NASCAR TV ratings drop 12% in first half of 2017

Continuing a telltale 4-year downward spiral for NASCAR, Fox and FS1 for its package of 15 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races this season averaged 4.9 million viewers, down 12% from 5.6 million last year and down 14% from 5.7 million in ’15, which was the first deal under a new media rights agreement. Those figures exclude Bristol this year, which was run on a Monday, and the Pocono race last year. After a 5% viewership bump to start the season with the Daytona 500, Fox Sports only saw one more race with an audience uptick. That race, from Texas Motor Speedway on Fox, had the benefit of a Sunday afternoon window in ’17 versus a Saturday night window in ’16. Eight of the 15 races saw double-digit percentage declines compared to ’16, despite later start times this season for many Sunday races.