Bristol viewership down 15%?

[Jag_Warrior]

I was watching one of the Speed NASCAR shows this morning and they announced that Bristol's TV numbers were down 15% from last year. This one I'm having a hard time understanding or explaining. One of the guys (Kenny Wallace) claimed it had to do with March Madness. Another claimed it was because there are so many more things on TV these days. That's all well and good, but the logic doesn't play out. We're talking about the TV numbers from LAST year, not 30 years ago. With each passing year, there's always more on TV. As far as the March Madness argument... uh, I don't follow basketball that much any more, but I'm pretty sure that March Madness has always been in... well, MARCH!

Clearly these guys were just pulling excuses out of the butts. But what got me is, Bristol is ALWAYS an exciting race to watch - hardly ever a dull moment or lap. Plus the CoT. Plus Juan Montoya. Plus the last race at Bristol before they rip up the track and change it somewhat. Plus, did I mention this was BRISTOL?!

Anyway, it may be that NASCAR ratings are peaking, but it confuses me that one of the more historically exciting races would see that much of a drop.

[RaceFanStan]

I watched the race @ Bristol & I will continue to watch ALL of the NASCAR races.
I don't worry about the ratings or % viewers for any event.
The bottom line is that the REAL fans will watch the NASCAR races. http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/thum/1ua.gif

[GARYGAZZA]

That 15%must be us Virgin Media cable customers who still do not get live races.Tank god for TVU.

[Jag_Warrior]

I watched the race @ Bristol & I will continue to watch ALL of the NASCAR races.
I don't worry about the ratings or % viewers for any event.
The bottom line is that the REAL fans will watch the NASCAR races. http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/thum/1ua.gif

I watched it as well, RFS. So the question may not apply to you or me. Being that it's the closest track to me, I never miss Bristol. But the question does remain. Any theories? Of all the races to see lower viewership, why & how Bristol?

[DavePI2]

because those who are not hard core fans and were only watching it because it was the thing to do are bored and are starting to go elsewhere.

David

[Mark in Oshawa]

NASCAR was the new hot fad with the casual sports fan for about the last 2 or 3 years. Now people are moving on to whatever is the next new fad. Maybe weather was nicer in more parts of the nation and more people decided to go outside? Listen, out of any ratings NASCAR gets, I suspect 25% of the viewers are casual race fans. They can come and go at any time, and I am not sure you can try to attribute why they watch or don't. I know for me, I watch Bristol normally, but I was in Hawaii at the time, and my hotel for whatever reason didn't seem to carry Fox. So I am sure I am one person who didn't watch they normally would count on!

[call_me_andrew]

I watched the race @ Bristol & I will continue to watch ALL of the NASCAR races.
I don't worry about the ratings or % viewers for any event.
The bottom line is that the REAL fans will watch the NASCAR races. http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/thum/1ua.gif

So REAL fans will watch NASCAR no matter how dumb their ideas are?
Those aren't fans, those are sheep.

I think the CoT played an important role in this.

[RaceFanStan]

Being a true fan of NASCAR has nothing to do with sheep.
A true fan of NASCAR realizes that it isn't a democracy.
An intelligent fan can accept change & not whine every time something doesn't go as expected.
The knowledgeable NASCAR fan knows that NASCAR will always attempt to make the racing better.

It would appear that some so-called NASCAR fans just want to bitch & moan,
they don't care about NASCAR, they just want to disagree with everything NASCAR. http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif

[Lee Roy]

All of the NASCAR TV ratings started declining last year. They are continuing to decline again this year. I think it will continue to happen to all of the races, including Bristol. It's a general trend, kind of like the tide, it raise and lower all boats.

Why? Who knows. There are always some kind of half-donkeyed excuses for why it's happening, but I think a correction was inevitable after so many years of continued increases in ratings.

How much more will the TV ratings decline before they stabilize? Who knows. I don't think it will fall into the zeropointsomeinsignificantnumber region that the "Indy Car" series (both flavors of kool-aide) now finds themselves in, but I do think that they will continue to decline for a while.

You can find the details on NASCAR TV ratings at jayski:

http://www.jayski.com/pages/tvratings.htm

[Mark in Oshawa]

Andrew, welcome to the RFS and LeeRoy answer to everything. IF you dislike it, you are not a real fan. IT is ok, you can be a fan of NASCAR and not like some aspects of the sport, just like I can watch the NFL and wonder if they will ever get rid of the fair catch, or watch Baseball and hope for the death of the DH, or watch NHL hockey and wonder if they will ever get that fighting is highly overratted and underpunished. You can be a fan of the sport and not like some parts of it, just realize that Stan and Lee Roy will call you out on it. The France Family must be medicating their water supply or something.

