4 million viewers in. In NASCAR, the equivalent of a ref would be the flagmen, who not only flag the start and end of the race but flag drivers with caution warnings for safety and rules enforcement. Or Jeff Gordon, again, living in a Manhattan penthouse with his second wife, a model, instead of in North Carolina, where he lived beside a lake with his first wife, a deeply religious woman who was Born Again. But theyve also improved the schedule, the broadcasts, and the method of determining a champion. I think thats some pretty solid footing.. Viewership and attendance of NASCAR have been on the decline ever since 2006, and some think the 2021 boost was only due to people seeking more outdoor activity . (Busch would have still won.). Veterans like Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick are future Hall of Fame drivers with fairly large followings, and a strong crop of young drivers are making names for themselves. Overall, it is another positive and negative week. Affluence. In that race, caution flags were flown almost every ten laps for tire wear, as Jimmie Johnson limped to a victory. The Patriots domination was great for the NFL. Now, they buy their way in. It was, but even that wasnt the point. Yes, NASCAR actually believed an artificial points reset after two thirds of the season was the move that was going to catapult them past the NFL. Fox reported a modest 2% increase in viewership of comparable Cup race from 2018 to 2019, but it needs to be noted that Foxs part of the schedule does not collide with NFL and college football, which NASCAR fans also enjoy watching. TV ratings for the Richmond race were said to be down 12% from the same race in 2015 and 44% from 2014. . The NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway topped all forms of motorsports last weekend, with a 2.05 rating, 3.373 million viewers. From their colorful beginnings to what is now a billion-dollar sporting event, NASCAR has continued to provide high octane entertainment for its millions of fans and supporters. Based on the overnight rating for the circuit's marquee event, that chatter won't be ending. The #48 team should have been a gold mine. Translation: the drivers are paying for the pleasure of racing. All eight CBS-owned CW affiliates have "declined to air" LIV Golf's tournaments, according to Rice & Hayes of DEADLINE. This ability to adapt however seems insufficient as NASCAR has recorded a staggering 50% viewership drop in the last 5 years along with substantial admission decline that has varied from 12 -30% percent from 2012 to 2018. Why poll the fans if youre just going to ignore them? The broadcasts really were over-saturated with ads enough to drive fans away. Is PNC Park The Best Ballpark in Baseball? The last race at. Statistics for NASCAR indicate that63% are male, 20% are minorities and 47% are between the ages of 18 and 44, with the majority of this age bracket being in the older end, the number of which is also dropping yearly. UPDATE: The Daytona 500 posted only a modest decline in ratings and viewership, but that was still enough to make it one of the least-watched ever. I covered NASCAR for six seasons for two excellent racing websites, Thats Racin (the Charlotte Observers racing site) and the Frontstretch. IndyCars race at St. Petersberg was also up from 1.219 million viewers last season. It was a successful year as the sport averaged over three million average viewers per race. . Which might explain why, despite the denials, the people who are descendants of Big Bill France, the man who started it all, are quietly shopping the company around and hoping to get out while the goings good. Three of the four drivers in the championship race were also in the 2018 race, and three of the four drivers were in Toyotas. The same story goes for NASCAR as the adverts that major companies place during their televised races are a major source of income for the organization and the teams. NASCAR viewership numbers on decline for years NASCAR viewers are down 19%. Overall, NASCAR brought in 114.231 million average viewers throughout the entire 2022 season which marks its best since the 2018 season (120.454 million average viewers). Now72 years old, the racing organization has managed to evolve through the decades in order to meet the changing trends, technology, and preferences that directly affect the sport. In 2007, an average of 16.4 million viewers tuned in to watch The Daytona 500, but by 2014 that number had fallen by more than 50% to an average of 8.3 million viewers per race. The 2019 season was run as regularly scheduled as well. With the current playoff point structure, drivers are also somewhat rewarded for strong season-long performances as wellwhile the Chase completely disregarded excellence during the season. Should there be concerns with the current trend of viewership? The drops: 10% in one year, 19% in two years, 38% in three years, and, good golly Miss Molly, 51% since 2015, when NBC picked up the second half of the season in a giant 10-year contract, with Fox doing the first half. Most die-hard fans of NASCAR are those that have followed it the longest. As things progressed, some of those garage mechanics started to win enough money on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons that they gave up their day jobs to