NBC Sports reports audience gains for 2023 NASCAR coverage
NBC Sports reports that its coverage of the second half of the 2023 NASCAR season delivered viewership gains across the Cup and Xfinity Series, highlighted by coverage of the inaugural Cup Series race on the streets of Chicago (pictured above) on the NBC broadcast network.
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series on NBC, USA Network, Peacock and NBC Sports Digital delivered a Total Audience Delivery of 2.47 million viewers across 20 races, NBC said, up vs. comparable coverage in 2022 (2.45m viewers), according to data provided by the Nielsen Company and Adobe Analytics.
Coverage of the inaugural Cup Series race in Chicago on NBC and Peacock delivered a TAD of 4.79 million viewers to rank as NBC Sports’ most-watched NASCAR race in six years and the second-most watched race of the season behind the Daytona 500 on Fox.
Overall, NASCAR Cup Series viewership on the NBC broadcast network was up 3% vs. 2022, including last Sunday’s championship race won by Ryan Blaney, which averaged a TAD of 3.03 million viewers.
Additional Cup Series viewership highlighted by NBC included:
- 16 of 20 Cup Series races averaged a TAD of at least two million viewers, up from 15 of 20 races in 2022
- Three of USA Network’s Cup Series races (Atlanta, New Hampshire and Richmond) ranked as the most-watched sports programs on television on their respective days, and an additional three USA Network Cup Series races (Pocono, Watkins Glen and Darlington) ranked as the most-watched cable sports programs on their respective days;
- The July 23 race at Pocono averaged a TAD of 2.83 million viewers, making it the most-watched Cup Series race on cable in 2023 and the most-watched Cup Series race on any cable network since 2021.
- NBC Sports’ coverage of the second half of the 2023 Xfinity Series delivered a Total Audience Delivery of 1.04 million viewers, up 9% vs. 2022 to make it NBC Sports’ most-watched Xfinity Series season since 2017.
Charlotte and Greensboro led all markets for NBC Sports’ 2023 20-race Cup Series coverage. The top 10 markets for the season are shown below:
Rank | Market | HH Rating
t-1 | Charlotte | 3.9
t-1 | Greensboro | 3.9
3 | Greenville | 3.6
4 | Knoxville | 3.5
5 | Birmingham | 2.7
6 | Indianapolis | 2.6
t-7 | Dayton | 2.3
t-7 | Buffalo | 2.3
t-7 | Raleigh-Durham | 2.3
t-10 | Norfolk | 2.1
t-10 | Richmond | 2.1
t-1 | Charlotte | 3.9
t-1 | Greensboro | 3.9
3 | Greenville | 3.6
4 | Knoxville | 3.5
5 | Birmingham | 2.7
6 | Indianapolis | 2.6
t-7 | Dayton | 2.3
t-7 | Buffalo | 2.3
t-7 | Raleigh-Durham | 2.3
t-10 | Norfolk | 2.1
t-10 | Richmond | 2.1
