The NASCAR season finished up on Sunday in Phoenix for the Cup Series Championship with Joey Logano taking the title.
And according to Sports Business Journal‘s Adam Stern, the circuit secured a year-over-year viewership increase.
.@NBC got a 1.60 rating and 2.895 million viewers for Sunday’s NASCAR Championship race at Phoenix, roughly flat from last year (1.62, 2.9 million).
🔲 NASCAR finished the 2024 season averaging 2.892 million viewers per event on U.S. television, up 1% from last year. pic.twitter.com/CI3r0jbXEU
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) November 12, 2024
Per Stern, the 2024 NASCAR season averaged 2.892 million viewers, good for a 1% increase from the 2023 season. Sunday’s championship race wasn’t too far off that season average, generating an audience of 2.895 million viewers on NBC.
This season marked the final in which NASCAR is operating under its old media rights agreements. Next year, the Cup Series will see races aired across four different broadcasters. Fox will present 14 Cup Series events including the Daytona 500, Busch Light Clash, and All-Star race; NBC will air the final 14 Cup Series events including the playoffs; TNT will broadcast 5 mid-season Cup Series events, including the new in-season tournament; and Amazon’s Prime Video will also chip in 5 mid-season Cup Series events.
As such, viewership for 2025 and beyond will likely take a hit as more inventory moves to cable (FS1, USA, and TNT) and streaming (Prime Video) and off of broadcast.
Nevertheless, NASCAR has been at the forefront of live sports innovation in recent years as it attempts to drum up viewership. From racing in the LA Coliseum to the streets of Chicago, NASCAR has seen moderate success in these unique races. Next year, the circuit heads to Mexico City to try and replicate this success and expand its audience globally.
Despite the recent success of Formula 1 in the United States, NASCAR remains the motorsport of choice for American viewers. The circuit will have its work cut out for it next season as it transitions to a couple of brand-new media rights partners.
[X/@A_S12]
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.