According to Fox (via TV by the numbers) the Daytona 500 averaged 13.7 million viewers in prime time last night, down nearly two million from last year's race which averaged 15.6 million viewers. However, it is still nearly twice as many viewers that watched the NBA All-Star game (7.1 million) on Sunday evening.
Also, the total number of people that watched at least some portion of the race was up more than 20 percent to 36.5 million. And the audience grew after the fiery crash involving Juan Pablo Montoya and a truck carrying jet fuel. In the hour after the crash, the audience averaged 15.1 million viewers.
The NBA All-Star game, because of the late start to the season, went head-to-head with the Oscars and suffered in the ratings. The 7.1 million viewers was down from 9 million in 2011.
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See Also:
- Rescue Worker Risks Life At The Daytona 500 To Save The Driver Of A Burning Truck
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- SPORTS CHART OF THE DAY: Matt Kenseth Took Home The Largest Purse In Daytona 500 History