[JovialJooles]

That 15%must be us Virgin Media cable customers who still do not get live races.Tank god for TVU.

Yep, us Virgin Media customers make up 15% of NASCAR's domestic viewership. :D

This year's Daytona 500 was the highest viewing figures Fox have had for the 500 and the Bud shootout earned the second-highest overnight rating for any weekend sports broadcast on Fox.

Vegas was up by 2%...

[RaceFanStan]

Contrary to what Mark in Oshawa is saying I will try to make my point again.

The major point I am making is that NASCAR sets the rules & procedures !
A person can take it as NASCAR presents it or move on.
It gets really tiresome to see certain people constantly moaning against NASCAR.
Yes, I may question a person's fan loyalty due to their constant belly-aching about anything NASCAR related.
I think we have been infiltrated by some open-wheel promoters who would love to see NASCAR struggling.
(just like their beloved open-wheel series are struggling) http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif
As long as there are men of vision in control @ NASCAR, it ain't gonna happen !

The bottom line @ NASCAR is : take it as it is or look elsewhere !

NASCAR is doing everything it can to make the racing better while also making it safer.
NASCAR has learned from the tragedy of February 2001 & hopes to prevent it ever happening again.
I think NASCAR is doing a great job & IMO too many people are looking for faults in NASCAR.

Be a NASCAR fan & be part of the solution or be a boo-bird & cry about everything NASCAR does.
It is each person's individual choice.

BTW, here is something for the boo-birds : http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/misc/tiss.jpg

[Lee Roy]

Contrary to what Mark in Oshawa is saying I will try to make my point again.


Stan, you might find life a little more pleasant around here if each of Mark in Oshawa's posts read like this (as they do for me):


This message is hidden because Mark in Oshawa is on your ignore list.

[call_me_andrew]

Andrew, welcome to the RFS and LeeRoy answer to everything. IF you dislike it, you are not a real fan.

Thanks Mark, but I've become pretty familiar with this already.



An intelligent fan can accept change & not whine every time something doesn't go as expected.

And yet it would seem as though I complain that the changes aren't big enough.


A person can take it as NASCAR presents it or move on.

Well that's fine, except that NASCAR has done everything in it's power to take out its competition. Wether it's funding the IRL or keeping F1 on an obscure cable channel.

[R. Mears]

I don't know about last year but it was 80*F on that sunday here in N. Illinois. 30*F above normal and like some(including myself)I was outside doing yard work and BBQin. :eek: I'm sure most of the country was nice also. Forgot all about the race. Could of had a little to do with it?

[BobbyC]

Another factor: Keep in mind the sampled homes changes depending on the cycle of changes by Dutch media giant VNU, which establishes the television ratings based on a sampling system.

If an NCAA men's basketball tournament game is a big draw, the Big Dance will usually win that weekend, since Bristol is up against the Regional Finals.

[Lee Roy]

. . . . or keeping F1 on an obscure cable channel.

I love F1 . . . but the thought that the reason that F1 is on an obscure cable channel is due to the work of NASCAR is laughable.

[call_me_andrew]

I don't know about last year but it was 80*F on that sunday here in N. Illinois. 30*F above normal and like some(including myself)I was outside doing yard work and BBQin. :eek: I'm sure most of the country was nice also. Forgot all about the race. Could of had a little to do with it?

I don't think situations like that would affect the ratings. The share is also down. While the rating indicates the percentage of all televisions that are tuned to the race, the share only measures televisions that are on during the race.

It's not illogical to assume that there isn't a connection between keeping F1 on Speed and NASCAR. NASCAR sold television rights to Fox who in turn buys the channel formerly known as Speedvision. By keeping F1 on a channel no one has, they wouldn't have to worry about loosing casual fans to it.

Bear in mind that Speed Channel was originally going to be a 24 hour NASCAR channel.

If you'd like to argue that if Speed Channel didn't show F1, no one would, bear in mind that ESPN is getting pretty lazy about what they call a sport. Today they were showing a jump-rope competition.

[Lee Roy]

It's not illogical to assume that there isn't a connection between keeping F1 on Speed and NASCAR.

