League: NASCAR Sport: Motorsports Country: United States Category: Playoffs

NASCAR Cup Series viewership hits record low ahead of finale

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Nov 5, 2026, 1:00 PM

Last updated Nov 5, 2026

NASCAR Cup Series viewership hits record low ahead of finale

Summary

The NASCAR Cup Series is experiencing a significant decline in viewership ahead of its season finale at Homestead-Miami. This past Sunday’s race at Martinsville averaged 1.99 million viewers, marking a 15% drop from the previous year's 2.35 million and establishing a record low for non-delayed broadcasts. Overall, the Chase postseason has averaged 1.71 million viewers through nine races, down 3% from last year. Despite minor upticks in viewership for some individual races this season, substantial drops in others have overshadowed these gains. NASCAR's ongoing challenges with network changes and numerous broadcasts on cable have contributed to viewer frustration.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

Key Details

•1.99 million viewers tuned in for Martinsville race on NBC.
•This is the least-watched non-delayed Cup Series race ever.
•Chase postseason averages 1.71 million viewers through nine races.
•Averages need to rise significantly for season finale to match last year.
•NASCAR's reliance on cable and network shifts frustrate fans.

Latest Updates

1:00 PMYahoo Sports — NASCAR viewership slides to historic low ahead of season finale

What they're saying

"
Viewership woes continue for the NASCAR Cup Series. Sunday’s Cup Series race at Martinsville averaged 1.99 million viewers on NBC. That figure is down 15% from last year’s race (2.35 million) and, more notably, marks the least-watched non-delayed NASCAR Cup Series race ever to air on broadcast television. This comes after an increase in viewership…
— Yahoo Sports

Related Teams & Leagues

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