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NASCAR: FOX must be thrilled...
- Thread starter Studio20
- Start date
BRNout said:Sorry, I know you may like it, but ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....... :
I keep hoping this NASCAR stuff will end up on Versus with other regional sports so that it doesn't ever interrupt my viewing of the Simpsons or Family Guy.
NASCAR is second only to the NFL in average audience per telecast and is also second to the NFL in total value of the television contract.
It might also interest you to know, that NASCAR rates strongly in all areas of the country, not just the south. Chicago was on of the top-rated markets last year, as was Las Vegas. So to suggest that NASCAR is a regional sport is misguided at best.
I should clarify my original post. I like the sport...and I've watched it grow from its "modern era" of the 70s...where only a handful of teams had "backup cars" and a big budget.
I'm not crazy about some of the new stuff that passes for racing..and that includes some of the network coverage.
Yeah, nice story that Jr won in his first race away from Stepmom, and now teammate of ...him...(jeff gordon)...
It got to the point last night where ....just a bit ...much.....fawning....best word I can come up with...
I'm not crazy about some of the new stuff that passes for racing..and that includes some of the network coverage.
Yeah, nice story that Jr won in his first race away from Stepmom, and now teammate of ...him...(jeff gordon)...
It got to the point last night where ....just a bit ...much.....fawning....best word I can come up with...
BRice16 said:BRNout said:Sorry, I know you may like it, but ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....... :
I keep hoping this NASCAR stuff will end up on Versus with other regional sports so that it doesn't ever interrupt my viewing of the Simpsons or Family Guy.
NASCAR is second only to the NFL in average audience per telecast and is also second to the NFL in total value of the television contract.
It might also interest you to know, that NASCAR rates strongly in all areas of the country, not just the south. Chicago was on of the top-rated markets last year, as was Las Vegas. So to suggest that NASCAR is a regional sport is misguided at best.
But it is. NASCAR is not that popular in most of the nation's larger markets. It's following is pretty mediocre in places like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, LA, San Francisco, Seattle, etc. Go hang out in Boston or Philly and talk to people about NASCAR. You'll be treated with quizzical looks at best and remarks about watching cars go 'round and 'round for 4 hours from the less eloquent.
I lived in the Intermountain West for years and it wasn't all that popular there either. If it garners big numbers, it is from appealing heavily to southern and midwestern audiences. However, unlike football and baseball - and much like hockey - it is madly popular in certain areas while ho hum in others. Lets just say that NASCAR and Huckabee have their followings in common - geographically speaking.
And, citing Las Vegas as something different that the south or midwest is, in itself, misguided. Most residents who live there are from somewhere else.
Everyone has their opinion. And thats fine. But watching the race last night. It was refreshing seeing Dale Jr. Being
competitive again. With all that drama involving his step mother now gone. He can now focus on winning races. And championships. He drove that car. With true Earnhardt style!
competitive again. With all that drama involving his step mother now gone. He can now focus on winning races. And championships. He drove that car. With true Earnhardt style!
Look, please don't think I'm trying to belittle other people's tastes. Was just trying to point out the regional and uneven nature of the sport's following and popularity. Whale illustrated it quite well, I think.
In other words, Fox's NASCAR investment has always made me wonder because I know it gets boffo ratings in Charlotte and Atlanta and Nashville - but not so much in NY and LA. I'm from NH, where there is a NASCAR track in Loudon. Twice a year, that track would become New Hampshire's biggest city - a big deal. And, though the races certainly attracted fans from ME, NH and MA - a good percentage were from elsewhere in the northeast and beyond. We saw an awful lot of plates from the south, midwest and mid Atlantic regions. And, despite copious amounts of coverage on NH's WMUR-TV, the main level of interest among the locals seemed to be in avoiding the traffic jams that would beset the area during "race weekend."
So, I guess it is not as simple as thinking that NASCAR is popular in a place if there's a venue there. They put venues in certain parts of the country to get the exposure that they seek. For example, there's talk of building a track in Staten Island, NY. But, the question was whether anyone from NYC would actually go there or watch it on TV. Or would it be primarily out of towners headed to the races. Either way, NASCAR would love to have a track there - just to get "in" to the market. Having a track in NY is probably a lot like having a hockey team in Tampa. There will be die hard fans there, but it is not an indicator of the sport's relative popularity.
In other words, Fox's NASCAR investment has always made me wonder because I know it gets boffo ratings in Charlotte and Atlanta and Nashville - but not so much in NY and LA. I'm from NH, where there is a NASCAR track in Loudon. Twice a year, that track would become New Hampshire's biggest city - a big deal. And, though the races certainly attracted fans from ME, NH and MA - a good percentage were from elsewhere in the northeast and beyond. We saw an awful lot of plates from the south, midwest and mid Atlantic regions. And, despite copious amounts of coverage on NH's WMUR-TV, the main level of interest among the locals seemed to be in avoiding the traffic jams that would beset the area during "race weekend."
So, I guess it is not as simple as thinking that NASCAR is popular in a place if there's a venue there. They put venues in certain parts of the country to get the exposure that they seek. For example, there's talk of building a track in Staten Island, NY. But, the question was whether anyone from NYC would actually go there or watch it on TV. Or would it be primarily out of towners headed to the races. Either way, NASCAR would love to have a track there - just to get "in" to the market. Having a track in NY is probably a lot like having a hockey team in Tampa. There will be die hard fans there, but it is not an indicator of the sport's relative popularity.
I used to like NASCAR about 15-20 years ago, when it was still mostly a 'southern' sport, but actually did have something of a 'cult' following. This was the era of more understated coverage on CBS and ESPN. The more popular the sport became, the more the sports media began promoting it non-stop as 'the next big thing'. In 1994 or '95 ,when open-wheel racing was splitting up(into IRL and CART), baseball and hockey were on strike, and nobody cared about the NBA because Michael Jordan was 'retired'(for the first time), Sports Illustrated devoted a huge cover story, with pretentious 'artsy' black and white photography, detailing the popularity of the sport, and its newly-aggressive marketing campaign. That's when I decided NASCAR had 'jumped the shark'. It was now 'trendy'.
From ESPN's NASCAR site Jayski.com" "Bud Shootout TV Ratings up 6%: The 2008 Sprint Cup season got off to a strong start Saturday night by notching a 5.1 household rating and a 9 share (8.5 million viewers) for the Budweiser Shootout shown on Fox from Daytona International Speeday. Saturday's 5.1/9 is a +6% gain over last year's 4.8/9 for the Shootout, according to Nielsen Fast National ratings released today. The Budweiser Shootout powered FOX to primetime wins for the night in both household rating and the Adults 18-49 demographic. Among all homes, FOX's 5.1/9 for the Shootout scored a +19% win over second place NBC's 4.3/8 and FOX's 3.0 rating in Adults 18-49 was good for an impressive +30% win over ABC's 2.3. The Shootout also saw ratings increases among Men 25-54 (+6%, 5.1 vs. 4.8) and Men 55+ (+8%, 5.6 vs. 5.2). Viewing of the Budweiser Shootout peaked at a 6.1/11 from 10:00-10:10pm/et as over 10 million viewers saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. take the checkered flag in his first outing in the #88 car for Hendrick Motorsports.(Fox PR)(2-11-2008)"
Bottom line is, when something is big enough to win an entire night, networks should, and will continue to, pay big bucks to show it.
Many people don't like American Idol either, but it pulls great numbers.
Bottom line is, when something is big enough to win an entire night, networks should, and will continue to, pay big bucks to show it.
Many people don't like American Idol either, but it pulls great numbers.
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