The NASCAR Cup Series is seeing a significant downturn in television ratings during its 2025 postseason, sparking fresh discussion and analysis on the Kevin Harvick NASCAR podcast analysis by notable figures like Kevin Harvick and co-host Mamba Smith. As none of the past six playoff races have drawn more than two million viewers, the sharp decline has led to questions about the sport’s current broadcast approach and playoff appeal.
Sharp Decline in Cup Series Playoff Ratings
Over the last six playoff events, starting with Darlington and concluding with Charlotte, the NASCAR Cup Series has not seen a single race cross the two-million viewer threshold. In particular, the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte reached only 1.54 million viewers, a marked drop from last year’s 2.42 million when NBC hosted the event on its primary channel. This represents a substantial fall and has reignited scrutiny over the effectiveness and excitement generated by the “win and you’re in” playoff system, which some view as losing its former draw.
Xfinity Series Finds Ratings Success Amid Cup Decline
Meanwhile, the NASCAR Xfinity Series is building an audience success story of its own, even as ratings for the main Cup Series dwindle. This trend became especially visible during the same Charlotte Roval weekend. Adam Stern, from Sports Business Journal, highlighted these differences in sports viewership in the United States:
“Motorsports viewership in the U.S. last weekend: 1. NASCAR Cup (USA Network): 1.544 million viewers 2. Formula 1 (ESPN): 931,000 3. NASCAR Xfinity (The CW): 808,000 4. NASCAR Trucks (FS1): 279,000 5. IMSA season review (NBC): 168,000 6. ARCA (FS2): 32,000”
Responding to this data, NASCAR announcer and Harvick’s co-host Mamba Smith emphasized the significance of the Xfinity Series’ ratings:
“Why isn’t this getting talked about more?? The Xfinity Series is almost doing the same numbers on the CW as F1 is doing on ESPN.”
This comparison underscores how the Xfinity Series, despite being a secondary series, is drawing comparable television numbers to Formula 1 races in the U.S., challenging assumptions about its popularity and reach.
Network Choices Impact Accessibility and Audience Size
This postseason, the Cup Series is averaging only 1.54 million viewers on USA Network, putting it on pace for its first postseason where the average could dip below two million viewers. By contrast, the same stretch of races last season achieved a 2.1 million average across NBC and USA. Streaming and cable platforms present a fragmented experience for Cup fans; Prime Video’s summer NASCAR coverage averaged 2.1 million viewers over five races, and TNT’s broadcasts outpaced traditional cable with 2.06 million, marking a first-time lead over legacy platforms for certain events.
The remarkable growth of the Xfinity Series viewership coincided with its new broadcasting partner, The CW. Starting the season with 1.8 million viewers at Daytona, it set a record with the first 13 races all clearing one million viewers—the best streak since 2014 when the series was on ESPN. This momentum has continued, even as other sports like college football dominate weekend TV, signaling new viewing habits and possibly a steadier fan base for the Xfinity Series.
A central factor in this variance is accessibility. The Xfinity Series has maintained consistent, uninterrupted broadcasts on The CW, making it easy for fans to find. In contrast, the Cup Series has appeared on six different networks this season—including FOX, USA Network, Prime Video, and TNT—with only nine races featured on major networks. Most Cup events instead air on platforms with narrower audience reach, making sustained viewership more challenging.
Channel reach stats demonstrate this fragmentation: FOX Sports 1 is accessible to 73% of FOX’s core audience, USA Network reaches 79% of NBC’s base, and TNT sits at 78%. With upcoming changes inside NBC Universal, USA Network may leave NASCAR altogether next year, intensifying concerns about fan access. The CW offers the Xfinity Series broadcast-level access, positioning NASCAR as an anchor for the network alongside prominent college football matchups.
Wider Industry Concerns About NASCAR’s Broadcast Approach
NASCAR’s current seven-year, $7.7 billion media rights arrangement for the Cup Series, which runs through 2031, was intended to balance exposure across traditional TV and streaming outlets. However, the current fragmentation, coupled with falling audience numbers on cable, has stirred unease among industry observers who worry that the Cup Series is losing casual fans due to frequent network changes and harder-to-find broadcasts.
Playoff Spotlight Shifts to Las Vegas: Harvick’s Analysis
As the NASCAR Cup Series now advances to the Round of 8, the focus returns to the on-track competition, with this weekend’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas marking the next major event. Toyota’s performance history at this storied 1.5-mile oval has featured mixed results, adding unpredictability to the playoff contest. On his Happy Hour podcast, Kevin Harvick offered the following assessment of his pick for the upcoming race:
“I’m going to take Bell. I only had one name written down this week… Those guys have the speed, and even on the places where you think somebody else is going to win, they keep showing up. If they can keep themselves from having a catastrophic situation, they’ll have the speed.” (51:34 onwards) – Kevin Harvick, NASCAR driver and analyst
Harvick’s co-hosts, Kaitlyn Vincie and Mamba Smith, favored Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe respectively for the Las Vegas race, highlighting the range of competitive contenders. Christopher Bell heads into Las Vegas with five top ten finishes in a row, as well as consecutive runner-up results in the event’s previous two fall editions, underscoring his strong potential at this crucial playoff stage.
Implications for NASCAR’s Future Fan Engagement
The challenges facing the NASCAR Cup Series’ broadcasting approach come at a pivotal moment for the sport. Persistent declines in postseason viewership numbers, the Xfinity Series’ surprising ratings upswing, and looming changes in network partnerships all point toward a need for NASCAR to reconsider how to deliver its flagship events to a broad fan base. With the current playoff system under renewed scrutiny and the media landscape potentially in flux, the series’ ability to maintain and grow its audience will be under the microscope as the postseason continues.
Why isn’t this getting talked about more??
The Xfinity Series is almost doing the same numbers on the CW as F1 is doing on ESPN. https://t.co/8VGKiZnj4V
— Mamba Smith (@MambaSmith34) October 8, 2025
