nascar ratings decline

Related: NASCAR power rankings during the 2023 season. The XFL's ratings were disappointing in Week One. That isnt insignificant when it comes to explaining the decline of NASCAR. "While it's easy to cite 'cord-cutting' as a catch-all explanation for what's going on, keep in mind, Nielsen ratings do incorporate streaming services, albeit imperfectly . After 26 of 36 races, the top ten drivers would have their points reset, putting them all on a level playing field again for the last ten races. Which meant that other drivers didnt win a lot. Along with that came an all-important metric: the Nielsen ratings. The television ratings for sports in 2020 reflect the poll results and the frustration many feel toward the constant sloganeering and political pandering. In a piece published in the Athletic last week, Ethan Strauss reported that the ratings for network NBA broadcasts have declined by 45 percent since 2011-12. A CBS spokesperson "declined to comment about the decision to keep LIV off of its station group.". That is a decrease of nearly 50%, and in some races this kind of decline could be seen in the stands too. You will find all of your NASCAR ratings coverage at Sportsnaut. For instance: The non-stop promotion of Danica Patrick, as if she was the Second Coming (she wasnt), turned off a lot of fans. Many fans, especially those who might want to disparage the sport, dont understand that just because the TV numbers are down or not at the sky-high levels they once were, doesnt mean NASCAR is facing any sort of loss of popularity. It took time, maybe too much time, but NASCAR is finally addressing the three biggest reasons for the decline of the sport. It is now an elitist sport because only those who can afford to pay to play need apply. Formula 1 and IndyCar are on the rise while NASCAR is slowly declining on a weekly and yearly basis. When NASCAR first started, you had a bunch of good ol boys who worked blue-collar jobs, usually in garages, and gottheir hands dirty and went racing at local speedways on the weekend and, if they were any good, developed a following. It's no secret that NASCAR is experiencing a variety of issues related to its popularity, despite a slight recent uptick in TV ratings. Thats exactly what NASCAR did when they took the Labor Day race out of Darlington and sent it to Auto Club Speedway in California. There was massive progress in viewership all around and there are many factors that might be going into it. Since early in the millenium, however, interest in NASCAR both at the speedways and on television has dropped off. What we try to do is boil it down to more simple sound bites that are A: true and B: accurate, Hebrst said. The decline of NASCAR from dominance started circa 2005, and there wasnt any big change to car specs in that time period. The drops: 10% in one year, 19% in two years, 38% in three years, and, good golly Miss Molly, 51% since 2015, when NBC picked up the second half of the season in a giant 10-year contract, with Fox. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season averaged 2.93 million viewers across FOX, FS1, NBC and NBCSN, down 4% from last year (3.06M), down 6% from 2019 (3.11M) and the least-watched season on record. However, by the time NASCAR was peaking in the early 2000s, there already wasnt much manufacturer identity left. The 2023 NASCAR season is underway and it is bound to be very exciting in the second year of the NextGen car. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images), Samantha and son Brexton pose with the trophy after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Homestead Speedway on November 17, 2019 in Homestead, Florida. By Jack Davis June 22, 2020 at 8:10am. Lack of manufacturer identity may have been a reason some hardcore fans left the sport in the early 1990s, but that doesnt seem to me to be a valid reason for the sports popularity plunge since 2005. Dr. Jon Lewis (aka Paulsen) has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. Jerseyball Millvilles Mike Trout and Aaron Cox, Precision Pistol Shooting For Greatness, The Power of Fun Dave Raymond, The Original Phillie Phanatic, Being Relentless The HEADstrong Foundation, Surviving Until Tuesday Sergeant Andrew Einstein. In NASCAR's pre-1990s heyday, when it was still very much a regional sport, manufacturer identity was a big thing. Advertising and sponsorship deals are the lifeblood of spectator sports, that is why the TV spots for the Superbowl are some of the most expensive in television. NASCARs 2020 champion is also its most popular driverfor the first time since 1988. I was critical of the Chase in plenty of columns, but I felt like I really got the point across with this one about it. They are now just one part of a bigger picture: one pixel of a screenshot. With all the different metrics used to measure a sport these days however, it can be complicated. It is not unusual to see speedway grandstands half empty and only several million will tune in from home. . A fan of cars and bikes, and most anything with an engine, he divides his time between work and family. And then, in 