NASCAR’s TV viewership has been on a bumpy decline for well over a decade, and 2025 has brought some of the lowest numbers in its history. Just five years ago, regular Cup races averaged nearly 4 million viewers. Now, that figure has dropped to 2.5 million – a 13% decrease from 2024’s numbers and a staggering drop from NASCAR’s 2005 peak when a single Daytona 500 could command more than 18 million fans.

This season’s first four playoff races averaged just 1.56 million viewers, far short of the sport’s glory days. As cable subscriptions shrink and younger fans drift away, the issue has become impossible to ignore. Beneath these numbers lies a deeper debate about whether NASCAR’s multi-billion-dollar media deals and dramatic playoff formats are helping (or hurting) the future of stock car r

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