NASCAR is attracting a bigger television audience than last year’s postseason, with average viewership reportedly up 6% through the first four races.
According to NASCAR’s own figures, the first four Chase races in 2026 have averaged approximately 1.7 million viewers, compared with 1.6 million viewers at the same stage in 2025.
The numbers offer an early indication that NASCAR’s return to the traditional Chase format is generating interest, but whether the increase can be sustained remains the bigger question.
NASCAR Reports 6% Increase in Chase Viewership
The 1.7 million average comes directly from NASCAR’s reported viewership figures. Compared with the 1.6 million average from the first four postseason races last year, NASCAR calculates the increase at 6% year over year.
That comes during NASCAR’s first season back with the Chase format since 2013.
The 2026 system replaced the elimination-style playoff structure with a 10-race Chase based on cumulative points. NASCAR said the goal was to return to a championship system that rewards full-season consistency while placing greater emphasis on race victories.
The broader numbers were already encouraging before the Chase began. NASCAR reported that regular-season event admissions were up 9% year over year, with 11 Cup Series sellouts, while social impressions reached 1.94 billion, a 31% increase from 2025.
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Is the Chase Formula Driving the Increase?
The 6% rise does not necessarily prove that the new Chase format is responsible for the larger audience.
Television viewership can be affected by the championship battle (Denny Hamlin vs. Kyle Larson so far), drivers, race finishes, scheduling and broadcast factors. There is also a significant measurement consideration: Sports Media Watchnotes that NASCAR returned to publishing Nielsen’s “Big Data + Panel” figures in September, while NASCAR had previously been publicizing the older panel-only methodology.
That makes the comparison worth watching as the postseason continues.
For now, NASCAR has a clear number to point to: 1.7 million average viewers through four Chase races, versus 1.6 million last year, according to NASCAR.
The remaining races will determine whether that early 6% increase becomes a sustained postseason trend.
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