Atlanta Photo Finish Reigns Supreme as NASCAR Returns to Dominating TV Ratings

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race from Atlanta Motor Speedway garnered 4.546 million views on FOX, making it the most-watched sports event of the weekend in the United States. This was a 5% increase in viewership from last year’s Fontana race, which reportedly attracted 4.315 million views for the event.

Moreover, these ratings spiked up to a 33% increase when compared with last year’s feature at Atlanta Motor Speedway. According to FOX, the top contributing city to the soaring viewership ratings was Charlotte (6.6), which was followed by Greensboro (5.8) and Norfolk (5.1). The likes of Indianapolis (4.6) and Orlando (4.0) also made the list.

For some time, TV ratings and fan engagement seemed to be on a declining trajectory. But last weekend’s nail-biting thriller at Atlanta Motor Speedway has put NASCAR back on the map in terms of TV ratings.

It was a race of a lifetime, and unlucky were those who missed the weekend’s action. Close-quarter racing, four wides for the lead, and three- wides for a photo finish—this was peak NASCAR racing action, and therefore the ratings do not come as a surprise. It was Daniel Suraez who took home his just second Cup win, piping Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch by the finest of margins.

While the race had its fair share of carnage with a total of 10 cautions, it was more of a spectacle when compared to a clean and timid Daytona 500 race. Trackhouse Racing’s owner summed up the feeling perfectly after seeing his driver take the checkered flag in the most dramatic finish NASCAR has seen for a while. “I think from an entertainment value standpoint, I don’t know what more could you want from a race like tonight.”

With a new $7.7 billion TV deal in sight, one can only imagine the scale of expansion and the idea NASCAR is planning to bring the sport back into the limelight.

The future looks bright for NASCAR with a brand-new TV deal

NASCAR has always depended on the TV viewership to acknowledge and measure its growth and popularity. However, with the changing times, NASCAR has now taken bold steps to bring the sport back to the level it once was. Not just one, but four broadcast partners have been onboarded by NASCAR for a new deal that runs between 2025 and 2031.

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While the old players like FOX and NBC will get a major chunk of the races, Amazon is breaking the barrier with its streaming arm. The platform will get to stream five Cup Series races a year. Prime Video will also get exclusive coverage of all practice and qualifying sessions from the first half of the Cup Series season.

TNT Sports will also mark its comeback in 2025 for the first time since 2014. TNT, in partnership with B/R Sports and WBD’s MAX, will stream five mid-season Cup Series races. The package also includes all practice and qualifying sessions from the second half of the season. So with the mix of linear TV and streaming platforms, NASCAR is surely headed in the right direction.