Nascar continues playoff struggles as 1.54m watch Bristol night race on USA Network

• Viewership fell 17% YoY compared to 2024’s Bristol Night Race
• Previous Saturday races this season were Richmond (1.39m viewers) and Atlanta (1.61m viewers)
• Second time that three consecutive Cup Series races have dropped below 2m viewers

Nascar averaged 1.54 million viewers for last weekend’s Cup Series night race at Bristol Motor Speedway on USA Network.

It marks the lowest audience for the Bristol race since it joined the playoffs schedule in 2020. Compared to last year’s event, viewership fell 17 per cent –  the largest year-over-year (YoY) decrease in the playoffs so far.

Nascar’s Saturday races generally attract lower viewership than the usual Sunday slots. Recent Saturday races for comparison include Richmond (1.39 million viewers) and Atlanta (1.61 million viewers).

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In terms of viewership, the start to the Nascar playoffs has been a struggle. After three races, the format is averaging 1.65 million viewers, though there is hope that average audiences will rise as the season finale in Phoenix approaches.

Even so, this is only the second time in Nascar history that the Cup Series has averaged fewer than two million viewers for three consecutive races. A fourth would set an unwanted record.

There are still four races to air on USA Network before the final trio of events on the main NBC channel, the fewest number of playoff races on commercial television since 2015. With USA Network currently averaging 1.73 million viewers this season, Nascar’s postseason schedule is at risk of averaging below two million viewers for the first time ever.