become full-time racers guys like Lee Petty and his son Richard (who raced as Dick Petty, originally), David Pearson, Bobby and Donnie Allison, Buddy Baker and Benny Parsons. Follow along, because there will be a test later . NBC reported Monday that its broadcast of the NASCAR Cup championship race from Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida drew an average of 3.759 million viewers, its best audience for its half of the season. The last race at Auto Club took place in 2020 and had an average of 4.781 million viewers for the third event of the season. People love a winner, they love to hate a winner, and they love to see a dynasty get taken down. We try to do is take the complex and boil it down to something that is more easily understood by the fanbase.. NASCAR still attempts to do the best it can when it comes to getting the word out. I was critical of the Chase in plenty of columns, but I felt like I really got the point across with this one about it. Ill start with a few things that I dont believe caused the decline of NASCAR, then Ill share what I think really did. The fan base that is paying attention to our sport now than probably two or three years agopart of that is the economic model of our sport is a little bit more sounder, on solid footing; the introduction to the Next Gen car, it brings on new owners like Justin Marks and Michael Jordan, Pitbull et cetera. NASCAR TV ratings were once the darlings of the sport. Declining television ratings have been a near-constant part of the NASCAR conversation for years. There are still 11 races on intermediate tracks, but its finally moving in the right direction. Though Nielsen had been king of all things TV for generations, the truth was they were having trouble keeping up as people began to shift their viewing habits. However, NASCAR has been taking major strides as the on-track product is improving, the schedule is being changed, bold decisions are being made, and communication between each party is better. Photo credit: Ford Racing on VisualHunt / CC BY And abuse and manipulation of that system. Covered race cars from the NASCAR Xfinity Series sit parked on pit road during a rain delay before the start . The fan backlash was loud and intense. It is now an elitist sport because only those who can afford to pay to play need apply. Ratings were like Bible verses, an almighty Gospel preached to stakeholders on how much of NASCAR was reaching the masses. You will find all of your NASCAR ratings coverage at Sportsnaut. NASCARs initial playoff brainchild was hugely unpopular, and every griping fan in comment sections of blogs everywhere had the artificial points reset near the top of their list of complaints. The season ended with two flat tires. In fact, Nascar could just dump it all on Netflix - which, according to one study, is responsible for half the decline of TV viewership alone. It rewards winning, which rewards fighting for wins, which creates rivalries. Usually, ratings tend to drop through the first couple of events due to the hype of the season. This year's Daytona 500, for example, drew 4.8 million viewers a. Its not often noticed, but it was definitely noticed by Jeff Gordon fans: had NASCAR not implemented the Chase, the driver of the iconic #24 could have been the one standing aside Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty today with seven titles, instead of his protg Jimmie Johnson. Im also someone who became a disenchanted former fan myself. And then, in 1979, came flag-to-flag TV coverage of the Daytona 500 and other NASCAR Cup races. Not all, of course, but most. over the same Cup Series stops last season, Ratings: NASCAR, college hoops, soccer, NHL, XFL sees big drop in Week 2, but on par with last years USFL, LeBron injury ill-timed as Lakers continue to draw, Small sampling for LIV; PGA Tour wins head-to-head in rout. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Maybe there is a segment of fans who tune in for death-defying calamities, but that has always been a part of the sport and still is. NASCARs viewership continues to fall after the ratings for last weekends race at Auto Club Speedway were released on Tuesday morning. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images). It still ranked second ahead of the competing final round of the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational on NBC (2.4, 3.86M). NBC said its season viewership averages of 18 Cup races in 2019 (except for weather-affected races at Daytona and Darlington) was 2.57 million, the same as in 2018. Their retirements are a reason for the ratings decline in 2018. Comments Off on What Caused The Decline of NASCAR? So if you can say that it's you and the NFL in terms of stability of your audience. NASCAR teams get creative with sponsors following dip in ratings, attendance Rick Hendrick is seeking a new sponsor for Jimmie Johnson amid the departure of Lowe's. