The Complete 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series on the CW TV Ratings Tracker
What’s Happening? Throughout every NASCAR season, NASCAR fans often use TV viewership to gauge how interested the broader sports world is…
The NASCAR National Series consists of the three NASCAR top touring divisions of NASCAR. This season, the two lower series, the Trucks and Xfinity Series, are seeing two drastically different levels of viewership. So, what surface factors could be causing this, and what other factors might be in play?
What’s Happening? Throughout every NASCAR season, NASCAR fans often use TV viewership to gauge how interested the broader sports world is…
Ratings and viewership were going to be a major storyline of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season this year. After all, it’s the series’ first full season on the massive CW Network and its first season on a solo network since 2014.
Viewership was expected to increase in 2025 after a messy 2024 season, in which the Series raced on FS1, FOX, NBC, USA Network, and the CW. However, right out of the gate, the CW has exploded in viewership. Through the first six races of 2025, the CW is up 1.764 million viewers over 2024 and is averaging 0.294 million more viewers than the 2024 season through its first six races.
The Series made an immediate splash in 2025, with a whopping 1.825 million viewers for the season opener at Daytona, a 95.606% increase from 2024’s 0.933 million viewers. This was second best to the Cup Series, which had 6.761 for the Daytona 500, and led the ARCA Menards Series, the fourth national touring series in NASCAR, which had 1.160 million viewers on FOX.
What’s Happening? NASCAR on the CW drew a massive 1.8 million viewers for Saturday Night’s Xfinity Series season opener from Daytona….
However, leaving Daytona, the biggest shock of all was the Truck Series, who, for the first time since 2018, failed to draw 1 million viewers for the Friday night race. This minuscule 0.990 million viewers followed a three-year high of 1.057 million viewers in 2024.
These viewership struggles continued in Atlanta, where the series saw a 26.149% decrease from 2024, and Las Vegas, where a rain-delayed race saw a 46.269% decrease from 2024. While the Trucks have yet to break 1 million viewers for a race this season, topping out at 0.990 million at Daytona, the Xfinity Series has yet to drop below a million, having seen yet another boost this past weekend.
So, what could be the reason for such a stark difference in NASCAR’s secondary and tertiary levels?
What’s Happening? The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener on FS1 pulled less than one million viewers for the first…
While the Truck Series lost to ARCA at Daytona, outside factors, such as Cleetus McFarland’s NASCAR debut and the race being on “Big” FOX, affected this. Similar things are in play with the Xfinity and Truck Series right now.
A refreshed look for the Xfinity Series on the CW was always going to draw eyes and interest. While this viewership fell from 1.825 to 1.306 from Daytona to Atlanta, the series has stabilized. This is perhaps thanks to the CW’s massive network, which, despite regional race day blackouts, they claim, “reaches 100% of US television households.”
The trucks are mostly on the cable channel FS1 but soared back to almost a million viewers this past weekend at Homestead when airing on “Big FOX.” However, the on-track product, or rather, those taking part in the on-track product, could be the difference maker.
What’s Happening? The NASCAR Xfinity Series made a full-time switch to the CW this season. While most fans have no problem…
For example, the Xfinity Series Rookie class alone is packed with big-name prospects like Carson Kvapil, Christian Eckes, Connor Zilisch, Nick Sanchez, Taylor Gray, and William Sawalich. These drivers, alongside favorites like Austin Hill, Jesse Love, Justin Allgaier, and Sam Mayer, draw a stark contrast to a talented Truck Series field that lacks star power.
While the Trucks have a fair share of big names, like Corey Heim, Ty Majeski, and Daniel Hemric, the Truck Series rookie class does not have the name power that the Xfinity Series has.
That’s not to say the rookie class doesn’t have big names, such as Frankie Muniz and Toni Breidinger; the fact is most of them have yet to make a name for themselves as future needle pushers in NASCAR. After all, isn’t this the point of the Truck Series, to begin molding the future of NASCAR for a national audience?
Either way, both series have solid racing and a swath of talent racing, yet the Xfinity Series has the upper hand in popularity in the foreseeable future.
What’s Happening? The Rookie of the Year battle is one of the best battles throughout the NASCAR season. The award, given…
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