NASCAR Kansas TV Ratings (2nd Update)

UPDATE #2 A move from cable to broadcast gave NASCAR a much needed boost in the ratings, but the numbers were still low historically. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kansas, the fifth race in the Chase For the Cup, earned a 2.5 final rating and 4.0 million viewers on NBC last Sunday – up 8% in ratings and 12% in viewership from last year (2.3, 3.6M) but down 5% and 3%, respectively, from 2013 (2.6, 4.2M), both of which aired on ESPN, also a cable channel.

The last time the race aired on broadcast, 2009, it had a 3.2 and 5.3 million on ABC. The last time it aired on NBC, 2006, it had a 4.0 and 6.3 million. Joey Logano's win ranks as the highest rated and most-watched Chase For the Cup telecast this year, easily topping the previous highs of 1.9 and 3.2 million. It also ranks as the first NASCAR race since Darlington, which also aired on NBC, to have an increase in ratings or viewership. With that said, the race also ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Chase For the Cup telecast ever on broadcast television — falling below the previous mark of 2.9 and 4.7 million for the 2009 Martinsville race on ABC. Overall, the 2.5 rating is the lowest for any Sprint Cup race on broadcast since at least the 2003 season. Sports Media Watch

10/20/15 Back on broadcast television, NASCAR's Chase For the Cup had a modest improvement in the metered markets. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Kansas, the fifth race in the Chase For the Cup, drew a 2.2 overnight rating on NBC Sunday afternoon – up 10% from last year (2.0) and down a tick from 2013 (2.3), both of which aired on ESPN. The race drew a 2.6 overnight when it last aired on broadcast in 2009, and a 3.4 when it last aired on NBC in 2006. The 2.2 is the lowest ever for a Chase For the Cup race on broadcast television, and the lowest for any Sprint Cup race on broadcast since at least 2004. In both cases, the previous mark was a 2.5 for the 2009 New Hampshire race on ABC. Every other race on broadcast this season has earned at least a 2.6 overnight. Having said that, the 2.2 is still better than what NASCAR has been pulling on cable. It ranks as the highest overnight of this year's Chase For the Cup, topping the previous mark of 1.8 for Chicago and Dover, and tops every NASCAR race on cable since mid-August – when Michigan drew a 2.4 on NBCSN. In addition, Sunday's race was the first since Darlington – which also aired on broadcast – to have a year-over-year increase. Sports Media Watch

10/19/15
NASCAR Xfinity Series
0.66 rating NBCSN 4:00 pm Saturday Kansas Lottery 300 (Kansas City, KS)

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
2.23 rating NBC 2:45 pm Sunday Hollywood Casino 400 (Kansas City, KS) vs 2.3 last year on ESPN. Note NBC is a network channel whereas ESPN is a cable channel.