NASCAR fans have changed the channel for good, and the alarming trend just hit a boiling point
Bottom line? Fans are leaving the sport ...in droves.Nobody is watching.
And those who are watching, are complaining.A lot.
About the car.About the tracks.
About the lack of drama, and personality, and, frankly, about the TV channel.HAS NASCAR LOST THE SOUTH? EX-DRIVER UNLOADS AFTER SEEING "100,000 EMPTY SEATS"Most folks have turned it off completely.Those who have stayed aren't thrilled.I don't need to tell you guys, but that's not a great place to be.Take a look:Last Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix drew a pathetic audience of just 1.2 million viewers.
That number is alarming, folks.I've seen a lot of bad TV numbers for NASCAR over the years.
Believe me.It's not like they're hard to find.But that's a low number.It's an unfathomable number given the series is smack dab in the middle of its playoffs.
I never thought we'd see the day where a NASCAR Cup Series race drops below the Mendoza line (1 million), but we're getting close.Too close.NASCAR fans cheer during the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., on March 8, 2026.
(Getty Images)For comparison's sake, NASCAR averaged more than 4.5 million viewers per race in 2016, which was a really bad time for the sport.That's when viewers were fleeing left and right.
Jeff Gordon had retired.Tony Stewart was on his way out.
Dale Jr.was right behind him.NASCAR RACE LOOKS PATHETIC WITH EMPTY SEATS, DRIVER GIVES THE FINGER & THE MOST EMBARRASSING COMMAND EVER?There's been a nearly 50% drop-off in viewership since then! Through 33 races this season, the Cup Series is averaging 2.3 million viewers per race.
Through seven Chase races (that's what we're calling the playoffs this season), the number drops to 1.5 million.So, yeah â I'd imagine alarms are going off in the big glass building across from Daytona International Speedway this morning.At least they should be.NASCAR MAKES MAJOR CHANGE TO 2027 DAYTONA 500 WEEK, FANS FURIOUS WITH ANOTHER CHANGE & R...