Newsflash, Sky is Blue Over NASCAR Tracks
How shocking!
The first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race televised on ABC in seven years delivered an increase in ratings and viewership for the RIR event. The telecast by ESPN on ABC delivered a 4.2 fast national rating with more than 4,731,000 households and more than 6,750,000 viewers.
The households represent a 33 percent increase (up from 3,568,000) and the viewership increased 28 percent (up from 5,288,000) from last year
Over the air TV ratings coming in higher than a cable feed is just indicative that no matter how broad cable has become, there are still plenty of people who don’t have it. As hard as that is to believe.
That’s one of the reasons network newscasts still draw more viewers than cable news. Plus the tradition and trustworthiness(yeah, as if).
You make a good point on the alternative viewing options (DVR & TiVO) and ‘net streaming options. There’s also satellite radio which could be pulling some away from their sets.
I don’t know about others, but I’ve always listened to a lot of my sports on the radio. It’s more conducive to my usual lifestyle.
So, all those things could be contributors. Besides, just like the economy and the stock market, there’s always a point where expansion and gains wind up giving back some.
They’re also counting out the following that Nascar now has in Latinamerica.First of all, the many Montoya followers in Colombia and those in the whole south that didnt have a relaible way to watch Nascar before and now can do it in Speed Channel.