Netflix or the Chase Elliott Effect- NASCAR Continues to Boast Strong Numbers as Formula 1 and Indy Fall Behind

The statistics speak volumes, and right now, they’re all about NASCAR. While Formula 1 holds a top spot in the global motorsport scene, there’s a noticeable tilt towards NASCAR, especially with Chase Elliott making waves with his return to the races he sat out last year. Moreover, NASCAR’s making a splash off the track too; its “NASCAR: Full Speed” series is killing it on Netflix, proving their content game is strong. The move has boosted NASCAR’s viewership. But is NASCAR really pulling ahead of F1 and IndyCar in the popularity race?

Owning the racing scene in the States, blowing past F1 and INDYCAR’s ratings combined

With a hefty new TV deal worth $7.7 billion bringing more ways to watch, NASCAR’s TV ratings are on the rise, leaving F1 and INDYCAR trying to keep up. Even after a slight dip in 2023, where viewership slightly dropped, NASCAR is bouncing back big time with American fans. The Daytona 500 raked in six million viewers, impressive for a race pushed to Monday night due to rain.

Following up, the Pennzoil 400 [Las Vegas] was the top watch that weekend with 4.36 million viewers. The Phoenix race wasn’t far behind, pulling over four million viewers, a solid 19% bump from last year’s finale. And the Bristol race, with all its tire chaos, saw a 10% spike in viewers, drawing in 3.81 million viewers on FOX.

While NASCAR’s hitting new highs, INDYCAR and F1 aren’t seeing the same love. INDYCAR’s season kick-off in St. Petersburg got just one million viewers, and F1’s Saudi Arabia race only managed to pull in around 900k viewers on ESPN.

So, what’s behind NASCAR’s viewership spike? Is it the buzz from their new Netflix docuseries, or maybe it’s thanks to NASCAR’s golden boy, Chase Elliott? His massive fanbase might have tuned in big time to catch the races he missed last year due to a leg injury. The truth of the matter is still up in the air.

Last year, sure, the overall viewership numbers were decent—not earth-shattering—but they saw a noticeable uptick during the playoffs—that’s when Chase Elliott was back in the driver’s seat for every race. And about that Netflix series, well, seasoned pros like Denny Hamlin reckon it’s a strategy to reel in those “casual fans,” turning them into full-on NASCAR nuts. Could that be the ticket?

NASCAR Netflix Docuseries was aimed at targeting casual fans and boosting social media engagement

Docuseries like NASCAR: Full Speed are NASCAR’s secret sauce for pulling in the “just browsing” crowd and ramping up the buzz online. Denny Hamlin spills the beans, saying these series are clutch for drawing in new eyes and keeping fans tweeting. NASCAR’s playing the long game, focusing on making stars out of its drivers and hooking fans for life.

David Zane, the big shot over at NASCAR’s fan club department, tells straight: folks get more into the races when they’ve got a favorite driver to cheer on. So, NASCAR’s doubling down on stories about the up-and-comers, aiming to win over hearts beyond the die-hard fans and pump up their TV audience.

Read More: Despite Fandom’s Backlash, COTA Propels NASCAR to 4 Million Mark With 5th Successive TV Jump

Well, for now, NASCAR’s crushing it in the U.S. racing world, blending old-school broadcast games with savvy online moves and social smarts. They’re hitting the gas on growth, leaving F1 and INDYCAR eating their dust. It would be interesting to see what moves F1 and Indycar make to attract viewers again.