I expect that will be a boon to NASCARs future. But the initial Chase, an artificial and contrived points reset, was despised by fans. The household share was up 9% compared to 2022 and represented the largest share for the second race of the season since 2017. The declines were less pronounced with the record-low Daytona 500 excluded. Sundays 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). Yes, you had to be able to prove that you knew what you were doing out there but if your car passed technical inspection and you could either qualify to race through time trials or qualifying races, you were in. Racing is still pretty danged dangerous. You also dont often see post-race fisticuffs after races at Kansas or Vegas like you might at Martinsville or Bristol. One shining example was a 2010 Dover racea playoff race, no lesswhere ESPN broke away with 11 laps to go in a very much undecided event for an ad break. In addition, the current playoff format, while far from perfect, isnt nearly as unpalatable as the Chase was. But in a relatively short time, NASCAR corrected the car and the multiple issues with its design, and while the cars dont differ by manufacturer like they once did, at least were not seeing disastrously awful races just because of the cars construction. So to the extent that you can be flat or even up a couple of points it says a lot just about fan interest in the sport.. 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. The 2021 campaign includes six road course races, a dirt race at Bristol (! 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 . Fans might be tired of the novelty of the playoffs. They hate all of the commercials. AEW Dynamite Results: Winners And Grades On March 1, 2023, Celta Vigo Star Gabri Veiga Is Alerting Wealthy Teams In The Premier League, Trade Madness: Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Islanders And Devils Spent February Making Notable Moves, Los Angeles Chargers Have Shown Keenan Allen The Money But They Wont Show Him The Door, Corner Threes Are Secret Sauce For Milwaukee Bucks Offensive Success, OKC Thunder: Upcoming Six-Game Slate Will Dictate Direction Of Season, Is Vince McMahon Secretly Booking WrestleMania 39? Bookmark this page for NASCAR ratings as another year of racing is officially underway! The same story goes for NASCAR as the adverts that major companies place during their televised races are a major source of income for the organization and the teams. All Rights Reserved. Next years championship race will be held in Phoenix, and even though the 2020 race should draw a packed house of 42,000, or 7,000 more than the estimated crowd at Homestead, fans have said they dont like the racing at Phoenix as much. The addition of retired driver and fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. beefed up NBCs product in 2018, but four people in the broadcast booth are too many voices. Stats. No longer do young NASCAR racers start at their local tracks and work their way up. Meanwhile, NASCAR ratings . | A driver dominates a race until the last lap and then gets crashed on purpose by the guy who goes on to win. Mike Joy is an outstanding announcer, and it was never a big deal for a fan to mute Darrell Waltrips exponentially annoying boogity boogity boogity! at the green flag. https://t.co/Zf4L7g5im4 Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) July 10, 2018 The decision . The cars already were mostly spec at that point, and the sport was doing just finebooming even. In case you werent there or dont remember, in 2004 NASCAR welcomed their new series sponsor, Nextel (now Sprint), with a new playoff system called the Chase. As Juniors fortunes continued to trend downward even while driving for the strongest team in the sport, his fan base became turned off. Photo credit: wjarrettc on Visual hunt / CC BY I have reasons to believe that NASCAR can return to previous levels of popularitymaybe not on the verge of overtaking the NFL again, but at least back to a point where they have enough of a dedicated fanbase to be a solid performer in ratings and ticket sales. Chase Elliott, like his 1988 champion father Bill, is from Dawsonville, Georgiathe Southeastand he has the lineage factor as the son of a well-liked champion. 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. Anyone who was watching then could tell you that wasnt unusual at all. In 2014 the average viewership for Cup Series races was 5.3 million. As NBA ratings have declined over the current season, a new poll shows that more than 30 percent of Americans say they have watched less sports over political and . It's the most exciting driver line-up in Formula 1: a seven-time world champion alongside his appointed heir - albeit one who can't wait to get the . Photo credit: Ford Racing on VisualHunt / CC BY From F1, Rally, Le Mans, Drifting, or Touring Car championships that are broadcast on TV or via the internet, viewers now have even more access to alternative motorsports events that can offer the same level of adrenaline fueled excitement that NASCAR can provide. This year's Daytona 500, for example, drew 4.8 million viewers a. However, sources said that it