Daytona 500 TV rating (2nd Update)

UPDATE #2 Fox finished with a 7.7 final rating and 13.36 million viewers for the Daytona 500 last Sunday, down sharply from '13, which is the last time the race ran without any significant delays. Fox drew 9.3 million viewers for last year's race, which had a record-setting six-hour weather delay and ran up against the Sochi Olympics. The race in '13 drew 16.7 million viewers for Jimmie Johnson’s win, which also saw Danica Patrick start on the pole.

This year's race did set a record for any NASCAR race streamed on the Fox Sports Go app. Meanwhile, FS1 drew 2.94 million viewers for the season-opening NASCAR Xfinity Series race from Daytona last Saturday, up from 2.74 million viewers on ESPN last year, when it ran against Sochi. For the 11 days of Speedweeks programming on FS1, the net averaged 293,000 viewers, up 14% from 257,000 last year. Austin Karp/SportsBusinessDaily.com

YEAR	NET	RAT.	VIEWERS (000)	WINNER
2015*	Fox	7.7	13,363	Joey Logano
2014	Fox	5.6	9,300	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2013	Fox	9.9	16,700	Jimmie Johnson
2012^	Fox	8.0	13,700	Matt Kenseth
2011	Fox	8.7	15,597	Trevor Bayne
2010#	Fox	7.7	13,294	Jamie McMurray
2009	Fox	9.2	15,958	Matt Kenseth
2008	Fox	10.2	17,800	Ryan Newman
2007	Fox	10.1	17,530	Kevin Harvick
2006	NBC	11.3	19,355	Jimmie Johnson

* = Record-setting six-hour, 22-minute delay. Race ended at 11:23pm ET. ^ = Rained out on Sunday. Monday night telecast had two-hour delay due to exploding track dryer. # = Two-hour delay due to potholes in track.

02/23/15 Meanwhile, FS1 on Saturday afternoon drew a 1.7 overnight for the NASCAR Xfinity Series opener. That race drew the same number on ESPN last year up against Sochi coverage. The race in '13 drew a 2.3 overnight, while '12 drew a 2.8 rating.

02/23/15

Yesterday's Daytona 500 produced close, exciting racing. But the initial TV numbers will be a disappointment in the Daytona Beach offices

According to Show Buzz Daily, FOX's Daytona 500 broadcast yesterday earned a 7.3 overnight rating. While the rating is up from 2014's 5.6, keep in mind last year's race won by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was rain-delayed nearly six and a half hours, and went up against the Sochi Olympics.

However, compared to 2013 (when Danica Patrick won pole), which drew a 9.9, yesterday's telecast is down 28%. Furthermore, the rating as it stands now (the final rating will be out later this week) would be the lowest-rated non-rain affected Daytona 500 broadcast since 1990, which earned a 7.3

AR1 Staff Report