Buoyed by its daily National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing
programming block, recently relaunched Speed Channel set a primetime ratings
record for the week of Feb. 11 through 17.
The network, which changed its name from Speedvision Feb. 11, generated a
0.30 primetime rating during the period, besting a 0.28 set the week of Jan. 15
through 21, 2001, Speed Channel officials said.
Also, Speed Channel experienced a 74 percent ratings increase within the 7
p.m. to midnight daypart during the week compared with the same period last
year.
Speed Channel's ratings boost was aided by its nine-hour, weekday-afternoon
and evening NASCAR TV block, which features such shows as Inside Winston
Cup, Trackside and Racing Across America.
Last year during the daypart, then-Speedvision offered various magazine-style
motor-sports shows.
'Given the enormous popularity of NASCAR, we expected ratings and growth.
However, I'm not sure any of us expected results like this so quickly,' Speed
Channel president Jim Liberatore said.
'We've always felt that combining Fox's NASCAR relationship with Speed's
exclusive cable coverage of CART [Championship Auto Racing Teams], F1 [Formula
One] and many other auto- and motorcycle-racing series would make Speed Channel
a dynamic and essential place on the cable dial for all motor-sports
enthusiasts,' he added.
