Sunday's (2/18/07) Daytona 500 on FOX produced a 10.1/20 rating/share and an average audience of 17.53 million viewers according to "fast national" figures released today by Nielsen Media Research. Yesterday's race ranks as the fifth highest-rated and the fifth most-watched Daytona 500 in history, and the second highest-rated and most-watched ever on FOX. An estimated 33.7 million Americans watched at least part of yesterday's Great American Race.
The Daytona 500 affirmed its stature as one of the premier annual events in sports. Yesterday's 10.1/20 is comparable to the most recent averages of the BCS and World Series, and it is better than the most recent ratings of the NFL regular-season on CBS (9.7/21), the NCAA Men's Final Four (8.6/17), the NBA Finals (8.5/15), the final round of the Masters (8.4/19) and the Kentucky Derby (8.4/20).In addition to being FOX's second highest-rated and most-watched Daytona 500 broadcast ever, this year's race rating (10.1) out-paced the average for the prior 10 years by +2% (9.9), while its 17.530 million average audience was +8% higher than the average posted in the 10 years leading up to the 2007 edition (16.186 million). In 1997, the Daytona 500 scored an 8.6 rating and had an average audience of 12.833 million viewers. The rating and average audience recorded for this year's race are +17% and +37%, respectively, compared the 10 years ago.The race a year ago, which was sandwiched in between NBC's coverage of the Torino Olympics, set all-time records for rating and viewership (11.3/23; 19.35 million). Also, due to an unusually low number of caution periods early on, yesterday's race was the shortest in running time since 1995, and that was a significant factor in the year to year decline. FOX's rating peaked at a 12.0/22 during the race's thrilling conclusion (7:00-7:12 PM ET). The 49th Daytona 500 nearly doubles the rating for last year's Indianapolis 500 (5.1/14).The Daytona 500 also drew ratings in line with prime time's biggest hits. The 10.1/20 for Daytona would rank No. 11 among all prime time shows, and its 6.8 Adults 18-49 rating would rank it 7th among all prime time shows.Greenville, SC led all markets with a 22.1 rating, followed by Greensboro, NC (22.0); Indianapolis (21.6); Charlotte (20.6) and Orlando (20.1). Top 20 markets showing a significant year to year increase include: Philadelphia (8.3 vs. 7.8, +6%); Washington, DC (10.1 vs. 7.7, +31%); Houston (7.2 vs. 6.1, +18%); Tampa-St. Petersburg (15.1 vs. 12.3, +23%); and Cleveland (13.9 vs. 13.2, +5%).
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