2011 Overnight Indy 500 Ratings Up From 2010

[DBell]

The good news is the overnights are up from last year.The so-so news is it's a marginal climb to 4.3 from 4.0 in 2010. But it is up. We'll have to see what the final rating turns out to be.

edit: Forgot the link. http://indycargarage.blogspot.com/2011/05/overnight-tv-ratings-up-from-2011-indy.html


editII: NickFalzone beat me to it. May as well delete this.

[call_me_andrew]

Charlotte's overnight was a 4.0...

[SarahFan]

Just read the finals are in

Indy 3.9

I predicted a 4.2 before the season started


Sure 3.9 is up... But I believe that is still the second lowest rated 500 ever


Too bad as folks not watching missed a heck of a show

[anthonyvop]

Oh well.


KevinLee23
by VersusIndyCar
INDYCAR Open Wheel Weekly is on hiatus. Parked (we believe temporarily) due to lack of sponsorship. Thnx for all the positive reviews

Ratings were horrid and sponsors bailed.

[garyshell]

Oh well.



Ratings were horrid and sponsors bailed.

The broadcast times were ridiculous.'

Gary

[Jag_Warrior]

Just read the finals are in

Indy 3.9

I predicted a 4.2 before the season started


Sure 3.9 is up... But I believe that is still the second lowest rated 500 ever


Too bad as folks not watching missed a heck of a show

Yeah, as best I recall, it was also a 3.9 final in 2009 (a record low). I think the "new" record low last year was the 3.6.

At one time I had built an Excel spreadsheet to track the Indy 500 ratings and graphically compare them to the Daytona 500 and the Kentucky Derby ratings. As following the ratings began to suck what little fun there was still in AOWR for me, I finally stopped. But as single day sporting/cultural events go, I still believe it's a valid comparison. All three events used to be fairly close in terms of ratings and viewership. Just glancing at this year's Daytona and the Derby, they're still close: the 2011 Daytona 500 got an 8.7 final rating and the 2011 Kentucky Derby got an 8.5 final rating.

It wasn't that long ago (late 90's) that the Kentucky Derby was also having ratings issues. But they worked REALLY hard to rebuild the viewership - and it's worked. So it can be done. But it takes time... and working smarter, not just harder. My hope is that IMS leaves Bernard alone and gives him more leash (and money) to play with. Oh yeah, and fire Barnhart. That won't help the ratings... I just want that windsock gone already!

[NickFalzone]

The Coke 600 ratings were about even with Indy this year, whatever that says about racing interest for Indy. Jayski reported it as 4.0/9. You'd expect moderately higher ratings for this race as it is run in primetime evening slot. I think what this says is that the prominence of Indy is still not quite there, and equally so, the larger NASCAR fanbase is not a huge fan of the racing at Charlotte.

[Marbles]

Those NASCAR numbers certainly shine a different light on Indy's numbers.

The numbers that matter most to me are how many casual fans you can discuss the biggest race with over the water cooler, lunch table, backyard fence or at the bar as you could in years past -- way past. Unfortunately, when bringing up the topic amongst friends a few times this week, the most positive response I got was, "Yeah, I saw something about that on the sports."

Harrumph!

I like what Indycar is doing but unfortunately it's a long road back.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I think the fact Indy's ratings are equal with the 600 is significant. First off, it is in the middle of the day of a holiday weekend. Chances are there are less people home who are casual fans who want to be inside on a sunny day. Two, lets face it, after watching both races, and the Monaco GP, I must say if not for the running out of gas drama at the end of the 600, the 500 had the wackiest ending and the one most talked about. That has to help keep people thinking about just what is going in in Indycar land.

NASCAR to me has started to slide back a little, as people are becoming disgruntled with the management of that series. The Indycar people are working on fertile ground if the races on the track keep providing some good racing and unusual finishes.