NBC Sports’ coverage of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on NBC averaged a Total Audience Delivery of 3.322 million viewers – up 20% vs. 2018 – delivering NBC Sports’ largest NASCAR year-over-year viewership increase since its current rights agreement began in 2015, according to Fast National data by the Nielsen Company and streaming data by Adobe Analytics.
The 20% year-over-year viewership increase for Sunday’s race on NBC also marks the largest viewership increase for a NASCAR Cup Series race in eight years*, when ESPN’s coverage of the 2011 Championship race at Homestead was up 21% vs 2010. It also marks NBC Sports’ fourth race with double-digit year-over-year viewership gains this season.
Date |
Event |
Network |
TAD (% Gain vs. ‘18) |
July 21 |
New Hampshire |
NBCSN |
2.827 million (+12%) |
Aug. 11 |
Michigan |
NBCSN |
2.929 million (+14%) |
Sept. 15 |
Las Vegas |
NBCSN |
2.412 million (+12%)^ |
Oct. 20 |
Kansas |
NBC |
3.322 million (+20%) |
TV-only viewership of Sunday’s race on NBC peaked with 4.108 million viewers from 5:30-5:45 p.m. ET, as Denny Hamlin held off Chase Elliott during overtime for his fifth win of the season as the Round of 8 was decided in the NASCAR Playoffs.
Sunday’s race on NBC (2:57-6 p.m. ET) stands as NBC Sports’ most-watched Cup Series race since last year’s Championship race at Homestead on NBC and NBCSN (4.180 million; 11/18/18) and its most-watched Kansas Cup Series race since 2016 (3.455 million; 10/16/16). On TV only, the race delivered a 2.03 HH rating and 3.304 million viewers, up 17% and 20%, respectively, vs. 2018.
Excluding this year’s weather-impacted races at Daytona and Talladega, NBC Sports’ 2019 NASCAR Cup Series coverage has averaged a TAD of 2.545 million viewers, up 4% vs. the comparable races in 2018 (2.457 million).
Additionally, Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race from Kansas on NBC (3:17-6 p.m. ET) averaged a TAD of 1.336 million viewers, up 3% vs. last year (1.296 million).
*excludes rain-impacted races and network changes
^moved from afternoon to night race
NBC Sports PR
