems are self inflicted. I wonder how NCAA football ratings did this year? I know the National Championship game was off the charts great ratings. To me, at some point NASCAR has to hit bottom for themselves. When the decrease finally levels off, then they'll know where they're at. I'm not an overly "Pollyanna" type, but I'm hoping some new faces, will help boost the numbers. Time will tell.
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Some of the headlines about Nascar are going to turn people off and they may not even be true. It might have been on here or somewhere else I read about Jeff Gordon being told to not check out on the field. Now I don't know if thats true or made up but that kinda thing leaves a bad impression that Nascars bosses would do that sort of thing. You see other headlines talking about record low this or that and stuff like where did all the fans go and sponsors are leaving or not paying much anymore. The already Nascar fan doesn't pay attention to that stuff but a guy thinking about checking out nascar could think the sport is dying off or fake.
 
AtomicPunk55 said:
More people could start watching Nascar


Some of the headlines about Nascar are going to turn people off and they may not even be true. It might have been on here or somewhere else I read about Jeff Gordon being told to not check out on the field. Now I don't know if thats true or made up but that kinda thing leaves a bad impression that Nascars bosses would do that sort of thing. You see other headlines talking about record low this or that and stuff like where did all the fans go and sponsors are leaving or not paying much anymore. The already Nascar fan doesn't pay attention to that stuff but a guy thinking about checking out nascar could think the sport is dying off or fake.
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Bud, if a person can stomach the tribble that comes from stick n ball on any given year, Nascar should be a relief
 
mack said:
All true. I think some of the NFL's problems are self inflicted. I wonder how NCAA football ratings did this year? I know the National Championship game was off the charts great ratings. To me, at some point NASCAR has to hit bottom for themselves. When the decrease finally levels off, then they'll know where they're at. I'm not an overly "Pollyanna" type, but I'm hoping some new faces, will help boost the numbers. Time will tell.
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Minutes of college football viewed hit what's probably an all-time high this past season, although the averages for some networks declined because FOX and FS1 picked up a bunch of inventory. In general, a very strong season though. College basketball appears to be doing well also, and as @gnomesayin pointed out the NBA is doing the best in terms of growth vs. contraction at the moment. MLB had their bright spots as well. I haven't followed the NHL's figures as closely this year but I believe they've been down. Soccer seems to have hit a ceiling at the moment and F1 and IndyCar both posted marginal gains. Really, the NFL is the one that's tanking but they have so much cushion to work with that it's not a big deal.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Minutes of college football viewed hit what's probably an all-time high this past season, although the averages for some networks declined because FOX and FS1 picked up a bunch of inventory. In general, a very strong season though. College basketball appears to be doing well also, and as @gnomesayin pointed out the NBA is doing the best in terms of growth vs. contraction at the moment. MLB had their bright spots as well. I haven't followed the NHL's figures as closely this year but I believe they've been down. Soccer seems to have hit a ceiling at the moment and F1 and IndyCar both posted marginal gains. Really, the NFL is the one that's tanking but they have so much cushion to work with that it's not a big deal.
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I see what you are saying about the NFL as players and team employees are not getting salary cuts and you don't hear anything about sponsors leaving or networks being mad and demanding changes. Unless a team really stinks they usually play before a good crowd and football in general is part of culture starting Friday night.
 
Commercial breakdown and links related to the 2018 Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona

For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday's race.

Began recording the times at the Invocation of the race at 3:05 PM, and stopped at the waving of the checkered flag at 4:31 PM (all times are EST). Did not keep records for the pre- and post-race coverage.

FS1 was the broadcast team for this event.

Total number of commercials: 44
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 34
Number of times FS1 utilized 'Side-by-Side' commercials during this broadcast: 0
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast (including company logos 'floating' in corners of the screen): 74

Start time to record race/commercial periods: 3:05 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 4:31 PM
Total minutes of complete race broadcast: 86
Minutes of race broadcast: 68
Minutes of traditional commercials (not split-screen): 18

Number of missed restarts: 0
Number of 'mystery cautions' (debris not shown): 0

http://www.espn.com/jayski/cup/2018...related-2018-advance-auto-parts-clash-daytona
 
I'd expect to see a similar decline to last year, somewhere in the neighborhood of 10%. Losing Jr. and Danica certainly doesn't help, but Chase Elliott seems to have siphoned off most of Jr's fans, which might offset some of that.
 
I think ticket sales will be up and that’s key. Get people back in the damn stands
 
rowdy3 said:
Last year was rain delayed and started at 11:30 am.
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Sunday afternoon races generally draw higher ratings than Saturday night races.

Another reason tracks moving to Saturday night drives me bonkers.


I don't think the Olympics are taking a big bite out of NASCAR viewership this year either.
 
Not bad considering it was run on FS1 rather than Fox and went head to head against Winter Olympics coverage.
 
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