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images Professional sports adapted as well, understanding, and learning, how to measure viewership and show that value to their stakeholders. Translation: the drivers are paying for the pleasure of racing. Then they sharply declined in Week Two. or Disney plus; there's more competition for those eyeballs then there's ever been. The drops: 10% in one year, 19% in two years, 38% in three years, and, good golly Miss Molly, 51% since 2015, when NBC picked up the second half of the season in a giant 10-year contract, with Fox. The . This is convenient if the city where a follower lives in has a track, but for those that live a long distance from NASCAR venues, the cost to go to watch them is gradually becoming more expensive due to the continually rising prices of fuel. News. This is all just ultimately my opinion, but its a carefully considered one. 2.27.2023. So if Im right, in a few years NASCAR may become Americas summer sport again. A leading business development, project manager in the auction and liquidation industry, and consultant for various local and national government offices in the Philippines. From F1, Rally, Le Mans, Drifting, or Touring Car championships that are broadcast on TV or via the internet, viewers now have even more access to alternative motorsports events that can offer the same level of adrenaline fueled excitement that NASCAR can provide. Having followed the sport in the time frame when it began, I can offer what I believe are the real reasons for the decline of NASCAR. . It was blatant condescension towards what was arguably the most loyal fanbase in sports. NASCARs popularity is down and the ratings reflect it. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images). 2 days ago The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to decline running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire's fifth-year option, which in turn makes him a logical candidate to be traded this offseason. Yes, a team can still dominate all season and lose a championship to a flat tire, but at least its not just an artificial points reset. Nascar, long a symbol of Southern heritage, has become an unlikely battleground in the debate over whether the Confederate battle flag still has a place in America. Its safe to say this is not ideal for the sport and there should be some concern on why ratings continue to fall. People rooted for car brands as well as drivers, and car companies believed in the whole win on Sunday, sell on Monday mantra. The trajectory is good. That marks a 10% decline compared to the year-ago 87.1 million viewers, and a 16% drop compared to the analogous period during the 2018-19 campaign. Earlier this month, NASCAR said the Confederate flag no longer will be allowed at its events. Below, we take a look at the NASCAR ratings over the course of the 2023 season with an up-to-date analysis of each event. Traveling out of town to attend a NASCAR event would sometimes require staying at a hotel in order to maximize the time and effort spent during getting there. The news sort of heads downhill from there. which is a 50 percent decline . It was boxy, ugly, and top heavyand its shape was part of the reason for the Indianapolis debacle of 2008. NASCAR averaged 4.570 million viewers for Sunday afternoons event at Auto Club Speedway. As streaming services provide instant entertainment whileNASCARhas scheduled andlengthy race events,thecomparison is similar toordering drive-thru (cheap and convenient) versusdining at a fine restaurant (pricier and takes longer before you can eat). | People do not want to watch numerous full-screen commercials while green-flag racing is taking place. NASCAR Home. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Created and Designed by, Solving NASCARs Racetrack Problem, Part 2 Happy Hour Motor Speedway, on What Caused The Decline of NASCAR? However, the second race of the 2022 season saw a more significant drop in viewership compared to previous seasons. No longer do young NASCAR racers start at their local tracks and work their way up. In the early 2000s, NASCAR was soaring. It was the insistent implementation of it over loud objections of fans. Or NASCAR could pretty much keep things the way they are and hope to hold on to whoever watches through 2024, when the massive TV contract expires. 500 MOMENTUM:Daytona 500 TV ratings: NASCAR opener ends two-year viewership decline. But in a relatively short time, NASCAR corrected the car and the multiple issues with its design, and while the cars dont differ by manufacturer like they once did, at least were not seeing disastrously awful races just because of the cars construction. There are not many. Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race from Las Vegas averaged a 2.6 rating and 4.36 million viewers on FOX, marking the lowest rated edition of the race since it debuted in 1998 and the smallest audience since at least 2001 (viewership prior to 2002 was not available). Those moments generate interestand rivalries, which every sport needs. Nepotism isnt dead in NASCAR. Now, only the economic elite are allowed to enter the Inner Sanctum and if theres one thing NASCAR used to abhor, it was elitism of any kind. Most TV consumption, really all TV consumption of TV of tier one sports properties is down simply because TV consumption just broadly is down. Lack of manufacturer identity may have been a reason some hardcore fans left the sport in the early 1990s, but that doesnt seem to me to be a valid reason for the sports popularity plunge since 2005. It may seem good on the surface, but theres more beneath that makes this concerning.
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