NederlandsNBC finale viewing figures fall year on year
Source: Motorsport.com · · added 33 minutes ago
NBC's live broadcast of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway recorded a 1.37 rating and 2.471 million viewers. That compares with a 1.45 rating and 2.774 million viewers for the 2025 finale at Phoenix Raceway, which was also on NBC.
The 2026 season was the first to use a Chase championship format since 2013. Kyle Larson had already secured his third NASCAR Cup title early in Stage 1, while Ryan Blaney went on to win the race with a late pass.
According to Sports Business Journal, NASCAR averaged 2.419 million viewers across the 2026 Cup Series season, down 2% from 2.479 million in 2025. The article notes that the ratings measurement method changed this year, with Nielsen Media Research moving to a new 'Big Data + Panel' metric.