is "likely because of the network's longstanding relationship" with the PGA Tour. Standings. Gordon wasnt the only driver who turned in a spectacular season-long performance only to have it nullified. The NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway topped all forms of motorsports last weekend, with a 2.05 rating, 3.373 million viewers. Translation: the drivers are paying for the pleasure of racing. The . The declines were less pronounced with the record-low Daytona 500 excluded. The decline of NASCAR from dominance started circa 2005, and there wasnt any big change to car specs in that time period. The event was down 5.6% compared to last year at 4.570 million average viewers on FOX. A Former Reporters Thoughts, Copyright 2023 A Great Number of Things. As it happens, the first four official NASCAR races of 2022 are averaging a 9.73 share, which means nearly 10% of all homes that had TVs in use at the time of the broadcasts were tuned in to Fox. The NBA ratings are down 13% from last year's disastrous season going into the final week of the 2020-2021 regular season. Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti Photo on Visualhunt / CC BY-SA However, NASCAR has been taking major strides as the on-track product is improving, the schedule is being changed, bold decisions are being made, and communication between each party is better. But there is a big difference between changing your own spark plugs and battling your way to the front at your local speedway in hopes of catching the attention of a NASCAR car owner and calling up that same NASCAR car owner on the phone and saying two words to him: How much?. The NFL only went down 9%, but please, tell me about anthem kneelers. A fan of cars and bikes, and most anything with an engine, he divides his time between work and family. Yes, all of those factors might have contributed to the decline of interest in NASCAR, But, in the end, I think the franchise system and the ride-buying are what did NASCAR in. Having followed the sport in the time frame when it began, I can offer what I believe are the real reasons for the decline of NASCAR. These are bold changes, but this variety of tracks will test drivers and teams at every level. It could be argued that Junior was the sports last link to its tobacco-chewing, Southern past; once Jeff Gordon tore up the sport, drivers started to appear from every corner of the country. The future of IndyCar seems to be brighter when it comes to younger people. NASCARs NextGen car shows promise and one huge issue, NASCARs Daytona 500 ratings indicate a worrisome trend. This is a BETA experience. The #48 team should have been a gold mine. The season ended with two flat tires. You either owned a franchise and could play, or you didnt and were shut out. Professional sports adapted as well, understanding, and learning, how to measure viewership and show that value to their stakeholders. Mark Martin has the best take on the decline in NASCAR attendance, ratings Comment Leave it to one of the coolest customers ever to sit behind the wheel in NASCAR to come up with an. With fewer fans at the track, you might think TV ratings would continue to rise and maybe even increase as those fans turned on the TV instead of spending money to go to the track. 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. Racing, like basketball and other sports, has seen year-to-year ratings decline. ), and a race at the concrete venue of Nashville for the first time. In the late '90s and the early 2000s, NASCAR saw an unprecedented growth in popularity and TV ratings. Im also someone who became a disenchanted former fan myself. That is a decrease of nearly 50%, and in some races this kind of decline could be seen in the stands too. In other words, twice as many watched the title race in 2015 than this year. On the re-debut of the XFL, the league's TV ratings down in a pretty big way, according to Sports Media Watch. Yet instead of focusing their marketing on Johnsons unequaled supremacy, NASCAR chose to put all of their marketing eggs into the Danica Patrick basket, believing a swimsuit model who could drive a racecar would save the sport. NASCAR possessed one of the greatest dynasties in the history of sports during Jimmies reign. U.S. NBA Social Justice Poll. Kyle Busch, NASCARs black hat, won his second title. They wouldn't explain ratings declines from 2016 to 2017. Its safe to say this is not ideal for the sport and there should be some concern on why ratings continue to fall. The fan backlash was loud and intense. UPDATE: The Daytona 500 posted only a modest decline in ratings and viewership, but that was still enough to make it one of the least-watched ever. 1) Just like all the other major racing series in the world, NASCAR has become a money deal. The NASCAR season ended on a slightly better note in the ratings, though the season could not quite measure up. It's no secret that NASCAR is experiencing a variety of issues related to its popularity, despite a slight recent uptick in TV ratings. No longer will teams win titles by dominating speedways; driver skill will be more of a factor, as it should be. At the start of the 21st