Dedicated Racing Fans Shatter NASCAR’s Decline Narrative, Blaming Flawed TV Ratings

NASCAR has relied on TV ratings for many years now as the measuring stick to assess the sport’s growth and success. The ratings suggest a decline in the sport’s popularity for quite a while now but it may very well be an outdated measure. With a large number of the sport’s fans moving to various streaming platforms, TV ratings should no longer be used as the only measure of the sport’s health. That is what NASCAR fans feel as well.

When it comes to TV viewership numbers, the 2023 season has been one of the worst. Only 9 races in the entire campaign saw a spike in viewership numbers from last season. The season-ending championship Cup Series race at Phoenix saw a drop-off of 9% while the iconic Daytona 500 went down by 8%.

Considering TV ratings as a measure of NASCAR’s health is outdated

One has to realize that it is important to evolve with the times and TV ratings are gradually becoming a thing of the past, at least as a measure of a sport’s success. A lot of the NASCAR Cup Series races this year saw sold-out crowds at the race tracks. The season has been an unpredictable and exciting one as well, which has captured the imagination of a lot of fans.

The times have changed and Network TV is not what it used to be. With the introduction of streaming platforms, several fans have opted for the switch. According to an article in Forbes written by eminent motorsports journalist Greg Engle, he explained how flawed the process of using TV metrics is.

NASCAR themselves have caught up to the trend as they have put in the efforts to engage viewers on platforms other than Network TV. This season, NASCAR made free livestreams from inside every car in every race of the NASCAR Cup Series available on NASCAR Drive, the race day digital center.

The organizers signed the sport’s first combined media rights deal to broadcast races back in 1999 and that has stood for quite a long time. However, change is in the air, and with the next deal soon to be finalized, one can expect to see the inclusion of major streaming platforms. Then maybe, we could get a proper indication of the sport’s standing.

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Like NASCAR, several sports have seen a drop off in TV viewership over the past few years, but that has been no indication of dwindling popularity. And for die-hard fans of the sport, it is annoying that every time a race is over, a lot of experts look to TV ratings and paint a dull picture of the future of the sport.

Fans slam TV ratings method as they defend their beloved sport

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Fans who have been to races reported venues being packed and fans well and truly engaged with the racing action. They expressed their dissatisfaction with TV ratings still being used as a measure of the sport’s health on Reddit.

“Ratings do not mean what they used to. WWE generates lower television numbers now more than ever, yet every major NBA arena sells out and the product is better than its ever been,” one fan wrote.

“Nearly every single sport’s TV ratings are falling, it’s not a negative reflection on NASCAR specifically,” commented another.

Some fans expressed their annoyance at people still using outdated TV ratings as a measure of the sport in a time when streaming platforms are all the rage.

“THANK YOU. everyone wants to cry foul and “return to the good ole days” utilizing tv metrics as their evidence, but it is highly misleading. I enjoyed this season a lot, and while there are improvements I actually watched the full season, as opposed to tuning out towards the final 5 races,” one fan wrote.

“tell that to the people who waffle away about TV ratings after each and every race. it’s bloody tiring,” commented another.

Others suggested that the high charter prices in NASCAR today were an indication that the sport is in a good place.

“When charter prices are selling for 40 million and a few years ago they were going for a few million. I would say the sport is doing pretty well,” one fan wrote.

TV metrics are indeed not entirely reliable when it comes to assessing a sport’s popularity in this day and age, The packed stadiums in races are a strong indicator of the fact that NASCAR is in a good place and will be for years to come.

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