In the desert heat of Las Vegas, where fortunes change with the flip of a card, NASCAR’s viewership story played out like a high-stakes gamble this past weekend. As Josh Berry’s No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford thundered across the finish line at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a bittersweet reality was unfolding behind the celebrations. The iconic track that has hosted NASCAR battles since the 1990s witnessed a remarkable race but one that fewer eyes were watching.
There was a decline in viewership from last year’s event. Yet, like Berry’s unexpected triumph after years of grinding through racing’s lower tiers, NASCAR’s broadcast numbers revealed their own surprising comeback story beneath the surface. The jubilant scene in Victory Lane stood in stark contrast to the television ratings reports that arrived Tuesday. The numbers told a tale of two races: one on the asphalt and another for America’s eyeballs during a jam-packed sports weekend.
FOX Sports revealed that Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 attracted 3.011 million viewers on FS1, earning a 1.48 rating. While impressive in isolation, these figures represent a substantial 31% decline from last year’s race, which drew 4.36 million viewers. The primary culprit wasn’t race quality but a shift in broadcasting strategy. Moving from FOX’s main broadcast network last year to the cable-only FS1 this season. Moreover, NASCAR’s weekend was contested by a couple of other major events.
.@FS1 got a 1.48 rating and 3.011 million viewers for Sunday’s @Pennzoil 400 at Vegas, the best for a NASCAR event on cable since spring Darlington 2021.
No direct comp to last year because Vegas was held at an earlier date + the comparable fifth points race was on @FoxTV. pic.twitter.com/RB2XaHbmyq
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) March 18, 2025
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament Selection Show commanded 5.71 million viewers on CBS during the same weekend. Whereas, the Michigan-Wisconsin Big Ten Tournament final drew 4.53 million viewers earlier in the day. According to Sports Media Watch, the selection show peaked at 6.16 million viewers, more than double NASCAR’s peak audience. Adam Stern of The Sports Business Journal noted that NASCAR was competing not just against basketball but also major NBA matchups and the final round of The Players Championship golf tournament—creating a perfect storm of sports viewing options.
“That’s the best number for a NASCAR event on the channel since the spring race at Darlington in 2021,” Stern reported, highlighting the silver lining amid the decline. FOX Sports emphasized that the race was up +26 from last year’s FS1 average, with viewership peaking at 3.38 million. Moreover, it ranked as the channel’s most-watched telecast since last year’s MLB NLCS Game 6 between the Mets and Dodgers—no small achievement for a cable broadcast.
How America’s Second Favorite Sport Lost Ground to NCAA
NASCAR’s engine roars were heard throughout the country to levels comparable with massive popularity during the sport’s golden age spanning the 1990s and 2000s. Charismatic figures like Dale Sr. and Jeff Gordon escalated NASCAR from regional racing to become a national phenomenon that seamlessly merged with American traditions through Sunday race wins that delivered daily car sales benefits to manufacturers. The sport succeeded in securing valuable television broadcast agreements together with corporate sponsorships which established NASCAR as a dominant national sport business.
A combo of detrimental factors damaged NASCAR’s longstanding leadership position through two critical phases: first the older demographics of viewers shifted from 40-year-olds in 2006 to 50 and 60-year-olds in 2017. And second fans tilted their interest in e-sports and Formula 1 racing. Meanwhile, the standardization of cars, the “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” diminished manufacturer distinctiveness—once a cornerstone of fan identity.
The strategic decision at FOX involves shifting NASCAR events to FS1 because March Madness reaches a more diverse viewership base along with stronger ratings statistics that became evident in the 5.71 million Selection Sunday audience versus the 3.01 million viewers for the Las Vegas NASCAR race. The NCAA tournament features quick easy-to-follow high-stakes competitions which align perfectly with current viewers who have shorter periods of focus. NASCAR must develop new street racing and digital engagement projects to regain cultural standing following its successful $7.7 billion media rights agreement starting in 2025 because young fans have lost interest in traditional televised NASCAR events.
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