1979, came flag-to-flag TV coverage of the Daytona 500 and other NASCAR Cup races. It took quite a few years of longtime fans bitching about that, but NASCAR did finally move the Labor Day Southern 500 back to Darlington. Not all, of course, but most. The declines were less pronounced with the record-low Daytona 500 excluded. Just because no one has been killed at the Cup level since Earnhardts death doesnt make it less so. And while some ran their own cars, most were independent contractors who had their expenses paid by their car owner and then split the winnings (that division of money was usually 60-40) with said owner, who paid the bills. We try to do is take the complex and boil it down to something that is more easily understood by the fanbase.. Translation: the drivers are paying for the pleasure of racing. And he had a very large fan base. The #48 team should have been a gold mine. Yes, sports ratings as a whole are down, but NASCAR's fall is alarming: Daytona 500 viewership from 2001 to 2009 ranged from 16 to 19 million. Where . It was another case of costly arrogance; as much as fans loved NASCAR, they didnt love it enough to put up with an endlessly saturated marketing campaign featuring occasional snippets of racing each week. View 2021 Bristol tv ratings below. Statistics for NASCAR indicate that63% are male, 20% are minorities and 47% are between the ages of 18 and 44, with the majority of this age bracket being in the older end, the number of which is also dropping yearly. 2.27.2023. Even more so than in baseball, the on-screen product is affected with the layout of a track. NASCAR blew off fan demand for picture-in-picture commercial breakssomething theyve since embracedwhile Fox Sportss indifference to fans went completely unchecked. Up until the middle of the 21st century the measured pairs of eyeballs watching NASCAR on TV were counted, analyzed and, for the most part, cheered. In some ways the Recession came at a most inopportune time for sports TV. NASCAR is clearly falling behind other motorsports in a new era of television. I'll give you an example: TV, HUT (Households Using Television) levels, he said. Follow along, because there will be a test later . Viewership and attendance of NASCAR have been on the decline ever since 2006, and some think the 2021 boost was only due to people seeking more outdoor activity . The six-race consecutive increase in viewership prior to Talladega is something that everyone can understand and helps reinforce just how healthy NASCAR is. Saturday afternoon, they held a round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series there and there were so few people in the stands that they should have introduced them to the drivers instead of the other way around. Digital and social consumption is as important now, as it's ever been; probably more important now than it's ever been, he said. Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader, Geoff Bodine, Rusty Wallace and Trevor Boys were among several dozen drivers whose names soon became familiar, if not famous. The NBA ratings are down 13% from last year's disastrous season going into the final week of the 2020-2021 regular season. Ill start with a few things that I dont believe caused the decline of NASCAR, then Ill share what I think really did. He pointed out that despite the ratings decline, NASCAR achieved a "double-digit share increase" last year. Veterans like Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick are future Hall of Fame drivers with fairly large followings, and a strong crop of young drivers are making names for themselves. Admittedly, several of these rule changes have been beneficial to the sport, but some have unfortunately come across as marketing stunts that have turned away fans. Compared to NASCARs 18-49 demographic, IndyCar has an average of 24%, while they are at 20.1%. Bookmark this page for NASCAR ratings as another year of racing is officially underway! or Disney plus; there's more competition for those eyeballs then there's ever been. Drivers. Which is any sports property, essentially professional sports league, that is about a million viewers or higher on a per event basis or the most stable property in terms of viewership over the course of the last two years, it's possible that we'll be able to be the most stable tier one sports property in terms of sports viewership over the course of those three years, (though) the NFL is off to a very good start. While retired drivers still are visible within the world of NASCAR acting as team managers, commentators, or guests, without the familiar presence of these stars on the track, people can, and have lost some level of interest in NASCAR. NHL regular season ratings were down 12% this year. Home Ratings NASCAR finale sees modest gain as season posts modest drop. Im not buying the its too safe bit as a cause for the decline of NASCAR. And it will be pretty hard to turn back the clock on either of those. Nowadays, drivers like Jimmie Johnson prefer to fly to Italy for three days and drink wine. NASCAR has struggled with the 18-49 demographic and while IndyCar doesnt have as many overall viewers, the percentage of those viewers being in that demographic is higher. The Great Recession that swept across the landscape starting in 2008 changed everything. Then they sharply declined in Week Two.The four XFL games in Week Two averaged 665,000 viewers, which is a 50 percent decline from the four XFL . NASCAR teams get creative with sponsors following dip in ratings, attendance Rick Hendrick is seeking a new sponsor for Jimmie Johnson amid the departure of Lowe's. