Flat is better than down, but 2018 was also the year the once-mighty U.S.S. Maybe there is a segment of fans who tune in for death-defying calamities, but that has always been a part of the sport and still is. 2 days ago The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to decline running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire's fifth-year option, which in turn makes him a logical candidate to be traded this offseason. Even though the Confederate battle flag was banned within Talledega Speedway on Sunday, outside the track, the initials "PC" stood for "publicly Confederate.". Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti Photo on Best Running / CC BY There's a lot of people that are looking around and understand that the economics of our sport probably are in a better place now than they've been in a long time.. If they hadnt, youd probably be reading articles today about the decline of Coca-Cola too. If it did, I would really appreciate your support. The fan base that is paying attention to our sport now than probably two or three years agopart of that is the economic model of our sport is a little bit more sounder, on solid footing; the introduction to the Next Gen car, it brings on new owners like Justin Marks and Michael Jordan, Pitbull et cetera. It still ranked second ahead of the competing final round of the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational on NBC (2.4, 3.86M). And then, in 1979, came flag-to-flag TV coverage of the Daytona 500 and other NASCAR Cup races. Photo credit: PDA.PHOTO on Best Running / CC BY-ND Now, NASCAR might say, Well, 3.759 million for a race in November, even if it is half as much as four years ago, is more than 0.000 viewers for no race. And ratings are slightly better overall when you include the Fox half, which is better than another plunge, as in 2018. Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti Photo on Visualhunt / CC BY-SA Standings. In fact, the current car lends itself to some pretty good racing. If NASCAR wants to fix the ongoing issues with viewership, fixing their way of broadcasting commercials would go a very long way in those efforts. I also suggested a solutionthat NASCAR emulate how baseball exploded in popularity after the opening of Camden Yards. The XFL also had a better Week 2 performance than the 2019 Alliance of American . But for whatever reason, Junior not only didnt measure up to his fathers formidable reputation, he rarely even established himself as a contender. Related:15 Abandoned And Forgotten NASCAR Race Tracks. The household share was up 9% compared to 2022 and represented the largest share for the second race of the season since 2017. NASCAR has struggled with the 18-49 demographic and while IndyCar doesnt have as many overall viewers, the percentage of those viewers being in that demographic is higher. NASCAR did (and still does) market the possibility of spectacular wrecks. However, the second race of the 2022 season saw a more significant drop in viewership compared to previous seasons. And those ways that didnt always involve traditional broadcast TV. Nepotism isnt dead in NASCAR. More to the point: both sports need to be patient . Which is any sports property, essentially professional sports league, that is about a million viewers or higher on a per event basis or the most stable property in terms of viewership over the course of the last two years, it's possible that we'll be able to be the most stable tier one sports property in terms of sports viewership over the course of those three years, (though) the NFL is off to a very good start. After two DNFs in the first two Chase events resulting from simple bad luck, just like that his title hopes were gone. NASCAR Home. Feb 25, 2023, 2:33 AM. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images). The crowd sold out it's 30% capacity soon after the event was . And we wont get into the murdering of the English language that goes on week after week, ad nauseum. They are the only one of the Big 3 Motorsports that still have this happen. These fans would attend a race, then go sightseeing around the town so as to make the trip more worthwhile and as a result, even more money is required to be put in the budget in order to cover the costs for a dew days hotel stay. Unfortunately, the rising number and lengths of these commercials have become a source of frustration for their fans. Q: You say NASCAR continues to grow and like you, . That doesnt mean they dont have talent, or arent brave. American Hartford Gold. Elliott is a great driver and a likable kid, and he doesnt take any craphe doesnt shy away from wrecking a driver like Denny Hamlin if the situation called for it. The NASCAR ratings for the 2022 season are the best they have been in four years. This ability to adapt however seems insufficient as NASCAR has recorded a staggering 50% viewership drop in the last 5 years along with substantial admission decline that has varied from 12 -30% percent from 2012 to 2018. In response to its rapidly growing popularity nationwide, NASCAR moved away from the Southeast fans who brought the sport to the dance, and began holding races in places like Vegas, Chicago and Los Angeles. For the first time in over a decade and a half, they seem to be headed in the right direction. Last years season-opener at Barber only averaged 914 thousand viewers which is almost an extra 500 thousand. But the ratings decline is hitting all of the leagues hard (including MLB, which has not embraced the movement on the field nearly as much as the WNBA, NBA, and NFL). However, NASCAR has been taking major strides as the on-track product is improving, the schedule is being changed, bold decisions are being made, and communication between each party is better. In the past NASCAR has tried to educate fans who might look at ratings and think the sport is in trouble and help them understand that things arent as bad as they seem. OutKick reported: The NBA ratings are worse In 2014 the average viewership for Cup Series races was 5.3 million. I was critical of the Chase in plenty of columns, but I felt like I really got the point across with this one about it. On Monday, the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track hosted the NASCAR Cup Series. Ill start with a few things that I dont believe caused the decline of NASCAR, then Ill share what I think really did. Jimmie Johnson was a hallmark of ruthless efficiency in his prime, winning seven titles and five in a row. It would have been nice to have heard more during the championship race from Earnhardt. Racing Ratings By Phillip Bupp on 06/23/2022. Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired at the end of the 2017 season. The NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway topped all forms of motorsports last weekend, with a 2.05 rating, 3.373 million viewers. The Nielsen ratings for NASCAR's most-watched races, such as The Daytona 500, have plummeted in recent years. When not at work, Karlo spends his time at home, with family, either being the cook or fixit guy in his house. In NASCARs pre-1990s heyday, when it was still very much a regional sport, manufacturer identity was a big thing. News. Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti Photo on Best Running / CC BY-SA, Posted in NASCAR, Sports I remember watching it and literally wondering if I was going to see the finish of the race. Ratings were like Bible verses, an almighty Gospel preached to stakeholders on how much of NASCAR was reaching the masses. Professional sports adapted as well, understanding, and learning, how to measure viewership and show that value to their stakeholders. but the mainstream media claiming the political/social justice shift in sports has nothing to do with the decline in viewership are whistling past the graveyard. The NASCAR season ended on a slightly better note in the ratings, though the season could not quite measure up. What we try to do is boil it down to more simple sound bites that are A: true and B: accurate, Hebrst said. Mark Martin has the best take on the decline in NASCAR attendance, ratings Comment Leave it to one of the coolest customers ever to sit behind the wheel in NASCAR to come up with an. The Great Recession that swept across the landscape starting in 2008 changed everything. So that's household using televisions. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. 1) Just like all the other major racing series in the world, NASCAR has become a money deal. NBA ratings continue to decline amid China puppet LeBron James' attack on police. It was boxy, ugly, and top heavyand its shape was part of the reason for the Indianapolis debacle of 2008. In 2007, an average of 16.4 million viewers tuned in to watch The Daytona 500, but by 2014 that number had fallen by more than 50% to an average of 8.3 million viewers per race. There's a catch, though. Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti Photo on VisualHunt.com / CC BY-SA It rewards winning, which rewards fighting for wins, which creates rivalries. A lot of people said they were done when the order from NASCAR to have at it, boys came down. But the sports most dedicated fans were (and are) still in the Southeast, and Southerners are loyal to the core to their heritage. Usually, ratings tend to drop through the first couple of events due to the hype of the season. Last year's 500 was still the. 500 MOMENTUM:Daytona 500 TV ratings: NASCAR opener ends two-year viewership decline. I expect that will be a boon to NASCARs future. A driver dominates a race until the last lap and then gets crashed on purpose by the guy who goes on to win. As streaming services provide instant entertainment whileNASCARhas scheduled andlengthy race events,thecomparison is similar toordering drive-thru (cheap and convenient) versusdining at a fine restaurant (pricier and takes longer before you can eat). So if Im right, in a few years NASCAR may become Americas summer sport again. The. When you think of the venues that have showcased the most memorable events in the sports history, Daytona, Darlington, and Bristol often come to mind. Its not so much that the points reset NASCAR introduced in 2004 was a monumentally stupid idea. The XFL, owned by actor Dwayne Johnson, is struggling to retain its viewers. I have reasons to believe that NASCAR can return to previous levels of popularitymaybe not on the verge of overtaking the NFL again, but at least back to a point where they have enough of a dedicated fanbase to be a solid performer in ratings and ticket sales. The Daytona Road Course averaged 4.750 million viewers during the event. Photo credit: wjarrettc on Visual hunt / CC BY Nielsen slowly began to develop ways to measure who was watching what, and how. Its not often noticed, but it was definitely noticed by Jeff Gordon fans: had NASCAR not implemented the Chase, the driver of the iconic #24 could have been the one standing aside Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty today with seven titles, instead of his protg Jimmie Johnson. I covered NASCAR for six seasons for two excellent racing websites, Thats Racin (the Charlotte Observers racing site) and the Frontstretch. Jerseyball Millvilles Mike Trout and Aaron Cox, Precision Pistol Shooting For Greatness, The Power of Fun Dave Raymond, The Original Phillie Phanatic, Being Relentless The HEADstrong Foundation, Surviving Until Tuesday Sergeant Andrew Einstein. UPDATE: The Daytona 500 posted only a modest decline in ratings and viewership, but that was still enough to make it one of the least-watched ever. And maybe this time, they will have learned from their mistakes. Are the best they have been in four years ratings, though have! Be patient done when the order from NASCAR to have at it, boys came down than,! In popularity after the event was NASCAR introduced in 2004 was a Big thing reported: the NBA are! Thats Racin ( the Charlotte Observers racing site ) and the Frontstretch, came flag-to-flag TV coverage of PGA... There & # x27 ; s a catch, though the season since 2017 part of the for... Understanding, and top heavyand its shape was part of the Daytona 500 and other NASCAR Cup Series races 5.3! 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