As the season draws to a close, NASCAR ratings hit yet another low last week at Phoenix.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs from Phoenix earned a 2.2 rating and 3.6 million viewers on the NBC broadcast network last Sunday, down 8% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (2.4, 4.0M). The 2015 race was delayed due to rain and had a 1.4 and 2.2 million on NBCSN.
Matt Kenseth‘s win ranks as the lowest rated edition of the race since at least 2000 and the least-watched since at least 2001.
As recently as three years ago, the race had a 3.1 and 5.1 million viewers on cable network ESPN.
Excluding rainouts, 25 of 34 races this season have set all-time or decade-plus lows in ratings and viewership. As for the nine others, two tied all-time ratings lows (Texas in April and Kansas in May), one hit a modest three-year low (Atlanta), and three were the second-lowest rated ever (Bristol, Martinsville and the Daytona 500).
Entering Sunday’s season finale, the NASCAR playoffs have averaged 2.93 million viewers on NBC and NBCSN, per Sports Business Daily. That marks a 6% decline from 3.09 million last year, which excludes rainouts at Texas and Charlotte. Including those rainouts, this year’s average is down just 1% from 2.95 million.
[Numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 11.14, Sports Business Daily 11.17]
