The NASCAR playoff format is something that has seen quite a few changes since its introduction in the schedule. The current format has met with polarizing opinions from both fans and drivers alike and has been a subject of controversy since its inception. Speaking on that subject, spotters Brett Griffin and Freddie Kraft recently shared their opinion and if there was any problem with it.
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The two shared their take on the topic suggesting that it was the best playoff format that they ever had. Although, it seemed that there was one interesting caveat to that – the poor ratings of the Championship race at Phoenix.
Spotters Brett Griffin and Freddie Kraft debate the current playoff format
Kraft stated, “I will always say, from a fan perspective, this is the best format we’ve ever had. From a true racer that I’ve grown up being a racer my whole life. My dad was a racer, you know, I would rather see a season long and I don’t care if the guy wraps it up with five races left. You are the season-long champion.”
“You know, Matt Kesenth kind of ruined that by just being ultra consistent one year and not winning a race and kicking everybody’s. I think he didn’t win a race and still had wrapped it up before we got to the final race. Obviously, that’s not exciting…”
Griffin mentioned, “But I’m gonna play rebuttal on your I don’t disagree with you, but I’m gonna play devil’s advocate. When you’re saying Phoenix is going to be so exciting because we’re going to have four guys going for the championship. Well, our TV ratings sure don’t scream that they are super exciting.”
Kraft added, “I don’t know that that doesn’t have a lot to do with where we’re having that race at. Because we’ve Jamie McMurray came on this podcast and said we haven’t had a good race of Phoenix since 1989.”
What was the TV rating for the championship finale last year?
The 2022 season saw the championship battle breakout between Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, and Christopher Bell. Going into the race, Logano had raked up pole position during the qualifying and the stage had been set.
As the race progressed, Elliott and Chastain had an on-track incident that didn’t end too well for the HMS driver, thereby ruining his hopes for the championship. As the checkered flag dropped it was Logano who cruised home with his second championship win, with Chastain in second place.
But at the end of it all, what were the TV ratings for this specific event? Well, as per Racer.com the race had a 1.86 Nielsen rating. Furthermore, the viewership numbers were at 3.213 million during the race. Interestingly, the 2021 season showcased a Nielsen rating of 1.95 along with 3.214 million viewers. However, when looking at the Total Audience Delivery (TAD) combining TV along with steaming the Phoenix race garnered the highest viewership in the past three years, standing at 3.355 million.
