NASCAR Playoffs 2024 made major gains despite ongoing controversy after Joey Logano’s triumph

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series ended on a bittersweet note. On one hand, there were controversies about how Joey Logano finished the season 15th on points and still bagged the titular win. On the other hand, the season garnered an average of 2.89 million viewers across all official platforms, a 1% increase from last year’s figure of 2.85 million.

The playoffs alone averaged 2.33 million, also a significant increase from what the 10-race stint amassed in 2023 (2.2 million). Reflecting on the same, NASCAR on Reddit posted,

“The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season averaged 2.89 million viewers across NBC, USA, FOX and FS1, up 1% from last year (2.85M), with the ten-race playoffs averaging 2.33 million (+6%). [This includes] a fully postponed Daytona 500 and a Chicago Street Race that was both delayed and shortened.”

However, as per Black Book Motorsport,

“Year-over-year (YoY), the Busch Light Clash fell 58.6 per cent in viewership, the Daytona 500 dropped 27.1 per cent, the Chicago Street Race decreased 16.4 per cent, and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte dipped 8.7 per cent.”

The good news is that even though all four events were affected by inclement weather conditions, the Cup Series witnessed a significant increase in its average viewership. Notably, this was the fourth time that NASCAR ended the season with an average viewership close to three million. This could pave the way for an even stronger season ahead.

As per NASCAR’s new media deal, the sport will add Amazon Prime and TNT sports to its roster. The $7.7 billion deal will carry the sport’s broadcast rights through 2031.

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NASCAR looks forward to standing on par with the NFL

A recent report by Sportcal suggests that the 2024 NFL season rounded off with an average attendance of 18.6 million in just the first three weeks, the highest in the past nine years. The most watched game on NBC was between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens which garnered 29.2 million viewers on an average.

After joining forces with NFL’s Thursday Night Football partner, Amazon Prime from 2025 onwards, NASCAR hopes to attain a level similar to the NFL.

“When we were having discussions about the deal itself, we made a big deal about promotion, and (Amazon) told us that they were going to treat us at the level of the NFL,” said Steve Phelps, Pradip of NASCAR (via Yahoo Finance Report). “And that’s saying something. I think they’ve had tremendous success, and the growth that they’ve had with Thursday Night Football has been extraordinary.”

The 2025 NASCAR schedule is out already. While the drivers spend time with their loved ones during the offseason, the fans are all hyped up about the upcoming season. And with the possibility of a revamped playoff format lurking around the alleys of the sport, there’s a lot to expect indeed.