Rolex Series & Grand-Am Cup Ratings, Households & Viewership Up In 2005
With the 2005 Grand-Am Cup Series in the books and the Rolex Sports Car Series headed for a record-setting finale this weekend in Mexico City, the Grand American Road Racing Association has seen a major boost in its television numbers on SPEED Channel this year. The increased action and close competition in both the Rolex and Grand-Am Cup series definitely appear to be catching the attention of fans, as both series have posted gains in television ratings, households and total viewership in 2005.
The strong increases have also seen both Grand American series trail only world-powerhouse Formula 1 as the top-three most-watched road racing series on SPEED this year through September 30. Overall, the Rolex Series ranks in the top-five of all motorsports series telecast on SPEED this year, with only the Crown Royal IROC Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the ARCA Re/Max Series and Formula 1 attracting more viewers. The Grand-Am Cup Series is right behind in sixth and ranks as the third most-watched road racing series on SPEED this year.
“With both our series on the ‘podium’ in terms of being the most watched road-racing series on SPEED Channel, we couldn’t be more thrilled,” Grand American President Roger Edmondson said. “The success of both the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Grand-Am Cup Series can be attributed to the great teams, drivers and sponsors in both championships, and the fans are the ones who benefit from the increased competition.”
On the Rolex Series front, viewership and households continued to maintain double-digit increases in the final half of the season. Following the EMCO Gears Classic at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Round 10), total viewership was up 20%, while households increased by 12%. Overall, the Rolex Series is attracting nearly a quarter-million viewers each race. Strong preliminary numbers recorded from the recent VIR 400 and an expected large audience for this weekend’s live telecast of the season-ending race in Mexico City also bode well for a strong finish to the season with 2005’s impressive gains staying on pace.
The Grand-Am Cup Series has also recorded some solid numbers of its own in 2005. Through the first seven of nine televised races, the 2005 Grand-Am Cup ratings on SPEED Channel increased 29%, with households up 38%. These gains translate to a total viewership of 169,000 routinely for each race, a 23% increase over 2004.
“We knew that the Grand-Am Cup Series was growing, and we are pleased that fans have recognized that growth,” Edmondson said. “It speaks to the professionalism of the teams and drivers and the great show they are putting on in addition to the fact that the Grand-Am Cup Series features some of the hottest production cars available to the public today.”
In many instances in 2005, taped race telecasts of the grassroots Grand-Am Cup Series have beaten the competition on SPEED. On the weekend of October 15-16, a Saturday taped telecast of the Grand-Am Cup Sport Touring (ST) race that ran at Phoenix International Raceway in early September turned out to be the most watched sports car race on SPEED that weekend. The Phoenix Grand-Am Cup ST race was watched by an average of 83% more viewers than several other sports car races that aired on SPEED the next day, including the season-ending ALMS race that lagged the Grand-Am Cup show by 55.1%.
The 2005 Rolex Series season concludes on the weekend of November 4-5 with the organization's first-ever visit to Mexico City and the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The race can be seen live on SPEED Channel, Saturday, November 5 at 4 p.m. ET.
The Grand American Road Racing Association, which operates and sanctions the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Grand-Am Cup Series, is the premier road racing organization in North America. The 14-race 2006 Rolex Series schedule and the 11-race Grand-Am Cup calendar deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED Channel and distributed globally through ESPN International. With title sponsorship support from Rolex Watch USA, the Rolex Sports Car Series showcases emerging and legendary drivers from around the globe and thoroughbred racing machines from the industry's leading constructors and the world's top automobile manufacturers. Learn more about Grand American at grandamerican.com.