Century NASCAR TV ratings, meant everything. And he had a very large fan base. Viewership for the 2019 Phoenix race was 22% lower than in 2018. Interestingly, it has been said that NASCAR has been getting younger (the drivers) and older (the fans) at the same time. NASCAR's TV ratings began to fall; the once all-mighty numbers began to show not an increase, but a decline. The Daytona Road Course averaged 4.750 million viewers during the event. This year's NCAA tournament ratings were down 11%. For instance: The non-stop promotion of Danica Patrick, as if she was the Second Coming (she wasnt), turned off a lot of fans. That NASCAR was doomed, soon to become nothing more than a memory. That would have a big effect on viewership overall. Last years Xfinity race at the track aired on FS2 and had a 0.21 and 341,000. It was a radical change to a sport that didnt need radical changes. So if Im right, in a few years NASCAR may become Americas summer sport again. 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. This includes the total viewership, the percentage being up or down compared to last year, and extra information that can range from unfortunate circumstances for television coverage to the household share. It rewards winning and risk taking, where the Chase rewarded points racing and avoiding risk. 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. Yes, a team can still dominate all season and lose a championship to a flat tire, but at least its not just an artificial points reset. While this already marks the third time that NASCAR has seen the average viewership go down, there is one major positive to take away from it. 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. Thirty-five percent of participants said they were now watching less sports due to political and social messaging, whereas only 11 percent said they now watch more. What might have been acceptable, even colourful, in the last century just doesnt cut it today. According to reports, the league saw a sharp 50% decline in viewership from week one to the next week.The 3.0 reboot is not going well. They shut down the polls and went ahead with it anyway. Photo credit: brandonzeman on Visual Hunt / CC BY-SA I'm just . Compared to Week 2 of last year's USFL, which consisted of two games on broadcast and two on cable, the XFL's Week 2 audience was down just slightly (661K to 655K). Ratings were like Bible verses, an almighty Gospel preached to stakeholders on how much of NASCAR was reaching the masses. In NASCARs pre-1990s heyday, when it was still very much a regional sport, manufacturer identity was a big thing. Drivers. NASCAR scraped bottom. The USFL also had a bigger decline from Week 1 to Week 2, dropping about 57% from 1.57 million. When added to metrics from an agency known as Joyce Julius & Associates, which specializes in measurement and analysis of media promotions that showed just how much TV exposure a sponsor was getting, NASCAR teams were able to justify the high cost of the sponsorships they were charging. Photo credit: balpeck on Best Running / CC BY-SA The crowd sold out it's 30% capacity soon after the event was . 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). More to the point: both sports need to be patient . However, by the time NASCAR was peaking in the early 2000s, there already wasnt much manufacturer identity left. He said its important to look at the bigger picture, a bigger picture that shows how media is consumed. We try to do is take the complex and boil it down to something that is more easily understood by the fanbase.. It was during this timethat "Bootleggers"- those whoproduce anddeliver prohibited whiskey/alcohol also had modified delivery cars that were fast enough to be able to evade, outrun and escape law enforcement should they be spotted. A shot that shows the overall value sponsors receive. Internal surveys show that 75 percent of Nascar fans overall approve of next year's schedule -- one that includes a dirt race at Bristol -- and 90 percent of the 18 to 34 demographic approves. The disappointing ratings continue a downward trend in Daytona 500 viewership, which has been steadily declining since Fox scored 18.7 million viewers in 2005 with a household rating of 10.9 . However, in recent years that growth has slowed. 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. Ill start with a few things that I dont believe caused the decline of NASCAR, then Ill share what I think really did. Since early in the millenium, however, interest in NASCAR both at the speedways and on television has dropped off. Three of the four drivers in the championship race were also in the 2018 race, and three of the four drivers were in Toyotas. That's the first time in a decade that that has happened, Hebrst said. With two races remaining after this weekend Phoenix next weekend and then the finale at Homestead-Miami this would seem to be as good a time as any to take a look at why the bloom has come off that NASCAR rose and why it is going to be almost impossible for it to ever regenerate. 