In yet another new date, and with an entirely new configuration, NASCAR’s annual stop that the Brickyard hit a new ratings low.
Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race from the Brickyard road course averaged a 1.8 rating and 2.83 million viewers on NBC, marking the lowest rated and least-watched Cup Series race from the Brickyard on record (excludes rainouts). Prior to this year, NASCAR raced on the Brickyard oval rather than the road course.
A.J. Allmendinger’s win, which peaked with 3.5 million viewers, declined a third in ratings and 35% in viewership from last year, when the race was run over July 4 weekend and one of the first marquee sporting events in months (2.7, 4.34M). The share (the percentage of television homes viewing the race out of the number of homes with television in use) was down just 4%. HUT (households using televisions) levels on Sunday were down a whopping 30% from last year’s race date.
Ratings and viewership also dropped 5% from 2019, when the race took place in September and aired opposite NFL games (1.9, 2.97M).
The green flag dropped at 1:27 PM ET, marking the earliest start for any non-rain delayed race since 2017. Due to various delays, the race was punted off of the NBC broadcast network before its conclusion. An hour of bonus coverage on NBCSN — which overlapped some with the NBC broadcast — averaged 693,000, with a half-hour of post-race coverage considerably higher at 1.38 million.
Notably, the Brickyard ranks as the least-watched Cup Series race on broadcast television this season (12 total). It averaged fewer viewers than this year’s July 4 weekend race at Road America (3.08M).
When the Brickyard made its return to the NBC broadcast network in 2017, it averaged a comparably massive 3.4 and 5.63 million. That was followed by three date changes in the next four years — to the fall, then to July 4 weekend, and now to August.
In other action at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a move from NBC to NBCSN sank Saturday’s IndyCar-NASCAR doubleheader. The NASCAR Xfinity Series race drew a 0.56 (-49%) and 921,000 (-45%), while the preceding IndyCar race had a 0.30 (-61%) and 502,000 (-56%).
