NASCAR finally scored a hit with its Netflix docuseries Full Speed in January.
The show’s popularity is undeniable, but the actual impact on viewership remained unclear.
Fast-forward two months, and things are looking promising. Excluding rain delays, NASCAR has enjoyed four consecutive races with rising TV ratings, according to The Athletic. The past two weeks are even more impressive, boasting double-digit year-over-year increases (19% for Phoenix and 11% for Bristol).
While the four-week upward trend in ratings is undoubtedly encouraging, it may be too early to definitively connect it to Full Speed. Other factors are at play. For example, Chase Elliott’s absence from the beginning of last season could be skewing the year-over-year comparison. A clearer picture will emerge later in the season when we can see if the ratings hold steady even after races that Elliott participated in last year.
But for now, there have been tangible results, as shown by Nielsen data relayed by The Athletic. This reveals some key takeaways, including that a whopping 88% of those tuned in to the show’s premiere hadn’t watched the previous fall’s championship race.
“To see 88 percent of new fans watching that show, and then you roll into the season, and you have some terrific racing, and you have a number of winners who were actually featured on Netflix, it really matched up to what we’d hoped for,” NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell told The Athletic. “It’s impossible to say exactly how much it’s driving the ratings, but you’ve certainly got to look at that stat and say we exposed the sport to a new audience.”
The jury’s still out on whether Full Speed will cultivate a massive new fan base for NASCAR. As mentioned earlier, a clearer picture will emerge later in the season, especially if ratings hold steady during races where Elliott competed last year.
However, the undeniable week-over-week growth in viewership can’t be overlooked. These rising ratings suggest that a significant portion of the show’s audience may be translating newfound interest into watching races. This could be a promising development for NASCAR and other sports willing to follow suit.