It's not only illogical it's . . . . well . . . I'll leave it at that. Bernie Ecclestone has the right to negotiate with any broadcaster he would like to. To think that he has to kiss the France Family's ring just doesn't make sense.

It's a typical open-wheel-fan excuse. Blame NASCAR for open-wheel racing's shortcoming instead of facing reality.

[Haulin'AssAndTurnin Left]

The reason F1 isnt doing well in the states is because the racing is crap, well most of the time.

[tstran17_88]

the thought that the reason that F1 is on an obscure cable channel is due to the work of NASCAR is laughable.
I'd agree, considering that four or five F1 races were shown on CBS last year, albeit tape delayed by five hours.

[Lee Roy]

I'd agree, considering that four or five F1 races were shown on CBS last year, albeit tape delayed by five hours.

And from 2001 to 2006 ABC/ESPN did not have NASCAR, so the thought that there was pressure from NASCAR to keep F1 off the Disney family of channels is completely illogical.

[luvracin]

......or keeping F1 on an obscure cable channel.

oh oh.. Is that the black helicopters I hear?......

[call_me_andrew]

And from 2001 to 2006 ABC/ESPN did not have NASCAR, so the thought that there was pressure from NASCAR to keep F1 off the Disney family of channels is completely illogical.

Disney doesn't enter into it. But if it wasn't for the Brickyard 400 and the USGP, Tony George would no longer be able to fund the IRL and American open-wheel racing wouldn't have gone the way of Terri Schiavo.


It's not only illogical it's . . . . well . . . I'll leave it at that. Bernie Ecclestone has the right to negotiate with any broadcaster he would like to. To think that he has to kiss the France Family's ring just doesn't make sense.

Bernie doesn't have to do ****. He just has to cash that check the France family wrote him.

[Lee Roy]

Disney doesn't enter into it. But if it wasn't for the Brickyard 400 and the USGP, Tony George would no longer be able to fund the IRL and American open-wheel racing wouldn't have gone the way of Terri Schiavo.

What in the wide world of sports does that have to do with the discussion??? I thought the discussion was centering around your assertion that the France Family was "keeping Formula One on an obscure cable channel". (See Below) BTW, I've attended each and every F1 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and in my estimation, the USGP is at best, breaking even finanically for the Speedway.


Well that's fine, except that NASCAR has done everything in it's power to take out its competition. Wether it's funding the IRL or keeping F1 on an obscure cable channel.


Bernie doesn't have to do ****. He just has to cash that check the France family wrote him.

What check is the France family writing for Bernie???? :confused:

[Jag_Warrior]

Contrary to what Mark in Oshawa is saying I will try to make my point again.

The major point I am making is that NASCAR sets the rules & procedures !
A person can take it as NASCAR presents it or move on.

Or... they can discuss it rationally, as some of us are attempting to do here. After almost 20 years of posting to message boards, I've found that's the basic purpose of these types of forums. Otherwise it's just a bunch of swingin' richards slapping each other on the back, nodding their heads in general agreement, and that gets pretty boring after about a week. It starts to take on a sort of ghey feel too. :eek:


It gets really tiresome to see certain people constantly moaning against NASCAR.
Yes, I may question a person's fan loyalty due to their constant belly-aching about anything NASCAR related.
I think we have been infiltrated by some open-wheel promoters <insert: OK, who took the pee in Stan's cereal?!> who would love to see NASCAR struggling.

It's unfortunate that you feel the need to paint those of us who grew up with a preference for open wheel racing with that broad, prejudiced brush, Stan. IMO, doing that weakens the point you said you were trying to make.


As long as there are men of vision in control @ NASCAR, it ain't gonna happen !

Whatever form of motorsport one prefers, I think you'll find that most people admire the way that NASCAR has been built up over several decades into a strong and popular form of motorsport.


The bottom line @ NASCAR is : take it as it is or look elsewhere !

I'll choose Option #3: watch, enjoy and discuss, whether there is agreement or disagreement.


NASCAR is doing everything it can to make the racing better while also making it safer.
NASCAR has learned from the tragedy of February 2001 & hopes to prevent it ever happening again.

And that's a good thing.


I think NASCAR is doing a great job & IMO too many people are looking for faults in NASCAR.

I also think NASCAR is doing a great job. But with success comes criticism, constructive or not. That's just how life works.


