NASCAR’s 2026 Cup Series season delivered its share of television successes, but the final numbers tell a more complicated story.
The Daytona 500 attracted nearly 7.5 million viewers, several tracks posted double-digit gains, and the sport introduced new markets to its national television audience. Yet those bright spots weren’t enough to prevent a modest decline in overall viewership.
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Across the 36 points-paying races, NASCAR averaged approximately 2.402 million viewers, down 1.6% from 2025’s average of 2.443 million.
The results offer an early look at how NASCAR’s expanded media rights agreement is performing after its second season, with races spread across Fox, NBC, FS1, USA Network, TNT Sports and Prime Video.
NASCAR 2026 TV Ratings: Every Race Ranked by Schedule
The following breakdown includes all 36 points-paying Cup Series races, plus the Clash, Daytona Duels and All-Star Race. Viewership figures are in millions, with percentage changes calculated against the corresponding 2025 events where available.
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Race 2026 viewers vs. 2025
|
Race |
2026 Viewers |
vs. 2025 |
|
Bowman Gray Clash |
2.349M |
-23.7% |
|
Daytona Duels |
1.835M |
-0.1% |
|
Daytona 500 |
7.489M |
+10.8% |
|
Atlanta (spring) |
4.487M |
-2.2% |
|
COTA |
3.933M |
-4.8% |
|
Phoenix (spring) |
2.841M |
+0.7% |
|
Las Vegas (spring) |
3.011M |
+8.7% |
|
Darlington (spring) |
2.429M |
-3.5% |
|
Martinsville (spring) |
2.394M |
-1.2% |
|
Bristol (spring) |
1.945M |
-5.3% |
|
Kansas (spring) |
2.926M |
+26.2% |
|
Talladega (spring) |
3.967M |
-1.8% |
|
Texas |
2.286M |
-10.7% |
|
Watkins Glen |
1.928M |
+4.2% |
|
Dover All-Star Race |
1.800M |
-8.4% |
|
Charlotte (spring) |
2.649M |
-2.6% |
|
Nashville |
2.060M |
+2.5% |
|
Michigan |
2.070M |
+16.9% |
|
Pocono |
1.660M |
-11.2% |
|
San Diego |
2.280M |
N/A; inaugural San Diego race |
|
Sonoma |
2.189M |
+21.6% |
|
Chicagoland |
2.100M |
N/A; no 2025 race |
|
Atlanta (summer) |
1.500M |
-6.7% |
|
North Wilkesboro |
2.400M |
+22.1% |
|
Indianapolis |
2.384M |
-2.7% |
|
Iowa |
1.929M |
-11.3% |
|
Richmond |
1.470M |
+5.8% |
|
New Hampshire |
1.793M |
+39.0% |
|
Daytona (summer) |
3.509M |
+6.4% |
|
Darlington (fall) |
1.982M |
+5.4% |
|
Gateway |
1.635M |
+7.2% |
|
Bristol (fall) |
1.449M |
-5.7% |
|
Kansas (fall) |
1.464M |
-1.7% |
|
Las Vegas (fall) |
1.548M |
-9.8% |
|
Charlotte (fall) |
1.480M |
-4.1% |
|
Phoenix (fall) |
1.294M |
-53.4% |
|
Talladega (fall) |
2.581M |
+1.0% |
|
Martinsville (fall) |
1.987M |
-15.4% |
|
Homestead-Miami (finale) |
2.464M |
-0.3% |
Note: San Diego and Chicagoland were new additions without direct 2025 comparisons. Weather delays, broadcast changes and scheduling differences also affected individual races.
NASCAR’s Biggest TV Ratings Winners and Losers in 2026
The Daytona 500 remained NASCAR’s undisputed television heavyweight, drawing 7.489 million viewers, a 10.8% increase over 2025.
New Hampshire recorded one of the year’s largest percentage gains at 39%, although its rain-delayed broadcast complicates the comparison. Kansas’ spring race also impressed, climbing 26.2%.
The closing stretch was less encouraging. Martinsville’s fall race declined 15.4%, while Phoenix’s fall event dropped sharply after losing its position as the championship finale.
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Homestead’s championship race drew 2.464 million viewers, nearly matching the 2.471 million who watched the track’s 2025 event. The more relevant championship comparison, however, is Phoenix’s 2025 finale, which attracted 2.774 million.
Ultimately, NASCAR finished 2026 with several encouraging individual performances but a slightly smaller average audience. With another season of its current television package complete, the challenge for 2027 will be turning those isolated gains into sustained growth.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
