Good -- and very important -- news for NHRA, its teams and (especially) corporate sponsors:

For the first time in four years, the TV audience for the Mello Yello series on ESPN and ESPN2 increased in 2014.

According to data furnished to ESPN by Nielsen Media, the average household rating for final eliminations of the 24 national events was 0.4, up 33 percent from the 0.3 in 2013. Viewership increased almost nine percent, to an average of 569,000, vs. 524,000 the previous season. That’s the highest total-viewer average since 2011’s 591,000.

Good -- and very important -- news for NHRA, its teams and (especially) corporate sponsors:

For the first time in four years, the TV audience for the Mello Yello series on ESPN and ESPN2 increased in 2014.

According to data furnished to ESPN by Nielsen Media, the average household rating for final eliminations of the 24 national events was 0.4, up 33 percent from the 0.3 in 2013. Viewership increased almost nine percent, to an average of 569,000, vs. 524,000 the previous season. That’s the highest total-viewer average since 2011’s 591,000.

ESPN started using U.S. household ratings last year instead of coverage ratings to have a more valid comparison between cable and network ratings. U.S. household ratings are a measure of all homes with TV rather than just those with cable. Currently there are 116.4 million American TV households.

The TV numbers are a key metric within the drag racing industry. They are a measure of the sport’s overall popularity and are considered by most companies when deciding whether or not to commitment sponsorship dollars to teams, tracks or NHRA.

Qualifying show numbers were essentially flat vs. 2013. Some may find that surprising considering the frequent very early-morning time slots, sometimes because live event coverage ran longer than scheduled.

Qualifying finished with a 0.2 household rating, the same as the year before. The average viewership of 353,000 was slightly more than the 348,000 in 2013.

Ratings and viewership can be affected by a variety of factors, such as date, air time, weather delays and competition from other entertainment or news programs. NHRA races in Brainerd, Minn., and Concord, N.C., were completed at the next national event because of weather or track safety issues.

Both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship and the Verizon IndyCar series showed some audience gains this season. However, NHRA won’t have the benefit of promotional announcements during NASCAR races next year, as ESPN no longer has those rights. ESPN’s ABC broadcast network will continue to televise the Indianapolis 500 and some other IndyCar races.

NHRA’s contract with ESPN runs through 2016.

Follow Michael Knight on Twitter: @SpinDoctor500