Overview

• USA Network’s New Hampshire playoff race averaged a 0.70 rating and 1.29 million viewers, down from 1.0 and 1.88 million for last year’s event at the same track and from 0.96 and 1.79 million for last year’s fourth playoff race at Kansas.
• Season-to-date Cup Series viewership is down roughly 13% year over year, with playoff races off nearly 17% compared with 2024.
• New Hampshire Motor Speedway reported a sellout, underscoring strong in-person demand even as national TV reach shrank.
• Reported factors include record NFL audiences, more races on cable or streaming, and a competing Fox News memorial broadcast that some journalists say siphoned viewers on race day.
• Nielsen’s 2025 Big Data + Panel methodology complicates direct comparisons, and industry voices are floating fixes from playoff or points adjustments to new revenue streams and manufacturer interest, with some urging patience before judging reforms.