TV News: Weekend USA TV Ratings
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Rating Analysis
NASCAR
FS1 got a 1.27 rating and 2.160 million viewers for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 race at Gateway, down 13.61% in rating and down 13.67% in viewers from a 1.47 rating and 2.502 million last year.
18-49 Age Group: 19% – horrible and indicates 81% of the NASCAR fan base is aging out
IndyCar
NBC got a 0.65 rating and 1.047 million viewers for Sunday’s NTT IndyCar Series race on the streets of Detroit. Last year the race was on the USA Network, so those dismal ratings do not count.
The race was last aired on NBC in 2021 and got a 1.11 rating, and drew 1,383,000 viewers, so this year was down 41.44% in rating and down 24.30% in viewers. The all-important 18-49 year old viewers plummeted 51.24% from 2021.
18-49 Age Group: 17% – horrible and indicates 83% of the IndyCar fan base is aging out – an alarmingly bad result. Alarms bells should be going off at 16th and Georgetown – the 100 Days of Indy Docuseries was supposed to hook more young viewers and women, but appears to have had the exact opposite effect.
Formula 1
ESPN got a 0.58 rating and 1.040 million viewers for Sunday’s F1 Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, off slightly from a 0.59 rating and 1.146 million last year on ESPN2.
18-49 Age Group: 44% Excellent and dwarfs all other forms of motorsports. Given this age group is what advertisers care most about, F1 is eating NASCAR and IndyCar alive in the USA. One might call it eating their lunch.
NHRA
The NHRA Finals from Epping, NH were rained out and will finish this coming weekend in Bristol.
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 | Gateway | 2,160,000 | 413,000 | 19% | 1.27 | 1.47 | -13.61% | FS1 | 2,502,000 | 516,000 | -13.67% | -19.96% |
| NBC | IndyCar Race L | Detroit | 1,047,000 | 177,000 | 17% | 0.65 | *1.11 | -41.44% | *NBC | *1,383,000 | *363,000 | -24.30% | -51.24% |
| ESPN | F1 Spanish GP | Barcelona | 1,040,000 | 453,000 | 44% | 0.58 | 0.59 | -1.69% | ESPN2 | 1,146,000 | 546,000 | -9.25% | -17.03% |
| FS1 | NASCAR Xfinity race | Portland | 824,000 | 126,000 | 15% | 0.46 | 0.56 | -17.86% | FS1 | 824,000 | 194,000 | 0.00% | -35.05% |
| FS1 | NASCAR Truck race | Gateway | 698,000 | 124,000 | 18% | 0.42 | 0.45 | -6.67% | FS1 | 663,000 | 137,000 | 5.28% | -9.49% |
*2021 Data – the last time the Detroit GP was on NBC