NBC's First '03 NASCAR Race Earns 5.1; Coverage Reviewed

Overnight For Pepsi 400 On NBC Even With Fox' Number Last Year

NBC earned a 5.1/10 overnight rating for Saturday night's Pepsi 400 from 7:30-10:30pm ET, even with last year's rating on Fox from 7:45-10:45pm. It was NBC's first NASCAR race of the season (THE DAILY). In St. Petersburg, Sharon Ginn wrote NBC "for the most part did a solid job covering its first race of the season — as usual, the pit reporters were the strength of the network's crew" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 7/6). USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand writes NBC "offered information by the ton, ... but could do better in updating viewers on the leaders" (USA TODAY, 7/7). In Richmond, Jerry Lindquist writes NBC and Fox "have turned over [NASCAR] telecasts to their sponsors. While Fox somehow does a better job of disguising the commercial glut, NBC doesn't appear to care." About 15 of the first 45 laps Saturday "were lost to commercials and network promos." Also, "there were only two caution flags, and the network was still in commercial for the second restart." NBC "graciously allowed the audience at home to watch the final 45 miles uninterrupted. But, from Lap 80 through Lap 145, 40[%] (26 of 65) were missed." Lindquist adds NBC's three-man booth "seldom fires on all cylinders [and] is — in itself — difficult to overcome" (TIMES-DISPATCH, 7/7).

POP WARS: Pepsi 400 winner Greg Biffle, a Coca-Cola Racing Family driver, drank a Coca-Cola while being interviewed in the winner's circle during NBC's broadcast (NBC, 7/5).