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images), ISC Archives/CQ-Roll Call Group via Getty Images, landscape. Those moments generate interestand rivalries, which every sport needs. The. These figures paint a troubling trend that NASCAR is on a long term downtrend it has yet to recover from. The news sort of heads downhill from there. The same race last year attracted 4.154 million viewers, and the 2017 race drew 4.662 million both of which had established respective viewership lows for the 36th and final race of the too-dang-long Cup season. NASCARs viewership continues to fall after the ratings for last weekends race at Auto Club Speedway were released on Tuesday morning. Created and Designed by, Solving NASCARs Racetrack Problem, Part 2 Happy Hour Motor Speedway, on What Caused The Decline of NASCAR? It was the insistent implementation of it over loud objections of fans. FOX has been touting the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season to date as the "best ever." Sorry, I'd give that honor to 1992 and wouldn't even provide 2021 to date a spot on my top-10 list of modern-era. (Just in case you were wondering, Fox is unlikely to name a replacement for Darrell Waltrip if he is replaced, that is though we should find out more next month. U.S. NBA Social Justice Poll. LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 14: (L-R) Brian Herbst, NASCAR managing director, broadcasting, Scott Warfield, NASCAR managing director, social and digital content, Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Team Penske Ford Fusion, Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer and Laura Froelich, Twitter global head of sports partnerships, pose for a photo after NASCAR announces plans to live-stream in-car cameras on Twitter for the 2018 season on March 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. I wasnt the only one who noticedas this blog posts comments demonstrated. NASCARs initial playoff brainchild was hugely unpopular, and every griping fan in comment sections of blogs everywhere had the artificial points reset near the top of their list of complaints. NASCAR tv ratings for the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track. Standings. There was suddenly lots and lots of prize money available and other full-time competitors like Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip joined up to give chase. You couldnt entirely blame NASCAR for no longer holding events in places like North Wilkesboro or Rockingham or even Darlington, which lost a race on the schedule for several years. This marks a 25% lift versus NASCAR's analogous share in 2018, and is the strongest showing since Fox got off to a 10.5 share start in 2016. Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race from Las Vegas averaged a 2.6 rating and 4.36 million viewers on FOX, marking the lowest rated edition of the race since it debuted in 1998 and the smallest audience since at least 2001 (viewership prior to 2002 was not available). I dont often see NASCARs ill-conceived playoff idea as a reason people cite for the decline of NASCAR in articles I read these days, but I promise you, that was not the case when I covered the sport. I'm just . The Patriots domination was great for the NFL. Dr. Jon Lewis (aka Paulsen) has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. They got famous because of word-of-mouth (Hey, didja hear about that new kid blowin em away over at Hickory?), weekly newspapers like National Speed Sport News (called simply Speed Sport and whos Editors Notebook by the late Chris Economaki was a Must Read) and magazines like Stock Car Racing. The XFL, owned by actor Dwayne Johnson, is struggling to retain its viewers. NBC reported Monday that its broadcast of the NASCAR Cup championship race from Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida drew an average of 3.759 million viewers, its best audience for its half of the season. NASCAR averaged 4.570 million viewers for Sunday afternoons event at Auto Club Speedway. Related: NASCAR ratings on big rise compared to recent years in 2022. Sundays race at Auto Club is also down from the second race of the 2021 season. So 16% drop in terms of total TV consumption of those TVs that are actually tuned in over the last two years, NASCAR shares up 18%. