NASCAR Bristol TV Rating

UPDATE ABC’s live telecast of Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway was the most-viewed summer race at Bristol for ESPN or ABC and earned a 3.7 final rating, averaging 5,905,051 viewers, according to the Nielsen Company.

The viewership mark was set despite the race being pre-empted on ABC in Buffalo, Detroit, Rochester and Tulsa by NFL preseason games and in Miami due to hurricane coverage. The race telecast aired on different channels in those markets that are not included in the national rating.

The rating was up from a 3.4 rating for the 2010 race, which was run and telecast as scheduled.

Due to unusual circumstances, the 2011 race aired in part of the country on ABC, earning a 2.9 rating, but aired in other parts of the country on both ESPN and ESPN2. Hurricane Irene coverage in much of the East and NFL preseason games in some other markets led to the unusual TV coverage.

Charlotte led all TV markets with a 9.9 rating for Saturday’s Bristol telecast, followed closely by Indianapolis with a 9.8 rating.

ESPN’s live telecast of Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Bristol also had a ratings increase from last year. The race earned a 1.2 household coverage rating (1.1 U.S. rating), averaging 1,599,526 viewers.

08/27/12 The overnight TV Rating for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Saturday night on ABC was a 3.7. That figure is up 19% from a 3.1 rating for the same race last year.