Be a NASCAR fan & be part of the solution or be a boo-bird & cry about everything NASCAR does.
It is each person's individual choice.

So, you're saying true fans agree with everything that NASCAR does and shouldn't offer even constructive criticism? I guess I'm not a true fan of ANY type of motorsport then.


BTW, here is something for the boo-birds : http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/misc/tiss.jpg

Since you're slagging on open wheel formula car fans, wouldn't whine & cheese be more appropriate? :p :

[Jag_Warrior]

Another factor: Keep in mind the sampled homes changes depending on the cycle of changes by Dutch media giant VNU, which establishes the television ratings based on a sampling system.

If an NCAA men's basketball tournament game is a big draw, the Big Dance will usually win that weekend, since Bristol is up against the Regional Finals.

Thank you, Bobby. A theory not based around emotional rhetoric.

You're saying there could be some bias in the measurement system. It's quite possible that you're onto something with that.

[call_me_andrew]

What in the wide world of sports does that have to do with the discussion??? I thought the discussion was centering around your assertion that the France Family was "keeping Formula One on an obscure cable channel". (See Below) BTW, I've attended each and every F1 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and in my estimation, the USGP is at best, breaking even finanically for the Speedway.

What check is the France family writing for Bernie???? :confused:

Television revenues! It's all television revenues! If F1 could be as popular in the U.S. as NASCAR, it's profits would increase by about 10%. As long as NASCAR can make up some of that difference, F1 doesn't have to try and force out NASCAR. It's like paying protection money to a bully or the mafia (only there is no mafia...)


It's unfortunate that you feel the need to paint those of us who grew up with a preference for open wheel racing with that broad, prejudiced brush, Stan. IMO, doing that weakens the point you said you were trying to make.

You forgot to mention those of us that grew up with a preference for NASCAR, but hate what NASCAR became.

[Lee Roy]

Television revenues! It's all television revenues! If F1 could be as popular in the U.S. as NASCAR, it's profits would increase by about 10%. As long as NASCAR can make up some of that difference, F1 doesn't have to try and force out NASCAR. It's like paying protection money to a bully or the mafia (only there is no mafia...)


???????????????????????????????????????

That still doesn't make any sense to me.


Drop it down about half a dozen grade levels.

[SOD]

Bernie thinks that he should be paid billions of dollars by a USA TV company to show F1.

Bernie could easily strike a deal to have any of the big 4 TV comapnies how F1. If the teams were in charge of the TV deal, I think they'd cut a better deal with a TV company. The teams need sponsors and the teams would whatever it takes to make their product more appealing to a sponsor. If that means paying a US TV network to show F1, then it would happen.

As far as bernie is concerned, Bernie will deliver in the USA if someone is prepared to pay him lots of money.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I go away for a while, but I see nothing changes. Lee Roy ignores me because he cant stand the fact someone might disagree with him. Stan doesn't like anyone who advocates any change in NASCAR unless it comes from the head office in Daytona Beach, and then the change is just what the series needed.

The silly part is I LIKE NASCAR for what it is. I don't want it to be something else. I don't WANT to change things radically. I am not the enemy of Stan or Lee Roy in the way they think I AM. Yes I like OW racing. Hell, so does Lee Roy, he has been to more f1 races than I have, but I don't see anyone calling him out for it. Why? I know why, because he and his buddy Stan agree that NASCAR is just fine and the rest of us are idiots for being fans of anything else. IT just is childish really.

Now, on the top of TV, who knows why the ratings are down, but some of you see it as the end of the world that it happened. Sooner or later, NASCAR will hit the top of the hill and lose some fans. It maybe is happening. Sometimes you are the hot fad, sometimes you aren't but the Stans, Lee Roys and YES Mark's will still watch. Just some of us watch without blinding ourselves to some of the stupid things NASCAR can do.

I know how this board works. If you debate the self righteous NASCAR elite here on any point, be prepared to be slagged for it. I get that, but at least I welcome an intelliegent debate. Unlike my buddy Lee Roy, I haven't used the ignore on anyone yet. We all have opinions, just some of us like to have an open mind and debate what we like. That is the whole point of the board. If I agreed with Stan all the time, I would not bother coming on here. I guess that is what they want.....everyone to agree....

[SOD]

Nielsen ratings are not a measure of popularity. Nielsen doesn't make a buck by compiling popularity. Nielsen makes a buck by compliling data for the advertising industry.