NASCAR Bristol TV rating

ABC's live telecast of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Saturday night, Aug. 23, earned a final 3.2 U.S. household rating, averaging 5,079,000 viewers, according to Nielsen Media.

The rating and viewership were down from last year's race, which earned a 3.9 rating and averaged 6,322,000 viewers. This year’s race aired on alternate digital channels in 11 markets due to ABC affiliates airing NFL preseason games in those markets. Nashville, Tenn., and Louisville, Ky., markets that traditionally have strong NASCAR ratings, were among those affected.

Greenville, S.C., was the highest-rated metered market in the nation with an 11.3 rating, followed by Knoxville, Tenn., at 9.3 and Greensboro, N.C., at 9.2. Indianapolis was fourth at 8.7 and Raleigh-Durham, N.C., fifth at 6.9.

Rounding out the top 10 metered markets were Buffalo, 6.6; Birmingham, Ala., Richmond, Va., and Orlando, Fla., 6.3; and Charlotte, N.C., 5.6.

In Charlotte, the telecast did not air on the market's ABC affiliate station but did air on another full-powered, rated station. Last year, the race earned an 8.7 rating in Charlotte while airing on the ABC affiliate.

ESPN's live telecast of the rain-delayed NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Bristol on Friday night, Aug. 22, earned a 1.0 rating, averaging 1,631,000 viewers. Last year's race, which was run and telecast as scheduled, earned a 1.1 rating and averaged 1,687,000 viewers.