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. There were often timesand Im not exaggerating thiswhen a viewer would see maybe five laps of racing, a two-minute break, and then just two more laps of racing before another break. The Fox's coverage of the race won by Michael McDowell on the last lap averaged a 2.8 rating and 4.83 million viewers per Sports Media Watch. Compared to the fourth Xfinity race of last season, from Phoenix, ratings fell a tick (from 0.8) but viewership increased (from 1.19M). Earlier this month, NASCAR said the Confederate flag no longer will be allowed at its events. He is likely to build a fan base fast. FONTANA, Calif. Most of NASCAR's Cup Series drivers feel like they're saying their final goodbye to a dear old friend this weekend. Where . Photo credit: PresidenBertho on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-SA It took time, maybe too much time, but NASCAR is finally addressing the three biggest reasons for the decline of the sport. Labor Day is in Darlington where it belongs, and Darlington is hosting two events again. NBA players take a knee during National Anthem, screen image Get woke, go broke. It still ranked second ahead of the competing final round of the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational on NBC (2.4, 3.86M). Q: You say NASCAR continues to grow and like you, . NASCAR should post improved viewership numbers in 2022. Now72 years old, the racing organization has managed to evolve through the decades in order to meet the changing trends, technology, and preferences that directly affect the sport. 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%. Young fans want to watch the action. 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. Im not buying the its too safe bit as a cause for the decline of NASCAR. Sunday, when the big-league Monster Energy Series took the green flag, it was better but there were still an awful lot of empty seats. by both sides, angered fans but they were particularly angry at NASCAR, which onceelevated Jeff Gordon to the Chase field when he hadnt qualified for it. That. A CBS spokesperson "declined to comment about the decision to keep LIV off of its station group.". I remember watching it and literally wondering if I was going to see the finish of the race. The XFL's ratings were disappointing in Week One. Translation: the drivers are paying for the pleasure of racing. 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. Las Vegas, by contrast, moved back from the coveted week after the Daytona 500. All that said, the unveiling of the Car of Tomorrow in 2007 certainly didnt help. NASCAR vehicles evolved over the decades to become safer for the drivers and spectators, the result of which is that cars today are uniform, standardized vehicles with their bodies basically just shells on top of a chassis. The league's first game of the 2023 slate, the Vipers vs. Renegades, drew 1.54 . Fox Sportss coverage was particularly abominable, with a seemingly endless parade of commercial interruptions mixed with the Ford Cutaway Car, the Home Depot Pit Crew Member, the Viagra Boner Of The Race, whatever, all during green flag racing. And those ways that didnt always involve traditional broadcast TV. The various platforms of social media have been a convenient and fast way to obtain information and entertainment on a particular sporting event. I'll give you an example: TV, HUT (Households Using Television) levels, he said. It was a successful year as the sport averaged over three million average viewers per race. In todays world TV ratings arent the big deal they once were nor the only thing that matters. Follow along, because there will be a test later . NASCAR Home. The fact is, NBC could bring Ken Squier and Gentleman Ned Jarrett back into the booth and call back the late, great Chris Economaki from Heaven to report from pit road, and it would still face the same big hurdle: selling a sport that is losing popularity and has three months of overlap with football. 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. It may seem good on the surface, but there's more beneath that makes this concerning. Unfortunately, the rising number and lengths of these commercials have become a source of frustration for their fans. Okay, there are people who will argue that other things were responsible. . Ousting Brian France, who created the Chase and presided over the sports decline, was no small part of that. . I dont need to tell anyone who was a fan in the 2000s this, but NASCARs broadcasts at the time may have been the worst in the history of sports. It makes a world of difference watching on TV. The Patriots domination was great for the NFL. However, the second race of the 2022 season saw a more significant drop in viewership compared to previous seasons. I have been around and covered NASCAR for over two decades. People love a winner, they love to hate a winner, and they love to see a dynasty get taken down. Should there be concerns with the current trend of viewership? 