With the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season in the books, let’s take a look at NBC’s viewership stats from this season.
| 2024 Viewers | 2023 Viewers | Change | |
| Total Viewers | 51.043 Million | 49.964 Million | +2.160% |
| Average Viewers Per Race | 2.552 Million | 2.498 Million | +2.160% |
| Total Cable Viewers (Ten Races) | 21.189 Million | 26.485 Million | -19.996% |
| Total Network Viewers (Ten Races) | 29.854 Million | 23.479 Million | +27.717% |
This season, the major boost came from those viewing races on NBC. That 27.717% boost lead the overall boost of 2.610%. NASCAR as a whole saw a 1.210% increase in overall viewership among all points and non-points races on Fox, FS1, NBC, and USA.
However, the series saw a dip on cable (USA) in 2024. This is perhaps due to its competition with the NFL and a handful of weather-affected races.
| Playoff Ratings | 2024 Viewers | 2023 Viewers | Change |
| Playoff Total Viewership | 23.008 Million | 21.957 Million | +4.787% |
| Network Playoff Race Total Viewership (Five Races) | 12.387 Million | 11.840 Million | +4.620% |
| Cable Playoff Race Total Viewership (Five Races) | 10.621 Million | 10.117 Million | +4.982% |
As far as the playoffs go, the Cup Series saw an all-around boost in viewership. This boost was consistent on both cable and network TV, with network viewership only beating out cable by a few million viewers. Notably, the series finally at Phoenix saw a slight decrease of 0.025 Million (-0.856%) from the race’s 2023 finale.
Below are some of the superlatives from the 2024 NBC season. These are the races that did exceptionally well or exceptionally poorly, depending on certain factors.
| NBC | 2024 Season | |
| Most-Viewed | Chicago Street Race (3.87 Million) | Daytona 500 (5.964 Million) |
| Least-Viewed | Watkins Glen (1.809 Million) | Clash at the LA Coliseum (1.511 Million) |
| Biggest Increase | Race 18 at New Hampshire (+82.5%) | Dover (+83%) |
| Biggest Decrease | Race 27 at Atlanta (-20.977%) | Daytona 500 (-27.0%) |
Despite more rain for the 2024 edition of the Chicago Street Race it still carried the bulk of the NBC viewership. However, Watkins Glen, a first time playoff race with an exciting finish this year, saw 1.809 million viewers, this race was up against week two of the NFL and on the USA Network.
New Hampshire saw the biggest single-race weekend boost, with the race up 82.5%. However, it should be noted that this race was up against a 2023 New Hampshire race that was delayed a day. The largest decrease goes to Atlanta, which dropped 20.977% from its summer race in 2023.
Overall, this season was a solid up-tick for NASCAR, NBC, and Fox. With the new media rights deal next year, it will be interesting to see just how the sport does on cable TV, network TV, and streaming.
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