TV News: Weekend USA TV Ratings
Analysis
NASCAR: The NASCAR Cup race from Pocono drew a 1.56 TV rating on USA Network, up 4.7% from last year’s Pocono race on cable NBCSN. However, the Xfinity Race on USA Network drew a 0.57 rating, down 14.9% from 2021. The Truck Race from Pocono was up 36.36% because the race moved from FS1 in 2021 to FOX in 2022. All NASCAR races had poor ratios of 18-49 year-old viewers to total viewers, indicating the continued trend of a dying fan base.
SRX: The SRX season finale on CBS drew a 0.65 TV rating and 1.064 million viewers to watch Marco Andretti win the 2022 championship despite breaking his wrist late in the race. This year’s final was down 14.47% from last year’s finale at Nashville, also on CBS. The ratio of 18-49 year-old viewers to total viewers was only 15%, indicating the continued trend of a dying fan base for SRX.
Formula 1: The French GP from Paul Ricard TV rating for this year on ESPN was even with 2021. Most important was the young fan base tuning into F1 races that far outdistances all other forms of motorsports – a true advertisers and sponsors delight. F1 is on fire! The fact F1 on a cable channel in the wee hours of Sunday morning can draw more viewers than IndyCar on over-the-air NBC is telling.
IndyCar: Both Iowa IndyCar races on NBC were up significantly from 2020 on NBCSN, the last time IndyCar raced in Iowa. It’s to be expected that NBC would draw far more viewers than that horrible NBCSN that could never draw flies. Both IndyCar races had poor ratios of 18-49 year-old viewers to total viewers, indicating the continued trend of a dying fan base. Sunday’s race was particularly bad at just 16%. Alarm bells should be going off in the IndyCar offices. Houston, we have a problem we can’t seem to stop! Hat’s off to Hy-Vee for making the event a huge success at the track both days. Before that, the Iowa races were dying a slow death.
NHRA: The NHRA Sonoma Final on FOX saw a big increase of over 95% because the races was on cable FS1 last year, and moved to FOX this year? However, the ratio of 18-49 year-old viewers to total viewers was only 12%, indicating the continued trend of a dying fan base for NHRA. Alarm bells should be going off in the NHRA offices. Houston, we have a problem we can’t seem to stop!
Detailed Rating Data
| Network | Event | Location | Total Viewers | 18-49 Viewers | Ratio: 18-49 Yr Old/ Total Viewers |
2022 TV Rating | 2021 TV Rating | %Chg |
| USA | NASCAR Cup Race L | Pocono | 2,590,000 | 444,000 | 17% Fan base aging out |
1.56 | *1.49 | 4.70% |
| CBS | SRX Race L | Hartford, OH | 1,064,000 | 161,000 | 15% Fan base aging out |
0.65 | **0.76 | -14.47% |
| ESPN | F1 French GP L | Paul Ricard | 1,058,000 | 471,000 | 45% Sponsors Delight |
0.6 | 0.6 | 0.00% |
| NBC | IndyCar Race 1 L | Iowa | 941,000 | 186,000 | 20% Fan base aging out |
0.61 | ***0.21 | 190.48% |
| USA | NASCAR Xfinity Race L | Pocono | 914,000 | 159,000 | 17% Fan base aging out |
0.57 | *0.67 | -14.93% |
| NBC | IndyCar Race 2 L | Iowa | 719,000 | 114,000 | 16% Fan base aging out |
0.45 | ***0.23 | 95.65% |
| FOX | NASCAR Truck Race L | Pocono | 706,000 | 156,000 | 22% Fan base aging out |
0.45 | ***0.33 | 36.36% |
| FOX | NHRA Finals L | Sonoma | 676,000 | 80,000 | 12% Fan base aging out |
0.43 | 0.22 | 95.45% |
| FOX | ARCA Race L | Pocono | 252,000 | 69,000 | 27% Fan base aging out |
0.18 | N/A | N/A |
*Race was on NBCSN in 2021
** Race did not run in 2021
***2020 Ratings on NBCSN – Races did not run in 2021
****Race on FS1 in 2021
*****Sonoma Finals on FS1 in 2021