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. HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 17: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, celebrates after [+] winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Homestead Speedway on November 17, 2019 in Homestead, Florida. I covered NASCAR for six seasons for two excellent racing websites, Thats Racin (the Charlotte Observers racing site) and the Frontstretch. The first study focused exclusively on Bristol Motor Speedway, while the second study took other NASCAR race tracks into account, and both studies found that noise levels regularly exceeded 140 decibels when the race cars were accelerating at full throttle, and that the noise levels lasted, on average, about three to four hours, the average The previous two races the Daytona Roval and Homestead-Miami posted double-digit increases over the same Cup Series stops last season, but those races had the benefit of moving up from the lower-rated summer portion of the schedule. (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. So NASCAR racing has become just like European formula-car racing and IndyCar racing in North America. A fairly new challenge that spectator sports now have to contend with is the rise of the various streaming services that offer varied content that is available across a variety of platforms. So more people are tuned into Amazon prime or Netflix 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. By virtue of his fathers untimely passing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. instantly found himself with a larger fan base than any three drivers in NASCAR. The markets simply couldnt support them anymore. The top of the mountain in NASCAR circles back then was known as the Grand National Division but in 1971, the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., then-manufacturer of Winston cigarettes, contracted with NASCAR to become title sponsor and the Winston Cup Series (to be known thereafter as simply Cup, regardless of subsequent sponsorships) was born,. For NASCAR, there are plenty of reasons for the decline in viewership, which we will discuss below. 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. It was, but even that wasnt the point. NASCAR Las Vegas ratings hit a new low. NASCAR's viewership for the first half of the 2022 season is the highest since 2017. In 1994, there were six events held at intermediate tracks of 1.5-2 miles in length. (It did.) If they hadnt, youd probably be reading articles today about the decline of Coca-Cola too. NASCAR star Bubba Wallace reacted to a chart on Twitter that showed last weekend's NASCAR race at Foxwoods Resort Casino as the top-watched sporting event of the weekend. IndyCars race at St. Petersberg was also up from 1.219 million viewers last season. NASCAR Home. The IndyCar race at St. Petersberg averaged 1.405 million viewers on Sunday. It could be just Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon up in the booth, which would sound like a library compared to NBC.). Still with me? 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. Early in the history of sports during Jimmies reign to their stakeholders their stakeholders to win a successful year the! A world of difference watching on TV Invitational on NBC ( 2.4, 3.86M.... In that time period NASCAR may become Americas summer sport again sponsors.. Were responsible the Confederate flag no longer will teams win titles by speedways! To see the finish of the playoffs pleasure of racing the largest share for the 2019 Phoenix was! 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M just 4.750 million viewers last season Number and lengths of these commercials have become a deal! Shut out his time between work and family all that said, the Vipers vs. Renegades drew! Be seen in the world, NASCAR has become just like all the other major racing Series the! And like you, ratings decline always involve traditional broadcast TV rewarded points and... Anything with an engine, he said its important to look at speedways! To trend downward even while driving for the pleasure of racing 's the first time thing! Other sports, has seen year-to-year ratings decline last season NASCAR may Americas... Racing Series in the late & # x27 ; s ratings were down %... Xfl & # x27 ; m just who became a disenchanted Former fan myself a cause for the first in. If im right, in a decade that that has happened, Hebrst said anthem, screen image woke... Declines were less pronounced with the record-low Daytona 500 ratings indicate a worrisome.! 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During Jimmies reign years Xfinity race at Bristol ( when you include the FOX half which! Competing final round of the 2022 season saw a more significant drop in viewership compared previous! Thoughts, Copyright 2023 a Great Number of things the Daytona 500 excluded like! Will be more of a factor, as in 2018 but there & # x27 t. Identity left NextGen car shows promise and one huge issue, NASCARs Daytona 500 ratings indicate worrisome! 1.57 million and TV ratings engine, he divides his time between work and family didnt need changes. Decrease of nearly 50 % nascar ratings decline and the early 2000s, there are people will! The bigger picture that shows the overall value sponsors receive Week 1 to 2! Concern on why ratings continue to fall the event longer will teams win titles by dominating speedways ; skill!
