Tuning out
The weather's getting warm, there's plenty to do, it's college basketball season ...
Wait, wait. I'm forgetting something. Think, John, think ...
Uh ...
Ummm ...
Got it! Racin'. I'm apparently not the only one, according to Dustin Long's story in today's paper:
This year’s Daytona 500 featured its smallest TV audience in three years, and the race’s ratings dropped more than 10 percent from 2004 in many major cities, including several in the Southeast.
The news isn't all bad. NASCAR isn't growing like the NFL -- nothing is, not even my respect for Denny Hamlin's mad driving skillz -- but racing's decline isn't nearly as steep as, oh, every other televised sport.
It's an interesting read, so ponder the reasons for the decline while you're watching (or not) the Vegas race on Sunday. The charts that didn't make the online version (or the print version - I had to edit them down a bit) are after the jump.
No, you can't blame all of it on the fact that NASCAR insists on racing twice a year at Fon-tucky. I think there's plenty of blame to go around.
TOP MARKETS
A look at the ratings for the Daytona 500 from 2004 to 2007 in the nation’s top 15 markets. A rating is the percentage of TVs on a particular event as compared to the total number of households with a TV.
MARKET/2004 RATING/2007 RATING/CHANGE
1. New York/4.7/4.1/Down 12.8 percent
2. Los Angeles/6.9/4.1/Down 40.6 percent
3. Chicago/8.2/5.7/Down 30.5 percent
4. Philadelphia/9.4/8.9/Down 5.4 percent
5. San Francisco/4.4/3.9/Down 11.4 percent
6. Dallas-Fort Worth/7.7/7.2/Down 6.5 percent
7. Boston/8.7/7.0/Down 19.5 percent
8. Washington, D.C./10.0/10.1/Up 1 percent
9. Atlanta/16.0/13.6/Down 15 percent
10. Houston/7.3/7.2/Down 1.4 percent
11. Detroit/7.9/8.7/Up 10.1 percent
12. Tampa-St. Petersburg/17.0/15.1/Down 11.2 percent
13. Phoenix/10.0/8.9/Down 11 percent
14. Seattle-Tacoma/10.1/7.5/Down 25.7 percent
15. Minneapolis/12.8/11.2/Down 12.5 percent
SOUTHEASTERN MARKETS
A look at the ratings for the Daytona 500 from 2004 to 2007 in major Southeastern markets, the home to NASCAR. A rating is the percentage of TVs on a particular event as compared to the total number of households with a TV.
MARKET (Overall market rank)/2004 RATING/2007 RATING/CHANGE
1. Atlanta (No. 9)/16.0/13.6/Down 15 percent
2. Tampa-St. Petersburg (No.12)/17.0/15.1/Down 11.2 percent
3. Miami (No. 16)/4.8/5.9/Up 22.9 percent
4. Orlando (No. 19)/23.2/20.1/Down 13.4 percent
5. Charlotte (No. 26)/20.8/20.6/Down 1 percent
6. Raleigh, N.C. (No. 29)/16.2/12.1/Down 25.4 percent
7. Nashville, Tenn. (No. 30)/21.1/16.8/Down 20.4 percent
8. Greenville, SC (No. 36)/26.3/22.1/Down 16 percent
9. West Palm Beach, Fla. (No.38)/10.5/12.5/Up 19 percent
10. Birmingham, Ala. (No. 40)/14.7/19.3/Up 31.3 percent
11. Norfolk, Va. (No. 42)/16.9/13.0/Down 23.1 percent
12. Memphis, Tenn. (No. 44)/11.7/10.4/Down 11.2 percent
13. Greensboro, N.C. (No. 47)/25.2/22.0/Down 12.7 percent
14. Jacksonville, Fla. (No. 50)/16.7/19.2/Up 15 percent
15. Knoxville, Tenn. (No. 60)/21.4/19.8/Down 7.5 percent
BIG TIME EVENTS
A look at how some of the major sporting events compare since 2001.
EVENT/2001 RATING/2006 RATING*/CHANGE
Super Bowl/40.4/42.0/Up 3.9 percent
Daytona 500/10.0/10.1/Up 1 percent
Indianapolis 500/5.8/5.0/Down 13.8 percent
NCAA men’s basketball final/15.6/11.2/Down 28.3 percent
NBA Finals/12.1/8.5/Down 29.8 percent
World Series/15.7/10.1/Down 35.7 percent
Masters (final round)/13.3/8.4/Down 36.9 percent
* Daytona 500 and Super Bowl ratings are from 2007; rest from 2006.
DAYTONA 500 RATINGS
A look at the Daytona 500 ratings since the 2001 season when a majority of NASCAR Cup races appeared on network television for the first time.
YEAR/RATING/VIEWERS (in millions)
2001/10.0/17.1
2002/10.9/18.8
2003/9.8/16.8
2004/10.6/17.8
2005/10.9/18.7
2006/11.3/19.3
2007/10.1/17.5
Change since 2001: +0.1/0.4
Sources: Nielsen Media Research, networks, NASCAR, Landmark research
Comments (2)
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Well, it certainly isn't Las Vegas' fault the ratings are down. It's the best place for a race in the country!
It must be true. Pete Pistone said so.
Posted on March 11, 2007 3:14 AM
Not to discredit NASCAR or anything, but College Basketball is more intriguing. They don't call this month March Madness for nothing. People all over the country go crazy during this time of the year for college basketball. People fill out brackets, pull for underdogs, and subscribe to NCAA in demand to watch the games they want to see. I'm sure NASCAR is a wonderful sport, but College Basketball (especially during March Madness) is definitely better. Well, at least in my opinion.
Posted on March 20, 2007 2:23 PM