Here’s one way to look at it: Some 330 million Americans, give or take, have skipped TV shows. NASCAR races this last season. On a weekly basis, no less!
And another way of looking at it: nearly 3 million, on average, listen every week watch the action from Daytona, Darlington and all points beyond.
Newly released figures show a 1% increase in average audience. from last yearwhich is better than the alternative, but you might still be wondering…
If 99% of people aren’t watching, why is NASCAR still able to negotiate a multi-billion dollar media deal with the networks?
GREAT AMERICAN READING: Celebrate the iconic history of the Daytona 500 with a new book; preface by Richard Petty
Why NASCAR can get even richer thanks to Fox and NBC (and, starting next year, TNT)
Because live sports remains the king of advertising sales, and advertising sales produce the gusher from which the dollars flow. Your favorite sitcom or drama on network television might get more eyeballs, but advertising execs and corporate marketers know your nasty little habit of fast-forwarding through commercials.
You can’t do that during the Auto Trader EchoPark Automotive 400, can you? And yes, that’s the real name of a real car race.
By comparison, NASCAR’s average of 2.9 million viewers each week is about the same as the PGA Tour’s Sunday, and nearly twice the NBA’s average, although the NBA broadcasts more games and more often, which leads to lower numbers.
Leigh Diffey’s storytelling ability in the latter stages of races is unparalleled. Before that, he was setting up the Kyle Busch story. Leigh is the best in the business
pic.twitter.com/dTD4s6BAoE-Alex (@newgayden) August 25, 2024
NASCAR and others, overshadowed by NFL viewership
What about the NFL?
Let’s give others a chance to turn their heads before we reveal this.
That’s about 18 million pairs of eyeballs per TV show. You can almost combine everyone else (including MLB, NHL, and even the occasional ESPN Nationals) and not hit that number.
As usual, the Daytona 500 was the most watched race, with 6 million viewers. It probably would have been higher if it hadn’t been postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain. I think. Monday offered no viable sporting alternative to NASCAR, so who knows if that helped or hurt?
The lowest point, surprisingly, was a playoff run – the opening round at Kansas. For what? Football season, remember?
How much is the NASCAR network deal worth?
Last year, the final season of the existing seven-year network contract with Fox, NBC and their cable affiliates (FS1 and USA) took place. A new seven-year deal begins in 2025 with Fox, NBC, Amazon Prime and TNT.
NASCAR doesn’t disclose rights fees, but industry insiders value the overall seven-year deal at $7.7 billion, or an average of $1.1 billion per year.
This article originally appeared in the Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR on TV: Millions Watched, Millions Didn’t, Then the NFL Started
