or


[02/28/12 - 10:06 AM]
ESPN Breaks Cable Viewership Record with NASCAR Telecast from Daytona
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, February 25.
[via press release from ESPN]

ESPN Breaks Cable Viewership Record with NASCAR Telecast from Daytona

With an average of 4.4 million people watching, ESPN's live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 25 has broken the previous record as the most-viewed race ever on cable television for the series.

The race telecast earned a household coverage rating of 3.3, averaging 4,433,249 viewers in 3,304,012 households, breaking the record of 4,271,365 viewers in 3,170,109 households set for ESPN's telecast of the Daytona race in 2010.

Ratings and viewership for the Daytona telecast were up 37 percent from ESPN's telecast of last year's race, which earned a 2.4 household coverage rating and averaged 3,246,875 viewers.

"We've seen two consecutive years of ratings increases with the Nationwide Series on our networks and NASCAR carried some strong momentum and storylines into this year," said Julie Sobieski, ESPN vice president, programming & acquisitions. "This certainly represents a great start to the season."

All 33 races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series season will air on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC. The next telecast is from Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday, March 3, at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN's latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.

About NASCAR on ESPN:

ESPN produces comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Additionally, ESPN is the television home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. ESPN's NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, SportsCenter, ESPN the Magazine, WatchESPN, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981 and returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN has been honored with 19 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide.





  [february 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)




most recent ratings | view all posts
[02/20/26 - 11:08 AM]
"The 'Burbs" Continues Hot Start on Peacock
The series has generated nearly 1 billion viewing minutes on platform since its February 8 launch.
[02/19/26 - 11:50 AM]
ABC Wednesday Comedies Deliver Audience Milestones as Romance Blooms With Valentine's Day Episodes
"Shifting Gears" earned 6.90 million Total Viewers and 0.99 rating among Adults 18-49, after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.
[02/17/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of February 9 - "Tyler Perry's Joe's College Road Trip" Takes the Scenic Route to No. 1
Plus: "The Lincoln Lawyer" Season 4 took No. 1 on the English TV list with 9.6 million views.
[02/12/26 - 02:34 PM]
ABC's Thursday Night Dramas Dominate as "9-1-1," "9-1-1: Nashville" and "Grey's Anatomy" Jump to Biggest Multiplatform Audience Since Their Season Premieres
The January 29 episodes of all three series rose to their biggest Total Viewer audience since their season premieres after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.
[02/11/26 - 03:30 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 Across the Board - in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49
"Nightline" improved on the same week last year by double digits in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.
[02/11/26 - 01:46 PM]
"Puppy Bowl XXII" Reaches 15.3 Million Viewers on Sunday, February 8, Delivering Highest Audience in Eight Years
The programming event ranked as the #1 non-sports cable telecast of the day among key adult demos and achieved a 20% year-over-year increase in reach, marking its strongest performance since 2018.
[02/11/26 - 11:15 AM]
Post-Olympics "Tonight Show" Telecast Attracts Most Viewers Since November 2024
The February 6 post-Olympics telecast of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" drew 2.4 million viewers.
[02/10/26 - 03:51 PM]
Super Bowl LX Is Second Most-Watched All-Time with Nearly 125 Million Viewers, Peaking at All-Time U.S. Record 137.8 Million Viewers Across NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo
Super Bowl LX is the most-watched show in the history of NBCUniversal, which celebrates 100 years of NBC in 2026.
[02/10/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of February 2 - "Bridgerton" Season 4 Is the Tea Everyone Is Having in This Week's Top 10
Plus: the new season of the hit drama series "The Lincoln Lawyer" took the No. 2 spot on the English TV list with 9 million views.
[02/06/26 - 07:01 AM]
NHL on ESPN Networks: Viewership Up Nearly 40% Year-Over-Year Through First Four Months
Through 22 games, the NHL on ESPN networks is averaging 795K viewers, +39% YoY.

[02/05/26 - 12:42 PM]
"20/20" Ranks No. 1 in the Two-Hour Time Period Across the Board
Hitting new season highs on January 30, "20/20" grew from the previous week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.
[02/05/26 - 10:03 AM]
ABC's Juggernaut Tuesday Scores More Wins
"High Potential's" January 20 episode jumped to 12.98 million Total Viewers and a 2.17 rating among Adults 18-49 after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms, scoring a series high among Total Viewers.

[02/04/26 - 08:00 AM]
ESPN Delivers Most-Viewed Australian Open in Six Years
The men's championship, featuring No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz defeating No. 4 Novak Djokovic in four sets, delivered 730K viewers and was up 57% YoY, ranking as most-viewed since 2017.
[02/04/26 - 07:00 AM]
FOX Celebrates Three Breakout Debuts, Each Delivering Over 11 Million Multiplatform Viewers, Driving +21% Year-Over-Year Growth in Total Minutes Watched
"Best Medicine," "Fear Factor: House of Fear" and "Memory of a Killer" drive FOX's strongest midseason performance in 14 years.
[02/04/26 - 06:00 AM]
ESPN's Studio Show Lineup Scores Record Highs, Double-Digit Growth & More Big Viewership Wins in Jan.
On Monday, January 19, following the NFL Divisional Round and ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship, fans fueled milestone episodes for "Get Up," "First Take" and "The Pat McAfee Show," with the 7 a.m. ET edition of "SportsCenter" delivering its best episode of the month the following morning.