The NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 playoff opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway drew just 1.290 million viewers, down from 1.88 million a year ago. The steep 31.8% drop made it the lowest-rated race of the 2025 Cup season. USA Network registered a 0.70 rating, down from last year’s 1.0 in New Hampshire. It is also down from the 0.96 rating and 1.79 million viewers garnered by the fourth playoff race at Kansas.
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Veteran NASCAR reporter Steven Taranto attributed this dip to the packed schedule. The Cup Series has not had a week off since Easter and will not until the season ends. That means 27 consecutive weeks of racing.
Fatigue, Taranto argued, is bound to creep in for the average viewer, especially with 36 races on the slate compared to 30 or 32 in the past. This, he felt, comes even before factors such as broader shifts in the media landscape, which could be one of the reasons for the drop in viewership.
Fans also chimed in, echoing the sentiment that the jam-packed calendar may be wearing them down. “This is the real answer. I’ve been watching consistently since 1992, and by the time the final 10 races hit, I’m getting burned out on watching. However, I do not feel this way about Trucks or Xfinity. I could watch those divisions 12 months per year,” wrote a fan.
Another follower added, “I watch virtually every race and I’ve been a fan since I was a kid in the 80s. But I’ve long believed the season is just too long. 38 total weeks out of 52 is a lot. And by the time football season rolls around, I’m ready to watch something else for a change on Sunday. I still check in on the race and the championship battle, but I choose to watch other things from time to time at this point in the season.”
A third fan cut to the chase, writing, “Agree. NASCAR isn’t dying, but it is hurting. They needed to adapt to a changing world and [a] changing demographic. They adapted poorly and need to reset.”
Here’s something I don’t think has been brought up yet: There hasn’t been a week off for Cup since Easter and won’t be until the season ends. That’s 27 straight weeks of racing.
Fatigue is a very real thing for the average viewer and it’s far more real now with 36 races than it… https://t.co/KDuJjAHaoF
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) September 24, 2025
While NASCAR has been doing some heavy lifting to build new stars and boost marketability, the results are not coming out. This, while the NFL ratings are soaring to record highs across every network.
Many feel that a dip in NASCAR viewership is par for the course once football season begins. After all, since college and pro football started on August 23, 2025, NASCAR’s numbers have taken a hit. So, is a shorter season the answer?
Chase Elliott backs shorter schedule to spark fan interest
Elliott has long stood in the camp that less is more. Three years ago, he had tweeted “Less = More.” Elliot’s contention was that a tighter calendar would keep fans engaged and, more importantly, spare NASCAR from head-to-head battles with the NFL, a fight he does not think the sport can win.
And still, his stance remains firm. In an interview with The Athletic back in August, Elliott said the schedule is the one thing he would change if he were NASCAR’s president. He stressed the importance of giving teams and drivers a chance to live normal lives away from the track. That, in his view, would put drivers in better spirits on race weekends.
Elliott also argued that fans would be more eager to see drivers return with renewed energy. And if NASCAR trimmed the schedule smartly, the sport could avoid the clash with football. To be clear, Elliott did not call for fewer races overall. Instead, he advocated ending the season by September or October.
