NASCAR’s been taking a beating in the ratings game lately, and the numbers are tough to swallow. The 2025 New Hampshire playoff race pulled just 1.29 million viewers with a 0.70 rating on USA Network, a gut-punching 28% drop from last year’s 1.88 million and 1.0 rating. It’s not a one-off; the Cup Series is averaging 2.52 million viewers per race, down 13% from 2024’s 2.916 million. Playoff races, the sport’s supposed crown jewel, are tanking hardest, some dipping below 2 million.

The culprits are piling up: the NFL’s Sunday stranglehold, a playoff format wearing thin, Next Gen car grumbles, and a schedule that’s got fans scrambling to keep up. It’s a perfect storm, and NASCAR’s feeling the chill. The NFL’s pulling 17.5 million viewers a game, while younger fans ditch cable for streaming,

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