Like any entertainment and sports product, it’s all about the bottom line of viewership to determine success. That especially holds true for NASCAR TV ratings.
This week, CW Sports enjoyed a huge boost in viewership from Saturday’s race at Watkins Glen International. Early reports shows it was the most watched NXS race from WGI since 2018, an increase of 41% from last year’s event on the USA Network, and up 54% from the same 23rd race last year, also on USA but from Darlington Raceway.
While it looks CW is basking in the good news of ratings, the love affair with fans didn’t quite start that way.
Cut Aways, Tape Delays & Blackouts
CW jumped into their new TV deal with the NXS a little sooner than planned after NBC Sports bailed on the final eight races. Seeing an opportunity to get started on their 2025 endeavor, CW picked up all of those races.
However, not all local affiliates seemed to be on board with the parent company and irked fans by cutting away from good finishes, airing races later in the evening after the actual event was over or, not carrying the race at all to air its local programming.
CW tried to dampen the outrage and disconnect, literally, with fans by issuing the following statement, “We will continue to work closely with our affiliates to ensure that the entire NASCAR Xfinity Series continues to be available in every market,”
They had a lot riding on the deal and knew they needed to get the local markets in line with their thinking.
CW Certainly Made an Investment in NXS
Unlike the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, all NXS races can be found on the one network of CW. When their broadcast rights deal was announced late in 2023, the price tag for the seven-year deal starting in 2025 was $115 million. CW is a free over-the-air-broadcast network owned by Nexstar Media Group
“Landing the NASCAR Xfinity Series is a game changer for The CW and our CW Sports division and represents another important building block in our programming strategy,” said Dennis Miller, President of CW when the deal was announced.
The move to CW has been beneficial to the series, fans, tracks and most importantly the coveted advertisers. A lot of communication and expectations between the network and it’s affiliates has paid off and the increases across the board have been noticeable.
We Want Our NASCAR, Where Can We Watch?
The NCS is broadcast on several networks with some races on paid services like Amazon Prime, with reach through rights on HBO MAX, the non-cable events are on Fox TV and NBC TV. Fans have longed for one or two networks to air Cup races to avoid confusion and chasing their sport around the TV dial.
This year, Fox aired five races and the other nine were on FS1. Then five races were shown on Amazon Prime, followed by some on TNT Sports then others on USA Network with the final four schedule for NBC TV.
Fans of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series have enjoyed the one-network approach since 2013 of Fox Sports 1 (FS1), with select races being show on Fox TV each year. It looks like it’s paying off, in many ways, for CW to do the same.
NASCAR Xfinity Series TV Ratings Rocket After Early Struggles