Over the last four months, Fox reported a seven per cent improvement (3.1 rating from 2.9) in the male 18-34 demographic on its Nextel Cup broadcasts, and ESPN2's coverage of the Busch Series has produced a two per cent increase (182,827 viewers from 179,446) for that group on cable.
David Hill, CEO of Fox Sports, said this is the first year Nielsen is incorporating out-of-home viewing in its numbers, and he thinks viewership from college dormitories accounts for some of the gain.
"This is the first accurate snapshot of what college kids are watching," Hill said. "And they're watching NASCAR. The households might be down a tad, but what you're looking for is what's happening with the younger audience. The good news is, unbelievably, that we're looking at more future growth for this sport. Show me another sport that's growing like that among younger viewers."
Fox's average viewership on nine Nextel Cup races was down 9.1 percent (9.71 million viewers vs. 10.68 million) overall compared with nine comparable races from 2006, and its rating suffered a 10 percent drop (5.8 vs. 6.4). That's a slightly steeper decline than last year's seven per cent drop for Fox's entire package of races.
Despite a decline in television ratings, NASCAR is gaining audience among younger demographics in the US, according to NASCAR Wire Service.
