TV News: Weekend TV Ratings
–by Mark Cipolloni–
TV Analysis
NASCAR:
FS1 got a 1.30 rating and 2.303 million viewers for the NASCAR Cup race at Richmond; down 45.61% (Rating) and down 43.72% (Viewers) from last year when the race was on Fox (2.39/3.958M). Just 20% of the viewers were in the all-important 18-49 year old age group.
IndyCar:
NBC got 830,000 viewers for the IndyCar at Texas Motor Speedway, down 13% from 954,000 last year. The rating was a 0.53, down 14.52% from last year’s 0.62. Just 21% of the viewers were in the all-important 18-49 year old age group.
Formula 1:
The Australian GP never gets big rating numbers in the USA owing to the fact the race is broadcast at 1:00am in the morning when most people are asleep. To get the kind of numbers they did is, rather, impressive.
ESPN got 605,000 viewers for the F1 Australian GP Qualifying at 1:00am Saturday morning. That is the first time we saw a qualifying show get more viewers than the actual race, which may be because of the three red flags and the race not ending until 3:30am in the morning. It is also possible that Nielsen got the ratings switched by accident. An astonishing 50% of the viewers were in the all important 18-49 year old age bracket – for a qualifying show mind you.
ESPN got 556,000 viewers for the F1 Australian GP at 1:00am Sunday morning, up 2.11% from 568,000 last year. An astonishing 58% of the viewers were in the all important 18-49 year old age bracket, easily outdistancing all other forms of motorsports – a trend we have seen for two years now.
ESPN2 got 217,000 viewers for the F1 Australian GP Replay at 9:30am Sunday morning, down 27.59% from 568,000 last year, but up in rating 8.33%.
Between Qualifying, the Race and the Race Replay, ESPN got a total of 1.419 million viewers for broadcasts in the wee hours of the morning and the 58% in the all important 18-49 age bracket has advertising executives standing up and taking notice.
NHRA:
FS1 got 597,000 viewers for the NHRA Winternationals finals from Pomona, up a fantastic 157% from last year’s 235,000 viewers on SI but last year the event was in February up against some stiff competition.
TV Rating Data
| Network | Event | Location | Total Viewers |
18-49 Viewers |
Ratio: 18-49 Yr Old/ Total Viewers |
2023 Rating |
2022 Rating |
Rating % Chg. |
2022 Network |
2022 Viewers |
2022 18-49 Viewers |
Total Viewers % Chg |
18-49 Viewers % Chg |
| FS1 | NASCAR Cup race | Richmond | 2,303,000 | 457,000 | 20% | 1.30 | 2.39 | -45.61% | FOX | 3,958,000 | 812,000 | -41.81% | -43.72% |
| FS1 | NASCAR Xfinity race | Richmond | 847,000 | 187,000 | 22% | 0.5 | 0.53 | -5.66% | FS1 | 833,000 | 157,000 | 1.68% | 19.11% |
| NBC | IndyCar Race L | Texas | 830,000 | 178,000 | 21% | 0.53 | 0.62 | -14.52% | NBC | 954,000 | 211,000 | -13.00% | -15.64% |
| FS1 | NASCAR Truck race | Texas | 644,000 | 143,000 | 22% | 0.37 | 0.30 | 23.33% | FS1 | 482,000 | 81,000 | 33.61% | 76.54% |
| ESPN | F1 Qualifying L | Australian GP 1:00am ET | 605,000 | 302,000 | 50% | 0.36 | No Data | No Data | No Data | No Data | No Data | No Data | |
| FS1 | NHRA Finals | Pomona | 597,000 | 130,000 | 22% | 0.36 | 0.14 | 157.14% | FS1 | 235,000 | 37,000 | 154.04% | 251.35% |
| ESPN | F1 Race L | Australian GP 1:00am ET | 556,000 | 324,000 | 58% | 0.30 | 0.34 | -11.76% | ESPN | 568,000 | 316,000 | -2.11% | 2.53% |
| ESPN2 | F1 Race Replay | Australian GP 9:30am ET | 217,000 | 63,000 | 29% | 0.13 | 0.12 | 8.33% | ESPN2 | 223,000 | 87,000 | -2.69% | -27.59% |