Trouble has been brewing in NASCAR for quite some time now. There are concerns regarding the steady decline in viewership numbers for the playoffs and championship finale races.
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There are of course several factors for the same, but the entry of Formula 1 and its rapid expansion and general low interest from the young demographic toward NASCAR has also played a part.
A recent report from the Sports Business Journal indicates that the Cup Series experienced a 5% decline in viewership this season, having an average of 2.86 million viewers across NBC, Fox, FS1, and USA. Considering last year’s numbers, which were around 3.03 million viewers, this has been a significant drop.
Interestingly, the Championship race at Phoenix last weekend saw a surge in viewership, with 3 million viewers tuning in. Despite this, it is possible that this was the least-watched Cup finale since the playoff system was introduced back in 2004.
NBC had positive growth in terms of average viewership
Meanwhile, NBC Sports had an average of 2.47 million viewers for its 20 races in the latter part of the season, which is up approximately 1% from last year. The Xfinity Series had just over 1 million viewers, while the Craftsman Truck Series experienced a 5% decline with 594,000 viewers.
Although a 1% growth in numbers isn’t all that mind-numbing considering the overall downfall in viewership numbers with each passing year, it still is something amid all of the other troubling signs.
Meanwhile, the debut Chicago Street Race was a hit among the fans, drawing in 4.79 million viewers and marking the broadcaster’s best Cup Series race in six years.
The numbers might have been a positive thing to look at for NBC from a business perspective, but if NASCAR does not act upon their marketing game among other things, the future of the sport could be even more dreadful.
