NASCAR Nationwide TV rating plummets

Despite new NASCAR superstar Danica Patrick being in the race, ESPN’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, May 20, earned a 1.2 household coverage rating (1.0 U.S. rating), averaging 1,451,807 viewers, according to the Nielsen Company. That is down 37.5% from last year’s race, which marked the first time that the track had staged an event in May after receiving a second Nationwide Series date, aired on ABC and earned a 1.6 U.S. rating.