Sunday afternoon used to belong to NASCAR. Back in the good ol’ days, the stock car racing series dominated TV viewership, with fans glued to their screens to watch the likes of Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jeff Gordon dominate the racetracks. But something has shifted in recent years. If the 2025 Cup Series campaign is anything to go by, the numbers paint a pretty bleak picture, with viewership taking a significant decline. The culprit might surprise you, as it all comes down to the new media rights deal, which has shaken up the sport big time.

And even the most high-stakes playoff races couldn’t draw the crowd. The Round of 12 opener at New Hampshire drew just 1.29 million viewers, down a shocking 31% from the same race last year. But the story goes deeper than just a bad time slo

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