ESPN: Shorter NASCAR Races Would Not Increase TV Ratings

It’s been a constant debate over the last several years: Should NASCAR reduce the length of some races to accomodate the shorter attention spans many of us seem to have today?

After all, plenty of fans claim to watch the beginning and the end of races but skip the middle, citing the time commitment necessary to watch a 500-mile NASCAR race from flag to flag.

But as it turns out, that viewing pattern is not the case for anywhere close to the majority of NASCAR viewers. ESPN’s Julie Sobieski told reporters during a Tuesday conference call that research indicates NASCAR fans’ viewing habits are similar to those of other sports.

“There’s that perception out there that ... shortening the races might be something that people might say that we should look at,” she said, “(but) when it really comes down to seeing fans’ trends and how they consume a race, that doesn’t bear out in the ratings.”

Sobieski said research shows there is no “precipitous drop in the middle of the race” that then builds back up toward the checkered flag. Instead, the ratings have a “natural progression” from start to finish, with more viewers tuning in toward the end of the race as the laps wind down.

So from that standpoint, ESPN believes shorter races are not necessary and reduced lengths are “not something that we see in the cards,” Sobieski said.

“A lot of people are clearly tuning in and enthusiastic about coming week-in and week-out to see these races,” she said. “Shortening those races certainly isn’t something we look at when we look at strategies moving forward to get ratings up or to serve fans.”