Bristol TV ratings plummet

The live telecast of Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway was an anomaly for determining viewership and ratings due to effects of Hurricane Irene and other factors that split the telecast onto ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. The race aired in much of the country on ABC, but due to Hurricane Irene, many local stations on the East Coast pre-empted the race telecast for news about the storm. The race also aired on ESPN in eastern states from South Carolina to Maine as a backup for viewers in areas where hurricane news could possibly pre-empt the race, and on ESPN2 in eight markets where NFL pre-season games were airing. Only the ABC portion of the audience can be measured by the Nielsen Company and the race earned a 3.0 household U.S. rating, averaging 5.067,000 viewers. Last year's race, which aired on ABC around the country in normal fashion, earned a 4.4 rating. ESPN's live telecast of Friday night's NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Bristol earned a 1.1 household coverage rating, averaging 1,439,000 viewers. Last year's Bristol race, which also aired on ESPN, earned a 1.6 rating. ESPN