Xfinity series TV ratings down 6% on FS1

Fox and FS1 combined to average 1.73 million viewers for its first season of televising NASCAR Xfinity Series races, down around 6% from what ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 averaged for the same period of what was the Nationwide Series last year. Fox Sports’ figure includes 13 races this season across its broadcast and cable net. One race — the June 21 event from Chicagoland — was excluded from the average after being moved to FS2 due to a rainout.

The average from ’14 similarly excludes a race aired primarily on ESPNews from Richmond. Four Xfinity races aired on Fox this season, compared to three during the comparable period last year on ABC. FS1 started strong with the series’ opening race from Daytona, averaging 2.94 million viewers. That figure was up 8% from what ESPN drew for the same race in ’14. However, the cable net did not outperform comparable races on ESPN the remainder of the package. FS1 did outdraw ESPN2’s audience for the Texas race, but was lower than ESPN2 for the race from Las Vegas. NBC and NBCSN pick up the remainder of the Xfinity races this season beginning with Saturday's race at Daytona Int'l Speedway. Austin Karp/Sportsbusinessdaily.com