For the second time in three weeks, NASCAR earned one of its lowest ratings in recent memory.
Last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Dover averaged a 1.1 rating and 1.83 million viewers on NBCSN, marking the lowest rated edition of the race since at least 2000 and the least-watched since at least 2001. Figures prior to those years were not available.
The 1.1 is tied as the lowest Cup Series rating this season, matching Richmond two weeks earlier and the delayed Darlington race on Labor Day weekend. Dating back to the start of NASCAR’s current TV format in 2001, only one race has had a lower rating — Richmond last year (1.0).
Kyle Larson’s win declined a tick in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year (1.2, 2.01M) and 15% and 11% respectively from 2017 (1.3, 2.05M).
Ratings and viewership have declined in six consecutive years, falling to less than half of what they were five years ago (2.3, 3.79M) and a just over a third of what they were a decade ago (3.1, 5.08M).
Despite the lower numbers, NBC Sports’ Cup Series viewership remains up 2% to an average of 2.48 million for the season (including streaming).
While 12 Cup Series races have increased this season — the most in a single season since 2013 — the majority of races this year have declined.
Dover was the 16th race this season to set or tie an all-time or decade-plus ratings low, joining the Daytona 500, Atlanta, Martinsville, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Kansas, Kentucky, Chicagoland, Watkins Glen, Darlington, the Brickyard 400, the Charlotte Roval and both Pocono races.
It was the 13th to hit a viewership low, a list that includes the above races, minus Kansas, Chicagoland and the Roval.
Lowest NASCAR Ratings, Viewership (2001-Present)
This year’s races highlighted
| Lowest Rated | Least-Watched | ||||||||
| # | YEAR | GAME | RTG | NET | # | YEAR | GAME | VWRS | NET |
| 1 | 2018 | Richmond (fall) | 1.0 | NBCSN | 1 | 2018 | Richmond (fall) | 1.774M | NBCSN |
| 2 | 2019 | Dover (fall) | 1.1 | NBCSN | 2 | 2019 | Richmond (fall) | 1.779M | NBCSN |
| 2019 | Richmond (fall) | 1.1 | NBCSN | 3 | 2019 | Dover (fall) | 1.826M | NBCSN | |
| 2019 | Darlington* | 1.1 | NBCSN | 4 | 2019 | Darlington* | 1.855M | NBCSN | |
| 5 | 2019 | Kentucky | 1.2 | NBCSN | 5 | 2017 | N.H. (fall) | 1.992M | NBCSN |
| 2019 | Kansas | 1.2 | FS1 | 6 | 2018 | Dover | 2.009M | NBCSN | |
| 2018 | Dover | 1.2 | NBCSN | 7 | 2018 | Kansas | 2.038M | FS1 | |
| 2018 | Kansas | 1.2 | FS1 | 8 | 2017 | Dover (fall) | 2.046M | NBCSN | |
| 2017 | Richmond (fall) | 1.2 | NBCSN | 9 | 2019 | Kentucky | 2.075M | NBCSN | |
| 10 | four races tied^ | 10 | 2017 | Richmond (fall) | 2.135M | NBCSN | |||
* Race began after 10 PM ET due to inclement weather
^ 2018 Las Vegas (fall), 2018 Kentucky, 2017 Dover (fall), 2017 New Hampshire (fall).
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 10.8]
