NASCAR, TV execs agree on earlier 2010 start times

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR will attempt to halt its sinking television ratings through consistent, earlier start times that appeal to longtime race fans.

NASCAR chairman Brian France said Wednesday that Fox, ESPN/ABC and Turner agreed to the earlier start times after research showed “our core fans want to begin watching NASCAR a little earlier in the afternoon.”

In 2010, the bulk of the schedule will start at 1 p.m. Eastern time next season, including the Daytona 500. In all, 28 races next season will begin earlier than they did this year.

“I think we started to tamper with something we shouldn’t have, and I’ll put my hand up and say ‘guilty,’” said Fox Sports chairman David Hill. “We realize that even though we are unofficially trying to goose up figures, it wasn’t doing us any good whatsoever with that hardcore fan that turned this regional sport into a national sport.”

Fox was the biggest proponent of later race starts, and Hill particularly liked starting the Daytona 500 late enough in the afternoon that it ended in the prime-time television viewing block. It backfired this year when rain forced NASCAR to shorten the race. Had it started at an earlier hour, the biggest race of the season might have run to its completion.

Next season will have 20 races that begin at 1 p.m. Eastern. The West Coast races will begin at 3 p.m. ET, and night races will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The one exception will be the Coca-Cola 600 held on Memorial Day weekend. That race will maintain its 5:45 p.m. start.

ESPN came out this season in favor of an earlier race start. That network also had a rain issue last season when coverage of its Phoenix race spilled into prime-time on ABC during November sweeps.

The network shifted the conclusion of the race to ESPN2. John Skipper, ESPN’s executive vice president of content, said its “highly, highly unlikely” that controversial switch will happen again.

“We do not want to repeat that situation,” Skipper said.

Instead, the networks want to work with NASCAR to raise television ratings, which Sports Business Journal reported was down 4.5 percent from last season. Total viewership was down 6.4 percent, it said.

Hill, Skipper and David Levy, president of Turner Broadcasting’s distribution, were on the conference call Wednesday with France to announce the earlier start times.

“Not anybody on this call is satisfied until the ratings go up,” Skipper said.

“Amen to that,” Hill chimed in.

Meanwhile, the network executives said they were in favor of NASCAR shortening its race weekends from three days down to two. NASCAR is considering cutting back a day at some tracks next season as a cost-cutting measure for teams. But France said many other factors, including programming and track profits, would play a role into the decision.

Hill said a two-day show would also be less expensive for the networks.

“It’s actually better for us because we don’t have to extend overtime for the crews,” he said.