The OT - NASCAR (Charlotte)
Charlotte TV Ratings UPDATE: Overnight ratings for NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 were the lowest since the race moved to FOX. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Charlotte earned a 3.6 overnight rating on FOX Sunday evening, down 8% from last year (3.9), down 12% from 2013 (4.1), and the lowest overnight for the race since it began airing on FOX in 2001. Keep in mind that does not include the 2009 race, which was postponed from Sunday to Memorial Day (3.5). This is the second straight year the race has earned its lowest overnight ever on FOX. It has set or tied a low in four of the past six seasons. The Coca-Cola 600 trailed the Indianapolis 500 by 16% (4.3 to 3.6), the largest gap between the two events since 2005* (6.6 to 5.1). Keep in mind the Indy 500 received an anomalous boost from Danica Patrick that year. The race also trailed the Hawks/Cavaliers NBA playoff game on TNT by 35% (5.5).(Sports Media Watch), see past races, 5-year chart, links and more on the 2015 TV Ratings page.(5-26-2015)
UPDATE: For the first time in a decade, NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 was not the highest rated race of Memorial Day weekend. NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Charlotte earned a 3.8 final rating and 6.4 million viewers on FOX Sunday evening, down 7% in ratings and 8% in viewership from last year (4.1, 7.0M), down 12% and 10%, respectively, from 2013 (4.3, 7.1M), and the lowest rated and least-watched edition of the race since it moved to FOX in 2001. That excludes 2009, when it was postponed to Memorial Day due to rain (3.3, 5.3M). The previous lows were a 4.0 and 6.5 million in 2010. Since drawing a 6.1 and 10.2 million viewers ten years ago, ratings and viewership for the race have dropped in seven of nine years - including each of the past four. Carl Edwards' win drew a lower rating than the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the day (4.1), marking the first time since 2005 - and only the third time since FOX acquired rights - that the Coca-Cola 600 trailed its open wheel rival. The race was able to eke out a slightly larger audience (6.41M to 6.39M), however, continuing a 14-year streak in which it attracted more viewers. Adding to the soft performance, the 3.8 rating tied the fourth-lowest mark for a scheduled Sunday race on FOX - matching Fontana in 2012 and Dover in 2013. Only the Dover races in 2010 (3.7), 2012 (3.7) and 2014 (3.5) earned a lower rating.(Sports Media Watch)(5-2-2015)
