A.J. Perez

USA TODAY Sports

Ratings for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup finale broadcast on NBC saw a 25% dip over a year ago despite the dramatic race won by Jimmie Johnson on the final lap. Johnson secured his record-tying seventh Cup title in a story line that played out over the closing weeks of the 36-race season.

The race drew a 3.32 overnight rating, NBC announced Monday. Last year’s broadcast --- which was aided by the fact the race was delayed 90 minutes and took up nearly the entire first hour of Football Night in America --- earned a 4.41 rating.

Brian France defends NASCAR health amid sagging ratings, attendance

Sunday’s rating was an improvement over ESPN’s broadcast of NASCAR’s traditional season-needing race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2014 (2.92). NBC regained the rights to broadcast NASCAR starting in 2015, a TV package it shares with Fox.

NASCAR ratings tend to edge higher when the final national numbers are released.

The race was run just a few hours after NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France addressed the media, saying the sport was healthy despite continued declines in TV ratings and attendance. "... We are still very pleased with our position in sports. The audience isn't going away at all. It's sliding to different places, consuming in different ways."

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