Ratings sputtered to historic lows for the penultimate race of the NASCAR season.
Last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff race from Phoenix averaged a 1.6 rating and 2.57 million viewers on NBC, marking the lowest rated Cup Series race on broadcast television since at least 2000 and the least-watched since at least 2001 (excluding rainouts).
The previous lows were a 1.7 (multiple races) and 2.75 million (Kansas last fall).
Denny Hamlin’s win also ranks as the lowest rated Phoenix race since at least 2000 and the least-watched since at least 2001.
Ratings fell 20% and viewership 22% from the previous lows set last year (2.0, 3.31M) and 27% and 29% respectively from 2017 (2.2, 3.64M). This year’s numbers were about half of what the race drew five years ago on ESPN (3.1, 5.09M).
Phoenix was the 18th race this season to set or tie a ratings low and the 15th to do so in viewership.
Last week’s results were a marked shift from the previous race on broadcast TV, Kansas last month. Ratings and viewership for that race hit a three-year high.
Lowest rated/least-watched NASCAR races on broadcast TV
This year’s races highlighted
| Lowest rated (dates back to 2000) | Least-watched (dates back to 2001) | ||||||||
| # | YEAR | GAME | RTG | NET | # | YEAR | GAME | VWRS | NET |
| 1 | 2019 | Phoenix (fall) | 1.6 | NBC | 1 | 2019 | Phoenix (fall) | 2.567M | NBC |
| 2 | 2019 | Richmond (spr.) | 1.7 | FOX | 2 | 2018 | Kansas (fall) | 2.748M | NBC |
| 2018 | Kansas (fall) | 1.7 | NBC | 3 | 2019 | Richmond (spr.) | 2.787M | FOX | |
| 4 | 2019 | Charlotte (fall) | 1.8 | NBC | 4 | 2017 | Charlotte (fall) | 2.859M | NBC |
| 2018 | Richmond (spr.) | 1.8 | FOX | 5 | 2019 | Brickyard | 2.969M | NBC | |
| 2017 | Charlotte (fall) | 1.8 | NBC | 6 | 2019 | Charlotte (fall) | 3.024M | NBC | |
| 7 | 2019 | Brickyard | 1.9 | NBC | 7 | 2018 | Richmond (fall) | 3.033M | FOX |
| 8 | 2018 | Charlotte (fall) | 1.95 | NBC | 8 | 2018 | Charlotte (fall) | 3.218M | NBC |
| 9 | 2019 | Kansas (fall) | 2.0 | NBC | 9 | 2019 | Kansas (fall) | 3.304M | NBC |
| 2018 | Phoenix (fall) | 2.0 | NBC | 10 | 2018 | Phoenix (fall) | 3.307M | NBC | |
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 11.12]
