The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season concluded with a notable year-over-year decline in television ratings, averaging a 14 percent decrease in viewership. This shift, largely anticipated by NASCAR leadership, is attributed to a strategic recalibration of broadcast rights, which saw a greater emphasis on cable and streaming platforms compared to traditional over-the-air networks.

The season finale at Phoenix Raceway, a marquee event for the series, attracted 2.77 million viewers on NBC. This figure represents a decrease from the 2.9 million who tuned in for the previous year’s championship race. Looking at the overall season averages, the 2025 Cup Series garnered an average of 2.476 million viewers, a stark contrast to the 2.892 million average in 2024, which itself was a modest one percent increase from the 2023 season.

NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps acknowledged these figures during a recent "State of the Sport" press conference, framing the decline as an expected "reset." He explained that internal projections had accounted for this viewership adjustment due to the deliberate move away from a broadcast-heavy schedule towards more cable and streaming placements, including five races aired on Amazon’s Prime Video.

"When the season started, because of the distribution changes to be less broadcast heavy and more cable heavy and streaming, we knew we were going to have a reset," Phelps stated. "We had projected that that reset and told everyone in our industry that reset would be between 14 percent and 15 percent in Cup."

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Despite the overall dip, Phelps expressed satisfaction with the performance of the new media partners. The five races broadcast on Amazon Prime Video, a new addition to the NASCAR media landscape, averaged 2.16 million viewers. This segment of the schedule was met with positive reception from fans, and Phelps lauded the production quality.

"Everyone just raised their game," Phelps commented on the new partnerships. "Amazon’s production was tremendous. Turner Sports was tremendous. NBC already had a high bar, right? The Turner numbers were slightly softer than we thought they would be, slightly, but in line with the projections."

However, the performance of races aired on USA Network, a cable channel, proved to be a point of concern, with viewership frequently struggling to surpass the one million mark. Phelps addressed this directly, noting, "I would say the cable portion of the NBC package has been a little softer than we had expected." He expressed optimism for a rebound in viewership for the remaining NBC broadcasts and for future seasons.

Looking ahead, Phelps articulated a vision of growth for the sport, underpinned by the belief in the quality of racing and the appeal of its stars. "The expectation moving forward, now that we have had the reset, is that we are going to grow," he asserted. "We’re going to grow because we have the best racing in the world, our stars are going to be more out there, we’re creating better content, all the things that make fandom." He concluded by reiterating a lack of concern over the current ratings, stating, "Are we concerned about where the ratings are? No, it’s exactly where we thought they’d be."

This perspective was echoed by veteran team owner Brad Keselowski, who acknowledged the transitional period NASCAR and its stakeholders are navigating. "I think NASCAR and everyone in the industry knew there would be some transition, but we didn’t know what it would be," Keselowski told Motorsport.com. "I think we knew there would be a transition with the viewership habits of our fans."

Keselowski shared his observations on the new media arrangements. "I will tell you I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of Amazon and streaming races," he said. "Conversely, I was disappointed in the races we had on cable and broadcast has done what we thought it would do." He added, "I guess we’re fixed on this for the next six years so we’ll have to make the most of it."

In contrast to the Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series experienced a significant boost in its television ratings, achieving its best performance in four years. This surge is directly linked to the strategic decision to broadcast all Xfinity races on The CW Network, a move that placed every event on a broadcast television platform. The series averaged over one million viewers throughout the season, with a precise average of 1,034,000 viewers, marking a 10 percent increase from the previous year’s viewership on FS1 and USA Network.

The Xfinity Series finale on Saturday also delivered an impressive 1,015,000 viewers, a notable achievement considering it competed directly against college football and Game 7 of the World Series on FOX. Phelps lauded this strategic shift as successful.

"We also told them we probably have a double-digit increase in Xfinity," Phelps remarked, referring to the projected growth.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, meanwhile, maintained its viewership trends, largely due to its consistent distribution primarily on FS1 with some races on FOX. Phelps noted that the Cup Series ratings are down 14 percent, aligning precisely with predictions. He also commended the FOX portion of the season for its strong ratings performance.

Phelps further elaborated on the demographic impact of the new media rights. "We surmised that the audience makeup of Amazon would be younger, and it was by about six years. Then the production value that FOX and NBC have had traditionally, amazing."

The NASCAR Cup Series’ viewership trajectory in 2025 reflects a broader trend in sports broadcasting, where the fragmentation of media consumption and the migration to digital platforms are reshaping how audiences engage with live sports. While the immediate impact has been a quantifiable dip in traditional ratings, NASCAR’s leadership appears committed to a long-term strategy focused on adapting to these evolving viewership habits and leveraging new technologies to foster future growth. The performance of the Xfinity Series offers a promising counterpoint, suggesting that strategic media placement can indeed yield positive results.

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