NASCAR Confident ESPN Will Help Ratings During Busy Fall Season

Though NASCAR is entering its "most difficult period for TV ratings with college football and the NFL beginning," NASCAR Senior VP Paul Brooks is "confident ESPN can help retain some viewers," according to Dustin Long of the Greensboro NEWS & RECORD. Unlike in past years when most of the Chase for the Sprint Cup races "were on network TV, ESPN will air all but one Chase race this season." Going from a network to a cable channel "might not seem like a step forward," but Brooks said that the move "should help the sport because of all the crossover promotion ESPN's various programs can provide for the Cup races." Brooks said ESPN is "turning the dial up at a time when we need it most." Brooks: "We've worked pretty hard with ESPN to get this to a pretty good place. We're anxious to see the results of this." Brooks added that the move to ESPN is a "natural considering that Cup races on ESPN drew a larger audience than Cup races on ABC last year." Long noted if ESPN "can help raise ratings, it could strengthen some Southern markets." Ratings for cup races this season are up 18% in Miami, 16% in Norfolk, Va., and 15% in Greensboro, N.C., though Atlanta, Tampa and Raleigh are "each down more than 15 percent from last year" (Greensboro NEWS & RECORD, 9/7).

TRUMPING THE PIGSKIN: USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand notes ESPN averaged a 3.0 overnight rating for its Sunday primetime telecast of the Emory Healthcare 500, down 3% from last year's race. However, the race "topped all ESPN/ABC weekend college football games except Boise State-Virginia Tech" (USA TODAY, 9/8).