The LIVE broadcast of the 2007 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve Rolex 24 At Daytona on SPEED set ratings records for the network over this past weekend. According to Nielsen Media Research, overall household viewership rose 26 percent (.43 to .54) from year-over-year totals as Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Pruett, Juan Pablo Montoya and Salvador Duran teamed up for a dramatic overall victory in the No. 01 TELMEX/Target Lexus Riley.
Buoyed by FOX Sports lead-off broadcast, the Jan. 27, 2:30-6 pm, ET coverage window became the most-watched singular Rolex 24 At Daytona telecast in SPEED history. The network also enjoyed a three-day average increase of 28 percent over last year, as 458,000 viewers tuned into the telecast versus 359,000 in 2006.
“Our partnership with FOX on their inaugural coverage of the Rolex Sports Car Series has paid tremendous dividends,” said Paul Duong, SPEED Vice President of Scheduling & Research.
Numbers also increased significantly within key demographics, as Men 18-49 grew 72 percent and Men 18-34 rose 19 percent. The broadcast was also the most-watched Rolex 24 At Daytona on SPEED in the seven-year history of the Grand-Am Rolex Series.
“It’s nice to see our key demos driving the overall growth,” Duong continued. “Those numbers were critical toward our reaching these record ratings.
“Also important to the network is that the median household income of those watching the Rolex Series on SPEED was $67,000 a year, and those Men 18-49, its $70,000. These numbers are well above what we normally get for our programming.”
“The 2007 Rolex 24 At Daytona marked the beginning of a new, eight-year partnership between Grand-Am and SPEED, and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick things off,” said Grand-Am President Roger Edmondson. “Through our own efforts and the diligent and hard work of SPEED in every department, we have been able to grow Grand-Am racing steadily over the past few years. Not only do I see this continuing in the future, but I believe this year’s Rolex 24 may be the catalyst for even faster growth.”
SPEED is the nation's first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 74 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country, the home to NASCAR on SPEED and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services.
