Cup Ratings Up on TNT

[Todd Gack]

I guess some of our ratings hawks must have missed this one...

TNT's NASCAR Summer Series coverage of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona powered by Coca-Cola topped the charts as basic cable's #1 program for the week, with 6.03 million viewers. It was also #1 for the week among adults 25-54 (2.7 million). Through its first four races, TNT's NASCAR Summer Series is averaging a 3.2 U.S. household rating, with 5.3 million viewers, up 6% over last year's performance

I hope NASCAR can survive these bad ratings and answer the bell for 2012.

[ARROWZ46]

TNT does the "Side by Side" television coverage 1000% better than anyone else. The commercials stay small & the racing coverage stays full size...as opposed to BOTH shrinking. I can see why the rating might be up TNT also has no dancing, animated cartoon gophers either

[Z28]

TNT has the worst on screen presentation, if they had any more Larry Mac and any Waltrip it would be unwatchable. People here complain about the crawl on Indycar races. TNT features that lower screen pictured here with four mini boxes that constantly change all race long. One is the leader and lap total, under it an ad, there's the full field crawl and below it a promo box. It's a constant lower bar of ever changing commercials and distractions from the reduced box of the race. If I wanted to watch racing on MTV this would be great.

[ARROWZ46]

TNT has the worst on screen presentation, if they had any more Larry Mac and any Waltrip it would be unwatchable. People here complain about the crawl on Indycar races. TNT features that lower screen pictured here with four mini boxes that constantly change all race long. One is the leader and lap total, under it an ad, there's the full field crawl and below it a promo box. It's a constant lower bar of ever changing commercials and distractions from the reduced box of the race. If I wanted to watch racing on MTV this would be great.

WHAT?

You prefer 5 laps of oval racing & 5 laps of "Side by Side"...where the commercial takes up 2/3rds of a REDUCED screen(showing an absolute USELESS ABC Sports or VERSUS logo(s)...)

Those mini-boxes you speak of allow more racing before the small commercial box pops up & the ad's sound track cover up the race audio. HTF is that even close to "the worst" especially compared to ABC or VS.? All racing coverage has some kind of info crawl... why is a 3"X5" (or smaller...) advert box such an invasion to your TV racing viewing? Just wondering.

[Doctorindy]

TNT did ok, but it's still the second-lowest "Firecracker 400" rating since 1996. And '96 was a daytime rain delayed, rain shortened race. It's down from 2010, and that race went til 1 am due to rain.

TNT hit a season-high for Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Coke Zero 400 from Daytona, but the race was still down from last year.

The Coke Zero 400 earned a 3.4 U.S. rating and 6.029 million viewers on TNT Saturday night, down 6% in ratings and 2% in viewership from last year (3.6, 6.127M), but up 10% and 14%, respectively, from 2009 (3.1, 5.277M).

I will say that TNT's "Wide Open Coverage" has grown on me. At first I thought it was awkward, but now I do think it's better than ABC's Side-By-Side.

Either way, I kind of like TNT as a partner. Perhaps some tweaks in the on-air talent, but I think TNT does a solid job..