The OT - NASCAR (TV Ratings - Martinsville)
Martinsville TV Ratings: The first ever NASCAR race on Fox Sports 1 was no match for coverage on FOX last year, but still put up respectable numbers. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Martinsville earned a 2.5 overnight rating on FS1 Sunday afternoon, down 34% from last year (3.8) and down 38% from 2013 (4.0), both of which aired on FOX. The 2.5 is the lowest for the race since at least 2002, the last time it aired on cable. Sunday's telecast was the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race to air on Fox Sports 1 (previously Speed Channel). It topped other NASCAR telecasts on the network, including last year's Sprint Cup All-Star Race (1.7), last year's Sprint Unlimited (1.8) and this year's four Xfinity Series races (0.8 to 1.7). Despite airing on cable, the race was the highest rated non-NCAA Tournament sporting event of the weekend in the metered markets. It more-than-tripled competing coverage of the IndyCar Series from St. Petersburg on broadcast network ABC (0.8). FOX was originally scheduled to air the Martinsville race, with FS1 making its debut April 25 from Richmond. The networks swapped the races to accommodate MLB coverage on FS1 that day.(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)(3-31-2015)
Martinsville TV Ratings: The first ever NASCAR race on Fox Sports 1 was no match for coverage on FOX last year, but still put up respectable numbers. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Martinsville earned a 2.5 overnight rating on FS1 Sunday afternoon, down 34% from last year (3.8) and down 38% from 2013 (4.0), both of which aired on FOX. The 2.5 is the lowest for the race since at least 2002, the last time it aired on cable. Sunday's telecast was the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race to air on Fox Sports 1 (previously Speed Channel). It topped other NASCAR telecasts on the network, including last year's Sprint Cup All-Star Race (1.7), last year's Sprint Unlimited (1.8) and this year's four Xfinity Series races (0.8 to 1.7). Despite airing on cable, the race was the highest rated non-NCAA Tournament sporting event of the weekend in the metered markets. It more-than-tripled competing coverage of the IndyCar Series from St. Petersburg on broadcast network ABC (0.8). FOX was originally scheduled to air the Martinsville race, with FS1 making its debut April 25 from Richmond. The networks swapped the races to accommodate MLB coverage on FS1 that day.(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily)(3-31-2015)