NBC Sports Races Into Pocono with NASCAR SPRING CUP RACING, 7/31

NBC Sports enters its fifth weekend of the 2016 NASCAR season with momentum, coming off of the most-watched race in the NBCSN's history and consecutive weeks of increased viewership on TV and via the NBC Sports app. This weekend's racing features dual coverage from Pocono Raceway's "Tricky Triangle" and Iowa Speedway, "The Fastest Short Track on the Planet." NBCSN presents XFINITY Series racing UNDER THE LIGHTS from Iowa Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by Sprint Cup racing from Pocono Raceway Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET.

NBCSN's pre-race Sprint Cup coverage on Sunday surrounds Pocono's winningest driver, Jeff Gordon, as he returns this weekend for one final attempt at adding a seventh Keystone State victory to his Hall of Fame career. Gordon will again be driving the No. 88., replacing Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is out of the car due to concussion-like symptoms. Coverage also takes a closer look at Kyle Busch's fourth consecutive NASCAR national series win at Indianapolis, and recent domination in Sprint Cup and XFINITY series races. In addition, NASCAR on NBC analyst Jeff Burton goes "driver to driver" with four-time Pocono race winner, Denny Hamlin who swept both races at Pocono Speedway as a rising star 10-years-ago in 2006.

NBCSN POSTS MOST-WATCHED TELECAST EVER WITH NASCAR SPRINT CUP RACE FROM THE BRICKYARD

NBCSN's Sunday presentation of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Indianapolis Motor Speedway averaged 5.2 million viewers and delivered a 3.1 HH rating, marking several consumption milestones, including NBCSN's most-watched and highest-rated telecast on record. Sunday's Brickyard 400 viewership grew +11% vs. the same event last year (4.7 million) and peaked between 6:15-6:30 p.m. ET with 6.1 million viewers and a 3.6 HH rating, as Kyle Busch took the checkered flag and became the first driver in NASCAR history to sweep both the Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series poles and victories in one weekend.

Live streaming of Sunday's race via NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app also set an all-time high, generating 5.2 million live minutes, up +93% vs. same event in 2015 and best race ever on NBC Sports' live streaming platforms. Sunday's Sprint Cup race stands as 2016's best performing NASCAR race in all key streaming metrics including uniques, visits and starts.