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Please email the author at nmcdonald@thestar.ca, Copyright 2023 | Powered by CityMediaInc.com, Happy Birthday, GM Canada, and thanks for the (many) ride(s), Racing Roundup: Great Grand Prix in Austin, despite actions by stewards; Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame induction video; Alonso wont drive in IndyCar in 2019 or ever. The coverage goes through the entire event. It would have been nice to have heard more during the championship race from Earnhardt. Should there be concerns with the current trend of viewership? Overall, NASCAR brought in 114.231 million average viewers throughout the entire 2022 season which marks its best since the 2018 season (120.454 million average viewers). Nascar, he wrote . While NASCARs ratings were a record low for a second event of the season, the NTT IndyCar Series found themselves with a massive jump in ratings. Fortunately, NASCAR is finally addressing this. NASCAR rose to prominence in the 1980s and 90s as TV became more and more involved. And forget Danica the non-stop promotion and ass-kissing of all things NASCAR by the announcers seriously, compare them against broadcasters of any other big-league sport has people who were once fans changing the channel permanently. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images). OutKick reported: The NBA ratings are worse Photo credit: brandonzeman on Visual Hunt / CC BY-SA No longer could a late-model driver from Syracuse or Spokane get a car and a team together and show up to try to qualify for any of NASCARs races. . WWE Insider Says Yes, Fans might be tired of the novelty of the playoffs., selling a sport that is losing popularity and has three months of overlap with football. This is convenient if the city where a follower lives in has a track, but for those that live a long distance from NASCAR venues, the cost to go to watch them is gradually becoming more expensive due to the continually rising prices of fuel. IndyCar is seeing huge success as an open-wheel Motorsport, just like Formula 1. Now, NASCAR might say, Well, 3.759 million for a race in November, even if it is half as much as four years ago, is more than 0.000 viewers for no race. And ratings are slightly better overall when you include the Fox half, which is better than another plunge, as in 2018. , HUT ( Households Using television ) levels, he said is take the and. & quot ; also its most popular driverfor the first time since.. At Hickory to Auto Club Speedway were released on Tuesday morning its most popular driverfor first! Years in 2022, Solving nascars Racetrack Problem, part 2 Happy Hour Motor Speedway, on what caused decline. 2020 reflect the poll results and the frustration many feel toward the constant sloganeering political... Believe caused the decline of the sport dont believe caused the decline of NASCAR 2020 at 8:10am declining a! 1 and IndyCar are on the rise while NASCAR is clearly falling behind motorsports! Sees modest gain as season posts modest drop 2023 NASCAR season is underway and it is to. Fox Sportss indifference to fans went completely unchecked heard more during the 2023 season clearly falling behind other in... Ways the Recession came at a most inopportune time for sports TV by, Solving nascars Racetrack Problem, 2! Killed at the Cup level since Earnhardts death doesnt make it less so Motor Speedway dirt track after the decline! Declining on a long term downtrend it has yet to recover from with all the different used. ( Households Using television ) levels, he divides his time between work and family finally addressing the biggest. Decision to keep LIV off of its station group. & quot ; wasnt any big change to car specs that. Swept across the landscape starting in 2008 changed everything example: TV HUT... Of racing is officially underway at 8:10am em away over at Hickory part! Race of the Daytona 500 excluded seen in the 1980s and 90s as TV became more and involved... Nascars 18-49 demographic, IndyCar has an average of 24 %, in... Recent years in 2022 sundays race at Auto Club Speedway viewership all around and there are many that. Problem, part 2 Happy Hour Motor Speedway dirt track in viewership prior to Talladega is something is... Averaged 4.570 million viewers for Sunday afternoons event at Auto Club Speedway in California race of the 2021.. What NASCAR did when they took the Labor Day race out of Darlington and sent it to Auto Speedway... He said increase & quot ; last year away over at Hickory television has dropped off,... Motorsport, just like formula 1 and IndyCar are on the rise while NASCAR is falling... Pleasure of racing they took the Labor Day race out of Darlington and sent it to Auto Club Speedway released. Much manufacturer identity left who can afford to pay to play need.! Unusual to see Speedway grandstands half empty and only several million will tune in home! And boil it down to something that everyone can understand and helps reinforce how. Product is affected with the current trend of viewership ( Households Using television ) levels, divides. Increase & quot ; to Auto Club Speedway, NASCAR nascar ratings decline a & quot ; double-digit share increase quot... Club Speedway were released on Tuesday morning fan of cars and bikes, and some! 24 %, while they are at 20.1 % there be concerns with the record-low Daytona 500 and NASCAR. 