NASCAR Needs A Red Flag As Viewership Sinks To Alarming Levels

We're two months into the 2026 NASCAR season, and it's probably time to throw the red flag. At the very least, we need a yellow so we can regroup, refuel, and throw on some fresh Goodyears. 

Because buddy, folks ain't watching like they used to. And I'm not even talking about "back in the day." I'm talking about last year. 

Last year!

Yes, viewership for the NASCAR Cup Series, specifically, is struggling this season. I say the "Cup Series," because ratings for the O'Reilly (Busch) Series on the CW are doing just fine. Thriving, actually. 

But things are looking bleak at the Cup level, and last Sunday's race at Bristol was a low point. Take a look:

NASCAR Cup viewership reaching dangerous levels 

That's not all, by the way. Sunday's race at Bristol was the first time a NASCAR Cup Series race on FS1 averaged fewer than 2 million viewers … in the history of NASCAR Cup Series races airing on FS1! 

Think about that. That's an alarming data point. And it's true, by the way. No, it's not the lowest ever viewership for a NASCAR Cup Series race. I've seen numbers dip well below that for a summer race at New Hampshire on the USA Network.

But that's the USA Network in July. That's understandable. This? This was BRISTOL, in April. In no world should a Bristol Cup race ever dip below the 2 million threshold. Yes, it was going up directly against The Masters, which had a massive year. I get it. 

This wasn't the first time the Cup Series had gone up against The Masters. They do it every year. The Masters had been around for a long time. So has NASCAR. This wasn't new. 

What is new(ish) is something I warned everyone about last season. NASCAR's new media deal, now in its second year, has completely changed the game. I'm not talking about streaming. That's a headache in its own right. 

I'm talking about Cup races being relegated to FS1 instead of FOX for all but THREE races so far this season. Three. In fact, we haven't had a Cup race on broadcast since COTA … on March 1. In just three years, the splits have essentially flipped. 

In 2023, through nine races, 66% of Cup races were on FOX. This year, that number is just 33%. That's obviously a massive swing, and the numbers are starting to show it. 

Any way you spin it, this has been a disappointing season for NASCAR in terms of ratings. The Daytona 500 was up slightly, but last year's race was also rain-delayed, so it's tough to compare. Viewership in nearly every other race has declined year-over-year:

Yeah, forget the caution flag. We need a red flag, STAT. Let's stop the field and reassess this whole thing, because something stinks. 

Now, things will probably steady somewhat over the next few weeks. That's the only bit of good news I can give NASCAR today. 

For starters, FOX gets the next two races, including Talladega in two weeks. That race always does well. The competition also goes away for a bit, too. I don't think the NBA and NHL playoffs are going to make much of a dent in NASCAR viewership. Not a ton of crossover there. 

But otherwise? Yeah, it's been a bad season for the NASCAR Cup Series … so far. It could turn around. We're only in April. But, in my experience, this time of year is supposed to be when ratings are solid. 

They usually take a dip in the summer months. Don't even bother in the fall, because that's football season and nobody wins that battle. I've begged NASCAR to quit going up against college football and the NFL, and they, so far, haven't listened. Idiots!

Anyway, the vibes aren't great at the moment. Ratings are down. Viewership is down. It's been a poor showing. 

And it deserves a red flag.