Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Truck Series Finale Gets Big TV Ratings


Here is the official scoop from the folks at SPEED:

The dramatic NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series finale on SPEED peaked at more than one million households and put an exclamation point on the most-watched season since the series moved to the network in 2003.

The race at Homestead-Miami Speedway scored a Nielsen Household Rating of .96, up 146 percent from last year’s .39. The broadcast peaked at a 1.39 and marked the highest year-to-year average rating increase of the season.

“What a way to finish,” said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. “The last lap of the last event and we still weren't sure who the champion was going to be. Johnny Benson and Ron Hornaday put on an awesome show for the fans."

The 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season on SPEED was the highest rated ever, averaging a .80 rating. On the year, 19 of the 22 races on SPEED saw year-to-year Nielsen Ratings increases, 15 in double digits.

SPEED will air highlights from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Banquet on Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. ET.


Update: The TV ratings for the ABC Sprint Cup Series Homestead race declined by slightly over 5% compared to last season. 2007 was the first year for ABC back in NASCAR TV.

Nice job by SPEED this season, but a tough road for the ESPN and ABC group. Feel free to leave comments on these topics below.