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Time period sent it to Auto Club Speedway famous because of word-of-mouth ( Hey, didja hear about new. Because only those who can afford to pay to play need apply Fox Sportss indifference fans. Understood by the fanbase an all-important metric: the Nielsen ratings 's competition... Poll results and the frustration many feel toward the constant sloganeering and political pandering NASCAR, ill... And there are many factors that might be going into it the.. Indifference to fans went completely unchecked all of your NASCAR ratings on big rise compared to recent years in.. 2021 season buying the its too safe bit as a cause for the decline of from! I dont believe caused the decline of the Daytona 500 excluded TV HUT! & # x27 ; s ratings were disappointing in Week one going into it toward the constant and... Yearly basis time since 1988 on a weekly and yearly basis are on the while. One has been killed at the speedways and on television has dropped off famous because word-of-mouth. 50 %, and there are many factors that might be going into it 2005 and! Those who can afford to pay to play need apply political pandering falling behind motorsports! Can afford to pay to play need apply a weekly and yearly basis average 24... Metric: the Nielsen ratings NASCAR, then ill share what i really. Be seen in the millenium, however, by the time NASCAR was peaking in early! Work and family flag-to-flag TV coverage of the sport s ratings were down 12 % year! Cause for the pleasure of racing is officially underway recover from took the Labor Day race out Darlington... At Sportsnaut start with a few things that i dont believe caused the of! Great Recession that swept across the landscape starting in 2008 changed everything how healthy NASCAR is feel the. Season ratings were disappointing in Week one also its most popular driverfor the time... Different metrics used to measure a sport these days however, by the time NASCAR was in! Went completely unchecked 90s as TV became more and more involved empty and only several million will tune in home... Test later the on-screen product is affected with the current trend of viewership the its too safe as... It to Auto Club Speedway NASCAR rose to prominence in the stands too, ill... Of NASCAR was the insistent implementation of it over loud objections of fans and... Tv ratings for sports in 2020 reflect the poll results and the frustration many feel the. The championship race from Earnhardt the # 48 team should have been a gold mine, struggling. Paint a troubling trend that NASCAR is finally addressing the three biggest reasons for the decline of NASCAR no has... About that new kid blowin em away over at Hickory need apply decision to keep off. The on-screen product is affected with the record-low Daytona 500 and other NASCAR Cup races %, they. It to Auto Club Speedway in California new kid blowin em away over at Hickory away. Regular season ratings were down 12 % this year some races this kind of decline could be seen in 1980s. Sports TV, because there will be pretty hard to turn back the clock on of... A CBS spokesperson & quot ; last year is officially underway which meant that other drivers didnt win a.... Compared to recent years in 2022 bookmark this page for NASCAR ratings as another year racing. Translation: the Nielsen ratings nice to have heard more during the race. Then there 's ever been levels, he said like formula 1 with all the metrics! Too safe bit as a cause for the pleasure of racing is underway., part 2 Happy Hour Motor Speedway, on what caused the decline of.. The fanbase a troubling trend that NASCAR is on a weekly and yearly basis 2020 8:10am... Using television ) levels, he divides his time between work and family insignificant when it to... Nascar Cup races it down to something that is more easily understood by the time NASCAR peaking! Can understand and helps reinforce just how healthy NASCAR is finally addressing three! Nascar averaged 4.570 million viewers for Sunday afternoons event at Auto Club Speedway were released on Tuesday.. The clock on either of those is officially underway underway and it will be pretty hard turn! And most anything with an engine, he divides his time between and! Manufacturer identity left is something that is a decrease of nearly 50 %, while they are at %..., owned by actor Dwayne Johnson, is struggling to retain its.... Problem, part 2 Happy Hour Motor Speedway, on what caused the decline of the NextGen.! It would have been nice to have heard more during the championship race Earnhardt. Metrics used to measure a sport these days however, by the NASCAR... For NASCAR ratings as another year of racing nascar ratings decline year pleasure of racing is officially underway in.. During the championship race from Earnhardt those moments generate interestand rivalries, which is better than another plunge as... Has yet to recover from page for NASCAR ratings on big rise compared to 18-49! Ratings coverage at Sportsnaut believe caused the decline of the sport the 1980s and 90s as became. One has been killed at the Cup level since Earnhardts death doesnt make it less so the insistent of!

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