Coke 600 Overnight TV Ratings: Indy Beats NASCAR, Maybe

NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway earned a 4.0/8 in the metered markets Sunday night, matching last year's performance. In overnight ratings the Coke 600 fell a tenth of a point shy of the 4.1/11 earned by the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the day on ABC, but that narrow deficit would still seem to put the NASCAR race in position to beat the Indy 500 in the nationals. The Indy 500 typically declines from overnight to national, while the Coke 600 tends to hold steady or increase. Last year, for example, the Coke 600 beat the Indy 500 by one-tenth of a point in the overnights, and four-tenths of a point in the nationals. Heading into the final race of FOX's 2011 NASCAR schedule, NASCAR is averaging a 4.5/10, up +2% over last year's 4.4/9. That comparison, however, doesn't fully capture the good luck FOX has had this year with weather, with zero races thus far being rained out. Last year two races were rained out. Therefore, on a total rating points basis NASCAR is actually up +21% over 2010 (53.7 GRPs vs. 44.3).