The NASCAR schedule is underway for the 2024 season with fans tuned in closely for the Xfinity Series and Cup Series on the road to the playoffs. While NASCAR ratings aren’t the highest in pro sports, racing continues to do a solid job pulling in millions of viewers.
This includes the total viewership, the percentage being up or down compared to last year, and extra information that can range from unfortunate circumstances for television coverage to the household share. You will find all of your NASCAR ratings coverage at Sportsnaut.
Related: Why Bubba Wallace is one of the best NASCAR drivers in 2024
Bookmark this page for NASCAR ratings as another year of racing is officially underway!
NASCAR TV ratings 2024
Here are the NASCAR ratings for the 2024 season with our focus on the Cup Series.
| Race | TV Ratings (Avg. Viewers) |
|---|---|
| GEICO 500 | TBD |
| EchoPark Automotive 400 – Texas (FS1) | 2.31 million (4% increase from 2023) |
| Cook Out 400 (FS1) | 2.191 million (2.21 in 2023) |
| Toyota Owners 400 (FOX) | 3.31 million (2023 on FS1) |
| EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (FOX) | 3.31 million (6% increase) |
| Food City 500 (FOX) | 3.809 million (11% increase) |
| Shriners Children’s 500 (FOX) | 4.028 million (19% increase) |
| Penzoil 400 (FOX) | 4.359 million (9% increase) |
| Ambetter Health 400 (FOX) | 4.546 million (5% increase) |
| DAYTONA 500 (FOX) | 5.96 million (27% decrease) |
| Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum (FS1) | 1.511 million (3.647 in ’23) |
Also Read: WNBA TV ratings
Are NASCAR ratings up or down for NASCAR?
NASCAR TV ratings in 2024 are up in comparison to the 2023 season. While the Daytona 500 saw a 27 percent drop in its viewership, seven NASCAR races this season have delivered increased viewership compared to their counterparts in the 2023 season.
Related: NASCAR standings, NASCAR playoff picture for Cup Series
Is NASCAR gaining or losing popularity?
Based on the 2023 NASCAR ratings, the sport remains relatively popular across the United States. After the early audience sizes started dipping in April, the numbers stabilized this summer. Overall, NASCAR is averages around the same viewership size as it did in 2022.
Also Read: UFL TV ratings
NASCAR TV Ratings at Daytona International
NASCAR is starting to experience a consistent dip in its TV ratings, especially in comparison to previous seasons. The final race of the regular season at Daytona International Speedway, with a single playoff spot on the line, averaged 3.268 million viewers on Saturday for NBC.
While that is an improvement over more recent TV ratings for NASCAR, it is the lowest audience size in years at Daytona for a Saturday night race. COmpared to 2021, the last Saturday night race, viewership was down nearly 17 percent.
NASCAR TV Ratings at Watkins Glen
NASCAR’s final race on Sunday for the regular season was one of the shortest in the modern era, with the race at Watkins Glen International lasting under 2 hours from start to finish. While it was one of the fastest NASCAR races ever, it didn’t perform as well as hoped on T.
According to Austin Konenski of USA Today, Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International averaged 2.310 million viewers for USA Network. That represents a 9.9 percent drop in comparison to the audience for the race at Watkins Glen in 2022 (2.563 million viewers).
NASCAR Ratings: Verizon 200 at The Brickyard
NASCAR fans in attendance for the Verizon 20 at The Brickyard enjoyed seeing Michael McDowell win on the Indianapolis road course. For those watching at home, the NASCAR TV ratings reflect the up-and-downs season racing is experiencing for viewership.
As reported by Austin Konenski of USA Today, the Brickyard 200 finished with an average of 2.838 million viewers for NBC on Sunday. For comparison, that’s a 15.9 percent drop from last season’s race in Indianapolis (3.373 million viewers).
NASCAR Xfinity Series gaining popularity
While the NASCAR Cup Series is largely maintaining its television ratings from the previous season, the NASCAR Xfinity Series is going through a popularity boom. The race last Saturday broadcasted on Peacock and NBC averaged 1.659 million viewers, making it the most-watched Xfinity Series race at Michigan in a decade. It was also the most-watched sporting event on Saturday. Furthermore, NBC Sports is experiencing its highest TV ratings for the Xfinity Series since 2017.
NASCAR ratings 2023
| Track | Viewership |
| Cup Series at Daytona International | 3.268 million viewers (16.8% diPp) |
| Cup Series at Watkins Glen International | 2.310 million viewers (9.9% dip) |
| Verizon 200 at The Brickyard | 2.838 million viewers (15.9% dip from ’22) |
| Michigan International Speedway | TBA |
| Richmond Raceway | 2.43 million viewers (1.41 rating) |
| Pocono Raceway | 2.59 million viewers (1.56 rating) |
| Atlanta Motor Speedway | 2.56 million viewers (1.45 rating) |
| Chicago Street Course | 4.63 million viewers (2.5 rating) |
| Nashville Superspeedway (Ally 400) | 3.23 million viewers |
| Sonoma Raceway | 2.912 million viewers |
| Charlotte Motor Speedway (Coca-Cola 600) | 4.06 million viewers |
| NASCAR All-Star Race | 2.203 million |
| Darlington Raceway | 2.689 million |
| Kansas Speedway | 2.352 million |
| Dover Motor Speedway | 1.067 million |
| Talladega Superspeedway | 4.554 million |
| Martinsville Speedway | 2.218 million |
| Bristol Dirt | 3.450 million |
| Richmond Raceway | 2.303 million |
| Circuit of the Americas | 3.129 million |
| Atlanta Motor Speedway | 3.422 million |
| Phoenix Raceway | 3.389 million |
| Las Vegas Motor Speedway | 3.991 million |
| Auto Club Speedway | 4.315 million |
| 2023 Daytona 500 | 8.181 million |
| Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum | 3.647 million |
NASCAR ratings: Kansas sees slight increase from last season
The NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas averaged 2.352 million average viewers on FS1 last weekend. The event was up 0.01% compared to last year at 2.337 million average viewers on FS1.
This marks the fourth straight week that NASCAR has been up in viewership. The start of the season was rough but things have really started to turn around as of late. It will still take quite a recovery to be up compared to last season overall.
In fact, the last four weeks prove that it is not simply a TV problem. If people want to watch a race, they will tune in to see the action. Hopefully, this represents the start of a turnaround for the long haul.
Related: NASCAR power rankings during the 2023 season
NASCAR TV ratings 2022
The NASCAR ratings for the 2022 season are the best they have been in four years. Overall, NASCAR brought in 114.231 million average viewers throughout the entire 2022 season which marks its best since the 2018 season (120.454 million average viewers). It was a successful year as the sport averaged over three million average viewers per race.
Are NASCAR ratings on the rise or decline?
NASCAR ratings have been on the decline over the last decade as they have taken a significant drop. It has been a challenge for the sport to consistently grab the attention of its audience; however, there are reasons for optimism as the 2022 season represented a step in the right direction. NASCAR sits on an upward trajectory for the first time in a while.