Wednesday, October 7, 2026
  • -
    days
  • -
    hours
  • -
    minutes
  • -
    seconds

NASCAR Races Back With 4% TV Growth in 2022

  • NBC to broadcast the season finale from Phoenix on Sunday.
  • NASCAR averaged over 3M viewers over 37 races this season.
NASCAR-Cup-Series
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

NASCAR is poised to wrap up its 2022 season this weekend after a bounce-back year in TV viewership.

Heading into Sunday’s NBC Sports coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway, the motorsport averaged 3,031,000 million viewers over 37 races this season.

That’s up 4% from an average of 2,912,000 viewers over the same period last season.

Drivers Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, and Christopher Bell will all be in contention on Sunday for the title, which has a total purse of $10,542,284.

NASCAR’s TV performance hasn’t slowed down with this season.

  • FOX Sports averaged 3.7 million viewers in the first half of the season — up 8% from 2021. 
  • NASCAR experienced its highest viewership since 2017 during that same time period. 
  • NBC shifted some of its NASCAR races to USA Network after shutting down NBCSN. 

NBC’s coverage of the Cup Series title begins at 3 p.m. ET, and the broadcast team will include race analysts Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Burton, and Steve Letarte; play-by-play announcer Rick Allen; and studio analysts Dale Jarrett, Kyle Petty, and Brad Daugherty. 

NASCAR Still Beats Formula 1

NASCAR has been watching rival Formula 1’s growth in the U.S, but it still out-rates F1 by a large margin TV-wise.

Competing head-to-head on Oct. 23, NBC’s coverage of the NASCAR’s Homestead race averaged 2.31 million viewers compared to 1.11 million for ABC’s telecast of F1’s U.S. Grand Prix.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Kenny Albert Fox Sports
First at FOS

Kenny Albert’s Last-Minute NLDS Fill-In Came Mid-Colonoscopy Prep

Albert filled in for Joe Davis, who had lost his voice.
Oct 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Didier Fuentes (72) throws during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.

MLB Division Series Extends Postseason Ratings Streak

Fox Sports and TNT Sports saw initial viewership lifts in the Division Series.

U.S. Presidents Cup Comeback Delivers Viewership Boost for NBC

NBC drew two million viewers for the final round.

Mark Walter’s F1 Team Still Has Zero Points After Azerbaijan GP

The Cadillac team, which began racing this year, is in 11th place.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/7/26 – EuroLeague Rejects NBA, LeBron’s Helicopter Sparks Backlash, $12M Super Bowl Ads

0:00

Featured Today

Oct 3, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer waits to run onto the field prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Who Is Alabama Football in Year 3 Under Kalen DeBoer?

The No. 6 Crimson Tide host No. 2 Georgia on Saturday.
Cubs behind the scenes
October 6, 2026

Hollywood and TikTok: Sports Media’s New ‘Blueprint’

Teams and leagues are pouring money into the quest for fans.
October 2, 2026

How the Baseball Cap Became a ‘Behemoth’

The hat has become essential for athletes, fans, and the sports-agnostic.
Morishita-Sato-homerun-celebration-at-Meiji-Jingu-Baseball-Staidum-2025
September 28, 2026

Japanese Baseball Is Fighting Back Against MLB Talent Drain

Nippon Professional Baseball is reimagining how to be a global juggernaut.
Aug 9, 2026; Bedminster, New Jersey, USA; President Donald Trump walks out of the clubhouse during the final round of the LIV Golf New York tournament at Trump National Bedminster.
September 25, 2026

Trump’s Year of Sports Gets Busier With CFB, Presidents Cup

The impact of Trump’s attendance varies across each sporting event.
Charles Barkley Shaquille O'Neal
First at FOS

Shaquille O’Neal on Charles Barkley Retiring: ‘I Don’t Believe That’

Barkley has walked back retirement plans before, most recently in 2024.
Oct 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs for seventy-six yards against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Taron Johnson (3) and safety Jeremy Chinn (11) during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium.
October 7, 2026

Combined Sports Assets Give Skydance Leverage With NFL

The company’s co-CEOs spent Day 1 meeting with employees and press.
Sep 26, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; United States President Donald Trump is shown on the video board in attendance at Neyland Stadium before the game between Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Volunteers. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
October 7, 2026

Trump Still Plans to Attend Georgia-Alabama Despite Tropical Storm

The tropical storm projects to progress to a hurricane by Friday.
Sponsored

Beyond the Scorecard: How Dow Is Putting Purpose at the Center of Women’s Golf

Discover how Dow and the LPGA are building a partnership with lasting impact.
Max Kellerman Ring Magazine
Exclusive
October 6, 2026

Max Kellerman, LeSean McCoy Not Returning to DAZN Boxing Show

DAZN announced Tuesday that Mario Lopez is joining the show.
Feb 24, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; A general view of the Portland Trail Blazers logo at half court before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images
October 6, 2026

Braiden Bell Seeks Blazers Reinstatement After Firing

Bell was fired over social media posts he made as a teenager.
Opinion
October 5, 2026

Tony Romo Had an Enormous Impact on NFL TV

The “Romo Effect” will be felt for years to come.
Suzy Kolber at Front Office Sports
October 5, 2026

Suzy Kolber Talks ESPN Layoff, ‘Unconventional’ Path to Scripps

Kolber also addressed why she thinks ESPN’s “middle class” is disappearing.