FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 30th, 2016

NBCSN PRESENTS THE 2016 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AWARDS FRIDAY AT 9 P.M. ET

Pre-Award Coverage Begins Friday at 7 p.m. ET with NASCAR America: Red Carpet Special on NBCSN

NBC Sports Group Closes Out 2016 NASCAR Schedule with Season-High Viewership

 

STAMFORD, Conn. – November 30, 2016 – NBC Sports Group caps off the 2016 NASCAR season this Friday with the Sprint Cup Series Awards from Las Vegas. NBCSN’s celebration of a memorable and historic season of NASCAR action begins at 7 p.m. ET with a special two-hour NASCAR America: Red Carpet Special, followed by the awards banquet at 9 p.m. ET.

 

Carolyn Manno and Parker Kligerman kick off Friday’s coverage at 7 p.m. on NBCSN, live from NBC Sports Group’s headquarters in Stamford, Conn. Steve Letarte contributes from NBC Sports Charlotte. Meanwhile, Rutledge Wood and Marty Snider bring viewers onto the red carpet for interviews with all 16 playoff drivers, their guests and celebrities from the Wynn Las Vegas.

 

Krista Voda and Rick Allen host NBCSN’s coverage as the official award ceremony gets underway at 9 p.m. ET. The special includes an essay by Ken Squier that pays tribute to Jimmie Johnson‘s historic seventh championship, as well as the always anticipated-announcement of this year’s NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver, a title held by Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the past 13 years.

 

The evening’s musical lineup includes sixteen-time Grammy Award-winning artist Sting, along with award-winning musical artists American Authors, Skylar Grey and Olivia Holt. Grammy-nominated actor, comedian and radio personality Jay Mohr returns to host the black-tie celebration for the sixth time.

 

NBC SPORTS GROUP COMPLETES 2016 NASCAR SEASON WITH POSITIVE VIEWERSHIP MARKS

 

After 21 consecutive weeks of race coverage, NBC Sports Group concluded the 2016 NASCAR season on Nov. 20th with more than 8.4 million peak viewers tuning in for the Championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This bookended a successful year that kicked off at Daytona International Speedway in July, which stands as most-watched summer Daytona race since 2011, with 5.7 million viewers on NBC.

 

Highlights surrounding the 2016 NASCAR on NBC season include:

 

  • The 2016 Brickyard 400 stands as the most watched NBCSN telecast on record (5.2 million). Sprint Cup races now account for the 5 most watched telecasts ever on NBCSN.

 

  • Seven of NBCSN’s NASCAR Sprint Cup races ranked as the top cable sports program of their respective weekends.

 

  • Consumption of NASCAR content on NBC Sports’ digital properties (NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and connected devices) garnered 105 million live minutes and 873,000 unique devices this season, up +56% and +50%, respectively, compared to the 2015 NASCAR season.

 

    • This season has featured four Sprint Cup races with more than 5 million live minutes streamed (Bristol, Texas, Indianapolis, and Pocono). Last year, no Sprint Cup Series race finished with more than 5 million minutes streamed.

 

    • The average Sprint Cup Series race is up 43% in live minutes streamed over the 2015 average.

 

  • In 2016 NASCAR America has reached a total audience of 4.5 million viewers, up 13% vs. 2015.

 

  • The Nov. 20, 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship on NBC and NBCSN combined to average 6.08 million viewers and a 3.51 national HH rating, marking increases of +16% (vs. 5.22 million) and +12% (vs. 3.14 HH), respectively, over 2014’s presentation on ESPN.

 

    • Viewing peaked from 6:45 – 7 p.m. ET with more than 8.4 million viewers and a 4.8 HH rating as the Championship Four drivers battled for position in the final laps.

 

    • Excluding last year’s decade-high Championship race, which was delayed into primetime by rain and celebrated Jeff Gordon’s retirement, the 2016 Sprint Cup race from Homestead-Miami Speedway was the most-watched and highest rated NASCAR season finale since Tony Stewart’s Championship win in 2011.

 

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.

 

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–