The 2013 NASCAR season got off to a rough start last weekend, at least when it came to TV ratings.
The Sprint Unlimited, formerly Budweiser Shootout, earned a 3.3 overnight rating on Fox Saturday night, down 18 percent from last year (4.0) and down 15 percent from 2011 (3.9). It was by far the network's lowest overnight rating ever for the event.
The Sprint Unlimited finished well behind TNT’s NBA All-Star Saturday Night in the metered markets (4.3), though the final number may improve that somewhat.
The race was promoted as the first featuring the 2013 model Sprint Cup series cars which feature much more manufacturer identity. It also featured several options for fans to vote their preference on how the race's format would unfold throughout the night.
Kevin Harvick won the race.
Given the inferior quality of the racing the new cars and NASCAR's wrongheaded campaign against tandem drafting produced, it should have been expected the race would be a bit of a dud in the ratings.
ReplyDeleteNASCAR has to give it up - the ratings won't go back up until the sport gives back unlimited passing. The tandems produced unlimited passing, so NASCAR, give up and let them tandem draft all they want.