CAN DANICA PATRICK SAVE NASCAR'S SHRINKING RATINGS?

[TMC]

http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/february/can-danica-patrick-save-nascar-s-shrinking-ratings.html

Written by Matt Yoder on Sunday, 24 February 2013 09:36.

The Daytona 500 takes place today and the racing world is in a frenzy
with Danica Patrick starting The Great American Race from pole
position. Patrick is of course the first female driver to win a
NASCAR Sprint Cup pole, continuing a career of trailblazing and
breaking down barriers that began in IndyCar. With Patrick making the
move from IndyCar racing to NASCAR, her story (and celebrity) is being
brought to a wider fanbase. Dare I say it (and with apologies to Tim
Tebow), today's Daytona 500 represents new heights for DanicaMania,
even compared to when she was leading the Indy 500 once upon a time.

Patrick has been everywhere this week from SportsCenter to the Today
Show and countless stops in between. She was certainly a star in the
IndyCar world and has been a crossover celebrity (think Maxim, GoDaddy
and more) for some time, but being in NASCAR has only increased her
profile. Let's face the facts, Danica Patrick was perhaps the last
attention grabbing element open wheel racing had left... if you don't
count Helio Castroneves' Dancing With the Stars appearances that is.
NASCAR has long since lapped open wheel racing several times over in
the battle for American racing supremacy and Danica needed to make the
switch to continue to grow her own brand and compete in the nation's
number one racing series.

Today's Daytona 500 doesn't just represent an opportunity for Danica
Patrick though, it also represents a huge opportunity for NASCAR.
Patrick's success on the track at Daytona is happening at just the
right time for a sport that badly needs to be reinvigorated and reach
a new audience once again.

NASCAR has suffered from flagging ratings for the last several years
after an enormous rise in popularity at the turn of the millenium.
Last season NASCAR posted its worst viewership numbers since the sport
signed its current television deals with Fox, ESPN, and Turner in
2007. Only once since 2005 has the sport drawn a year to year
viewership increase. Once. NASCAR has lost more than a quarter of
its audience since 2006. It was that year the Daytona 500 drew its
highest rating ever - an 11.3 rating for Jimmie Johnson's victory.
The last three years, Daytona 500 overnights have averaged a 7.6, more
than a 30% decrease.

Can Patrick draw a ratings increase? It's impossible to quantify what
effect she alone can bring to NASCAR's ratings. The conversation
around today's race though hasn't been higher for a decade, though.
Of course, with Patrick comes a double edged sword. She receives so
much media attention and hype it often turns off more hardcore racing
fans while networks seek to draw in casual ones. "Danica fatigue" has
even been discussed in the latter portions of this week as the race
approaches today. Sure there are even those that consider Patrick the
"Anna Kournikova of racing" but that's not fair to either athlete.
Kournikova had a moderate amount of success on the tennis court and
Patrick already has one IndyCar victory to her name and a promising
NASCAR career ahead of her.

Despite grumbles from dedicated race fans upset with Patrick
overshadowing the sport and the other 42 drivers, NASCAR badly needs a
jump start in the ratings. But it will only happen if Patrick can
contend on the racetrack. That crossover audience isn't going to tune
in to watch Danica go through the motions several laps down. She
needs to be at the front of the field.

For too long, the sport has been dormant. Whether that be the
tinkering with the rules, Jimmie Johnson's run of dominance, or a lack
of drivers that can connect with fans, or even race start times the
reasons are many for NASCAR's decline on television. Last year's
champ Brad Keselowski is great for the sport, but he can't do what
Danica Patrick does in breaking through with fans. Nobody in the
racing world can. Danica Patrick can provide the boost NASCAR needs
to turn around their flagging viewership and decreasing ratings. If
she contends throughout the race today and is a threat to win, you
will see a significant increase in viewership versus the last several
Daytona races. If she remains a contender, or at the very least a
story throughout the NASCAR Sprint Cup season, she still has the
capability to bring new fans to the sport at a time when NASCAR needs
them most.

The key for Fox today will be balancing their coverage of the Daytona
500 to draw in those casual fans watching for Patrick while also not
alienating the faithful NASCAR following. If Fox and NASCAR's other
television partners can find that right tone throughout the season and
appeal to new fans through Patrick while serving NASCAR's core
audience, the sport may finally be able to turn back in the right
direction in ratings once again.

[n...@epix.net]

On Feb 24, 8:26 pm, TMC <tmc1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/february/can-danica-patrick-save-...

She didn't really save Indy car so how would she save NASCAR? That
snooze fest today is everything that NASCAR has done to destroy itself
since about 2004 all wrapped up into one. As far as Danica's
performance? I give her a C+. She had a great car and seemed to be
second guessing herself all day. The worst part came at the end.
Biffle is my favorite driver. Clearly he and Danica had great cars out
there, yet at the end of the race just sat there behind JJ and ended
up losing more positions. Either the fix was in or these two are the
most pussy ass drivers on the track. Biffle could have dropped down
and Danica go with him and finish one and two. but no! Stay behind JJ
and end up finishing 7 and 8. And this after the two crew chiefs from
#10 and #16 were seen talking at the end. If I was a sponsor on either
car I would be furious. Both drivers fucked up a wet dream today!