The numbers are in, and it isn't pretty for Nascar. The highly touted, much ballyhooed TV deal has resulted in FEWER people watching Nascar races each week.
USA Today reports that Nextel Cup Sunday races are averaging 4.6% of US households. This number is down 9% from 2006 and plummetting a whopping 20% from 2005. For a race by race breakdown, visit Jayski.com. Busch series viewership is down 11% this year alone. USA Today columnist Michael Hiestand points out that the MLB and NBA have games on nearly every day of the week on various networks so their number represent a portion of their viewership pie, unlike Nascar, which is a one shot per week deal.
The steep declines in viewership should be causing the networks, Nascar and sponors to scramble to the doors of every diehard fan to ask "Why did this happen?" and "What can we do to fix this?"
Since my address and phone number are unlisted, and I doubt Mike Helton is perusing this blog, I'll attempt to answer primarily the second question, as I've written about the first issue before - here.
First, many fans are utilizing other forms of media. Direct TV Hotpass, Nascar.com's TrackPass and radio leap to mind. As I am not a big fan of the announcers on ESPN, I tend to listen to the team scanner via either Hotpass of TrackPass. These numbers would not be accounted for in the TV ratings. This trend to alternate media should be encouraged, but know that some fans will prefer it to the old TV set.
Second, stop hawking the Chase early in the season. I, for one, am tired of hearing about it incessantly during a race. This is one reason why I turn on the scanner. Give me a graphic at the end of the race to show how many points positions 13 through 20 are out of the Chase, and that would do it. I don't need an in-race point total until Richmond, which by the way is still several races away.
Third, give the fans their favorites. If you are not a Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart or Dale Earnhardt Jr fan, you have likely permanently turned off your TV. Those appear to be the only four guys covered by the broadcasters. Recognize that these are the most popular guys in the grandstands, but let us know how Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler, and Kyle Petty are running. There is no excuse for not running through the field every half hour, and if you've already discussed them due to a problem, crash or feature, move on (this means I shouldn't hear a peep about JG, JJ, DEJr or TS during the full-field).
Fourth, the tech guys are about as helpful as Iowa directions. Which is a nice way of saying, they are not helpful at all. Let's say you, who have never been to Iowa, want to find the farm I grew up on. Ask a local and you will be told something along the lines of: "Well, it's a few miles out, past the Schmidt place. You've gone too far if you go past Ole Red's." Nevermind "Schmidt" is as common as "Smith" out here, and Ole Red has been dead since 1957. That lost feeling is what happens everytime they try to simplify some technical issue. And I'm fairly mechanically inclined. Really.
Fifth, get a fact checker and USE them. You have a major problem when most of your audience KNOWS you just made a huge blunder. And you appear oblivious to it. For the rest of the broadcast. Ignoring it won't make it go away. The simple errors are inexcusable. The complex ones should be infrequent. When I hear a big error in the supposed "fact guy's" analysis, I begin to doubt and distrust the next thing he has to say. Eventually, this leads to turning off the TV.
Sixth, Enough with the commercials. I watch the race to watch the race. Ads are plastered all over the cars, walls, teams, and grass. Commentators talk about the "Sponsored" run-down or in-race camera. As if this marketing deluge weren't enough, I am then subject to five minutes of commercials. Cut back to 3 minutes of racing. Then another 5 minutes of racing. That many commercials just gives fans time to switch to another channel - and not come back. The highlights are shown without commercial interruption.
Nascar is losing TV viewers. It needs to do something to keep the ones they have, and maybe coax back a few turned off fans.
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