Charlotte race trumps Indy 500 in TV ratings

Overnight television ratings for the Indianapolis 500 dropped for this past weekend’s event, although those that did watch the race were treated to one of the best races in many years.

The Indy 500 ratings came in at a 4.1, which is down five percent from the 4.3 from a year ago. With one ratings point representing 1.15 million households, the event was seen in less than five million households (4.72).

The NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte fared better, quite possibly because it took place later in the evening after families would down their Memorial Day events. But no matter the reason, the cold, hard facts are that the NASCAR race drew a 4.4 rating, which equates to 5.06 million households.

The overnight ratings for the Indy 500 are the second lowest since the race began being aired live in 1986. Last year, the race received a 4.3 overnight rating, which fell to a 4.0 with the final numbers. By contrast, the Charlotte race had a 4.0 overnight last year, which went up to a 4.5 upon final numbers.