Despite a record-low finish, the 2020 NASCAR season held up reasonably well in the ratings.
Last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series finale from Phoenix averaged a 1.9 rating and 3.06 million viewers on NBC, marking the lowest rated and least-watched Cup Series finale on record. Ratings fell 14% and viewership 18% from last year’s finale at Homestead-Miami (2.2, 3.74M).
Since 2015, when NASCAR ended its season with a 4.4 and 7.64 million for Jeff Gordon’s final race, ratings and viewership for the season finale have declined in each subsequent year.
Chase Elliott’s win, which peaked with 4.09 million viewers from 6-6:15 PM ET, did increase 19% in ratings and viewership from last year’s fall Phoenix race, which was the second-to-last of the season (1.6, 2.57M). It topped only that race as the lowest rated at Phoenix since at least 2000 and least-watched since at least 2001.
The complete 36-race NASCAR Cup Series schedule — including all rain-affected races — averaged 3.06 million viewers, down 2% from last year. Taking out the record-low Daytona 500, which was run primarily on a Monday afternoon due to rain, the remaining races increased 1%.
The 2% dip compares to double-digit declines for the majority of sports properties this year.
The season started on a promising note with a 19% increase for the first 20 laps of the Daytona 500. Then came a one-day postponement that sank the race to its lowest rating and viewership ever (4.4, 7.33M). NASCAR seemed to recapture some momentum with back-to-back increases at Las Vegas and Fontana, but that was followed by a dip at Phoenix and a two-month hiatus.
NASCAR returned in May with a stronger-than-usual audience at Darlington, but that performance was unsustainable. Ratings and viewership soon fell to new depths during a compressed stretch that included weeknight races and weekend doubleheaders. The schedule returned to normal just in time for the start of football season — extra crowded this year with the addition of NBA and NHL playoff games, not to mention sharply increased cable news viewing — and at one point six-straight races declined to multi-year lows.
In other season-ending action, last Saturday’s Xfinity Series finale from Phoenix averaged a 0.6 and 980,000 on NBCSN — down a tick in ratings and 18% in viewership from last year’s finale at Homestead (0.7, 1.20M). Compared to last year’s comparable Phoenix race, which aired on the NBC broadcast network, ratings still fell a tick and viewership 12% (from 1.11M).
Last Friday’s Truck Series finale averaged a 0.29 and 493,000 on FS1, up 21% in ratings and 26% in viewership from last year’s Homestead finale (0.24, 392K) and up 7% and 23% respectively from last year’s comparable Phoenix race (0.27, 401K).
2020 NASCAR ratings, viewership
Compared to same races in 2019
| Date | Race | Net | Rtg. | +/- | Vwrs. | +/- |
| Sun., 2/16, Mon., 2/17 |
Daytona 500^ | FOX | 4.4 | — | 7.330M | — |
| Sun., 2/23 | Las Vegas | FOX | 3.2 | +7% | 5.500M | +8% |
| Sun., 3/1 | Auto Club | FOX | 2.9 | +16% | 4.789M | +15% |
| Sun., 3/8 | Phoenix | FOX | 2.7 | -7% | 4.575M | -5% |
| Sun., 5/17 | Darlington I | FOX | 3.7 | — | 6.323M | — |
| Wed., 5/20 | Darlington II | FS1 | 1.2 | — | 2.087M | — |
| Sun., 5/24 | Charlotte I | FOX | 2.4 | -8% | 3.963M | -7% |
| Thu., 5/28 | Charlotte II^ | FS1 | 0.9 | — | 1.508M | — |
| Sun., 5/31 | Bristol 1 | FS1 | 1.7 | flat | 2.932M | +4% |
| Sun., 6/7 | Atlanta 2 | FOX | 2.5 | -19% | 3.957M | -22% |
| Wed., 6/10 | Martinsville 3 | FS1 | 1.1 | -27% | 1.711M | -30% |
| Sun., 6/14 | Homestead 4 | FOX | 1.8 | -20% | 2.775M | -26% |
| Mon., 6/22 | Talladega^ | FOX | 2.1 | — | 3.330M | — |
| Sat., 6/27 | Pocono I | FOX | 1.6 | +12% | 2.570M | +8% |
| Sun., 6/28 | Pocono II | FS1 | 1.6 | -6% | 2.660M | -2% |
| Sun., 7/5 | Brickyard | NBC | 2.7 | +42% | 4.343M | +46% |
| Sun., 7/12 | Kentucky | FS1 | 1.6 | +33% | 2.575M | +24% |
| Wed., 7/15 | All-Star Race 5 | FS1 | 1.3 | -7% | 2.076M | -15% |
| Sun., 7/19 | Texas 6 | NBCSN | 1.7 | -23% | 2.731M | -25% |
| Thu., 7/23 | Kansas 7 | NBCSN | 0.9 | -25% | 1.470M | -32% |
| Sun., 8/2 | New Hampshire | NBCSN | 1.4 | -18% | 2.210M | -21% |
| Sat., 8/8 | Michigan I* 8 | NBCSN | 1.0 | — | 1.649M | — |
| Sun., 8/9 | Michigan II | NBCSN | 1.4 | -22% | 2.371M | -18% |
| Sun., 8/16 | Daytona Roval | NBC | 2.0 | — | 3.237M | — |
| Sat., 8/22 | Dover I* 9 | NBCSN | 1.1 | — | 1.771M | — |
| Sun., 8/23 | Dover II | NBCSN | 1.2 | +9% | 1.946M | +7% |
| Sat., 8/29 | Daytona II* | NBC | 2.4 | — | 3.869M | — |
| Sun., 9/6 | Darlington III | NBCSN | 1.4 | +27% | 2.434M | +31% |
| Sat., 9/12 | Richmond II | NBCSN | 1.05 | -5% | 1.738M | -2% |
| Sat., 9/19 | Bristol II | NBCSN | 1.2 | -20% | 2.121M | -15% |
| Sun., 9/27 | Las Vegas II | NBCSN | 1.15 | -19% | 1.970M | -17% |
| Sun., 10/4 | Talladega II* | NBC | 1.9 | — | 3.100M | — |
| Sun., 10/11 | Charlotte II | NBC | 1.7 | -7% | 2.778M | -8% |
| Sun., 10/18 | Kansas II | NBC | 1.5 | -25% | 2.511M | -24% |
| Wed., 10/28 | Texas II^ | NBCSN | 0.7 | — | 1.200M | — |
| Sun., 11/1 | Martinsville II | NBC | 1.65 | +20% | 2.718M | +21% |
| Sun., 11/8 | Phoenix II | NBC | 1.9 | +19% | 3.063M | +19% |
^: This year’s race PPD due to rain; no comparison
*: Last year’s race PPD due to rain; no comparison
1: Bristol I originally scheduled for April 5
2: Atlanta originally scheduled for March 15
3: Martinsville I originally scheduled for May 9 (Saturday)
4: Homestead originally scheduled for March 22
5: Texas I originally scheduled for March 29
6: Kansas I originally scheduled for May 31
7: All-Star Race originally scheduled for May 16
8: Michigan I originally scheduled for June 7
9: Dover I originally scheduled for May 3
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 11.10, NASCAR]
