- Hamlin’s prediction about Bristol’s drop in viewership proved accurate.
- The Masters delivered a record-breaking viewership tally.
- NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Bristol also drew strong numbers.
On the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin suggested NASCAR may have shot itself in the foot with the scheduling of the Bristol race, pointing to a clash with The Masters as a factor that could have eaten into the audience at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Hamlin argued that a switch to a night race could have shifted the needle. Heat, he said, took its toll, and going head-to-head with golf may have been a misstep.
He said, “The day race hotter than it’s ever been there. Sunshine should have raced at night. I think the only way we could have or should have is if we were on prime a spring Bristol night race. I was thinking about it too like man after the Masters, it just I’m sure the ratings.”
Are the viewership numbers at Bristol really that bad?
The recent Cup Series race at Bristol on Fox Sports averaged 1.945 million viewers with a 1.09 rating. According to Braylon Breeze of RaceDay Report, it marked the first time a Fox Sports race has drawn fewer than two million viewers without a rain delay.
The rating ticked up by 3%, but total viewership fell by 5% compared to last year’s audience for the race, known as the Food City 500 for sponsorship reasons. The Bristol spring race has, more often than not, aired on the main Fox channel in prior years. Under NASCAR’s new media rights deal, the share of races on cable has climbed to 63%, shifting a chunk of the schedule away from network television.
Through eight races, NASCAR is averaging 3.54 million viewers, a dip from the same point last season, which stood at 3.59 million.
It is also the earliest regular-season race to fall below 2 million viewers since the sixth race of the 2018 season at Martinsville Speedway, which averaged 1.19 million viewers. There have been two previous instances where the eighth race of the season slipped under that mark. In 2020 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with 1.51 million viewers, and in 2022 at Martinsville, with 1.89 million.
The broadcast also drew attention to the grandstands, which looked sparse despite an announced crowd of around 70,000. With a seating capacity north of 140,000, stretches of empty seats stood out during the telecast.
Masters pulled in record numbers
While Bristol felt the squeeze, The Masters did not. The 2026 edition of the event will be remembered for its audience pull as much as its on-course drama.
Data from Sport Business Journal shows the final round drew the largest audience since 2013. Sunday’s coverage peaked at 20.049 million viewers, the highest peak for the event since the playoff between Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera, which Scott won.
The average audience for this year’s final round came in at 13.995 million, making it the most-watched final round in 11 years. That figure also stands 8% higher than last year, when Rory McIlroy completed his Career Grand Slam.
While CBS faced criticism for its coverage, Sunday still marked the largest day of golf viewership on Paramount+.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Bristol held its own
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Bristol did not match the Cup race in total audience, but it held its ground. The broadcast on The CW drew 1.219 million viewers with a 0.65 rating, marking a year-over-year gain.
The CW reported a 12% increase in ratings and a 22% increase in total viewership compared to the same period last year. It also stated that Saturday night’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race was the most-watched Bristol spring race on its platform.
The event also outdrew competing programming, including NHL coverage in the same window. On track, Connor Zilisch took the win on older tires, holding off Kyle Larson, who had led the most laps in the race.
