How Does NASCAR Weigh up Against Stick & Ball Leagues Such as NFL & NBA

NASCAR is a sport that is rooted in the culture of the United States. But stock car racing itself has faced a steep decline in fan following and viewership since the turn of the century and is just beginning to climb up the ladder again. In 2024, how does it compare to the likes of the NBA and the NFL, which are two of the biggest and most followed sports today?

The average viewership for a NASCAR race this season falls between 2 and 3 million. The most watched race on TV was the Daytona 500 with 5.964 million and the least viewed was the second race in Kansas with a viewership of 1.794 million. These figures aren’t anywhere close to challenging the numbers of professional basketball or baseball.

The NBA finals that unfolded last June had 11.3 million people tune in to watch it, and that was the lowest viewership in the previous three years. The average viewership over the postseason was 4.4 million (a 12% decline from 2023), according to numbers from Forbes. These figures are still considerably higher than NASCAR. The trend follows when compared with MLB as well.

The NFL season kicked off in September and the very first week garnered an average viewership of 21 million across all platforms. This was a record for the sport and it has since seen the numbers maintain a healthy consistency with a rough estimate of 18 million people watching each game through Week 4. Again, numbers that NASCAR can’t contend with.

Where do these numbers put NASCAR?

NASCAR in comparison is clearly not in the position of being the most popular sport in the United States. Basketball, football, and baseball have struck a better chord with fans than stock car racing has. The reasons for this could be plenty. However, NASCAR has been making big steps towards regaining its lost luster.

The Chicago Street Course race was one big initiative. It garnered a viewership of 3.8 million in 2024, a number 35% higher than the 2023 Cup Series average on NBC. Furthermore, the promotion has also announced that the field will be traveling to Mexico next year to hold its first competitive international event.

Such measures are bound to get stock car racing closer to the NBA and NFL. However, for now, NASCAR is struggling to keep its fans and attract the younger generation. This is evident when looking at the overall falling averages from year to year.