NASCAR on Fox Speeds To Three Year Viewership High

Fox Sports has this press release on its just-finished NASCAR season. After seeing season lows the last two years, Fox Sports saw an uptick in its ratings and viewership. Overall, Fox saw a 9% jump in viewership, averaging 8.6 million people and young males in the 18-34 demographic came back after seeing this age group practically abandon NASCAR in 2009 and 2010. Altogether, the season averaged a 5.0 rating with an 11 share. According to Fox, the increase in viewership is the largest one year jump in the history of the NASCAR on Fox package. Let’s look at the press release.

NASCAR ON FOX HITS THREE-YEAR VIEWERSHIP HIGH

Emmy Award-Winning Series Posts Greatest Year-to-Year Increase in 11-year History of NASCAR on FOX
Ratings For Males 18-34 Increases +20% Over 2010

New York, NY –NASCAR on FOX’s 2011 season roared into victory lane after Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup series race from Kansas.

The network’s presentation of the first 13 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup series hit a three-year high averaging 8.6 million viewers per race, up +9% over last year (7.9 million viewers). That is the largest one-year audience increase in the 11-year history of NASCAR on FOX.

This year’s NASCAR coverage on FOX posted year-to-year increases in Households and across every major male and adult demographic. The complete 2011 NASCAR season on FOX averaged a 5.0/11 household rating/share, with the season’s biggest increase coming among Men 18-34. Average ratings in that key male demographic increased +20% over last year (1.8 vs. 1.5). The network boasted increases over 2010 among Households (+4%), Men 18-49 (+6%), Men 25-54 (+5%) and Adults 18-49 (+4%).

FOX posted more growth on a total rating points basis than on an average rating basis. FOX delivered a total of 64.1 rating points with NASCAR this season, a +13% gain over last year’s 56.7 gross rating points, which includes viewing to two Monday make-up dates. Among Men 18-34 gross rating points were up +36% (23.2 vs. 17.1).

The 2011 NASCAR on FOX season concluded Sunday with a 3.9/10 (6.3 million viewers) for the Kansas 400, according to fast national ratings released by Nielsen Monday. This was the first airing of the Kansas 400 on FOX, however, Sunday’s race easily beat last year’s Kansas race, which aired on ESPN in October. Compared to NASCAR’s last Kansas event Sunday’s race was up +63% on Household rating/share (vs. 2.4/5) and up +67% on average audience (vs. 3.8 million viewers).