REPORT: NASCAR seen fretting over ratings drop
According to Nielsen, ratings for NASCAR on Fox are down by an alarming 11.5% so far this year, and while we're sure that many NASCAR haters will suggest that it's just not that interesting watching non-stock "stock cars" turning left over and over again as they circle oval tracks, race organizers and TV ratings researchers believe there's much more to the decline in viewership than that.
Certainly, the sorry state of affairs surrounding the world's sagging economy doesn't help matters any, and neither did the rain that forced an early end to the Daytona 500, the sport's pivotal first race of the season. Paul Brooks, president of NASCAR Media Group, also points a finger in the direction of Dale Earnhardt Jr, who's second season as part of Hendrick Motorsports isn't exactly going as hoped.
Regardless of its downward ratings trend in '09, it seems most experts on the subject predict the NASCAR brand will pull through over the long haul, although it will be interesting to see if/how the auto industry crisis affects the cash-intensive motorsports series. In the meantime, NASCAR and Fox are reportedly "looking at every angle" to boost viewership in the short term.
[Source: Sports Business Journal | Image: Roger Smith]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
yournamehere6785 6:02PM (5/18/2009)
My prayers have been answer! hallijuha!
maybe now speed will cover something other then NASCAR! one can only hope....
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Marc 7:20PM (5/18/2009)
Maybe, open eyes will help. I seem to recall Rolex and ALMS coverage and more than a little MotoGP" and F1 coverage on speed.
Brian 6:56PM (5/18/2009)
Amen to that. Endless left turns = boring. Personally I've been enjoying the Rolex Grand-Am series for the past three years, especially the GT class. Since NASCAR recently signed a promotional agreement with Grand-Am, I wonder if the 11% drop in NASCAR viewership has translated into an 11% INCREASE in Grand-Am viewership? I'm hearing that they're seeing record crowds at the races... Oh, and GO MAZDA! :-)
Mr.Oak 8:05PM (5/18/2009)
As if the races don't suck enough, that have those loud mouth jackasses on at least 5 times per day.
Jeff Parris 10:16PM (5/18/2009)
Growing up in North Carolina I was a huge NASCAR fan. But with the cars becoming less and less stock cars and more and more pure racing machines with no ties at all to a manufacturer I lost interest. And, no offense intended, with the influx of yankees and the west coast crowd I find I'm just not as interested.
NASCAR has turned it's back on tradition and a lot of what made the venue an attraction (notice I didn't call it a "sport"?). Why did we abandon North Wilkesboro? Rockingham? Why does NASCAR seem only interested in huge markets with boring superspeedways when the short tracks offer a better show? Even non-NASCAR fans have a hard time arguing that Bristol is a real value for the entertainment dollar.
And lastly, ditch Waltrip, McReynolds, and Hammonds. Waltrip's Digger Cam and all the other goofy and hokey crap this crew brings to the viewing experience is enough to make me puke. What's Eli Gold doing lately? Bring him and Brock Yates back and watch viewership rise.
Ray 11:28PM (5/18/2009)
I don't car if they sanctioned races with r/c cars around Bristol, I'd still go and see that awesome track!
Darrin 3:51AM (5/19/2009)
Look at that - I thought I was alone in being sick to death of Speed "spewing NASCAR" at us 14hrs per day!
Enough is enough - did you see all the "all star" garbage this past week? I didn't turn it on once. I used to watch NASCAR as a kid, but there's just too much now. No, I don't care about the drivers and their back stories.
I miss the historic racing...all those classic machines competing against one another is too much fun. Now, if they bother to cover the Monterrey historics at all, they give us a "highlights" hour and that's it. Time was they covered all the English races including Lord March's driveway. I miss it.
Worse, it's almost time for another season of golfing with NASCAR personalities.
I'd rather eat a turd.
Blackstar 3:54AM (5/19/2009)
How's that NASCAR joke go...
"Real race car drivers turn left AND right."
;)
Quattroporte 6:02PM (5/18/2009)
"REPORT: NASCAR seen fretting over ratings drop"
scene?
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Quattroporte 6:03PM (5/18/2009)
As in "NASCAR was seen" or "the NASCAR scene"?
Tourian 6:04PM (5/18/2009)
"Paul Brooks, president of NASCAR Media Group, also points a finger in the direction of Dale Earnhardt Jr, who's second season as part of Hendrick Motorsports isn't exactly going as hoped."
That seems out of line to me. How can one driver be the cause of it? If Danica Patrick wasn't as good or bad as she is, would someone from Champ Car come out and say the change in ratings was soley because of her? Would anyone from that organization admit that they believe any boost in their ratings is because of an attractive woman driver?
If they really are "looking at every angle" maybe they should get models or strippers and teach them how to race.
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Metar 6:33PM (5/18/2009)
Junior, sadly, has a massive following - thousands of fanboys that come to watch only him. Kyle Busch spun Dale Jr. at Richmond last year - and since then, he's being booed at: The crowds cheered when he pulled into the garage with dysfunctional brakes.
So when Dale is mid-pack at best, his crowds turn off the TV.
snoopy 9:25AM (5/19/2009)
Yea, agreed. He seems to be misdirecting attention, probably away from him and his inability to draw in viewers with proper promotion and marketing.
I like racing, but I find my self going to the internet for foreign racing which I cannot seem to find on the TV stations here.
adrenalnjunky 9:45AM (5/19/2009)
I was at Talladega 2 years ago, Jr's last run in the Bud car I think. His motor blew up about 1/3 way through the race, and immediately people began streaming out.
Everyone else in Hendrick power and chassis is running good this year, including the Stewart/Haas cars.
The kid needs to step it up, find a crewchief that he can work with, or one that won't put up with his debutante-act, and wrench on the cars.
His fans need to realize he's turning into the modern day Michael Waltrip or Kyle Petty, and that his time may be done.
Jules Mounteer 6:06PM (5/18/2009)
I would expect that "the sorry state of affairs surrounding the world's sagging economy" would put hundreds of thousands of extra eyes in front of the TV. What else are they going to do with their spare time now they can't afford to go out for wings and bear?
For nascar to be falling this fast in this environment is truly alarming, for them.
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Rhawb 8:12PM (5/18/2009)
Mmm...bear. My favorite part is the claw.
Mike 8:36PM (5/18/2009)
'Mmm...bear. My favorite part is the claw'
lol that made me chuckle
Paul 11:10AM (5/19/2009)
Its 100% due to rule changes, its just not interesting to watch anymore.
GDUb 6:07PM (5/18/2009)
Make it more like Death Race machine guns, oilslicks, nazis even crowd participation, say BYOG bring your own grenade and toss it at the track when ever u so please.
just make if more gladiator style we dont care that u have to use prisoners to run the races.
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Rick 10:55AM (5/19/2009)
Saved me the time typing. They need to update it. It's all circles and crashes, then a pass on the last 2 laps. Whooho. So just watch the last two laps if you care, and watch youtube for the crashes, if you care.
I'd rather mow the lawn.