NBC ratings revealed for 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix

NBC got a 1.44 rating and 2.774 million viewers for this past Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway, per Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal. That represents a drop from the 2024 championship race, which did a 1.60 rating and had 2.9 million viewers.

Overall, for the 38-race season, viewership was down 14%, bringing in an average of 2.476 million viewers. This season was the first of NASCAR’s new media rights deal, worth $7.7 billion over seven years. Race coverage was split between FOX, NBC, Amazon and Warner Bros. Discovery.

For now, NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps is not concerned about the drop in viewership. This is what he expected in year one.

“Because of the distribution changes to be less broadcast heavy and more cable heavy and streaming, we knew we were going to have a reset,” Phelps said last Friday. “Right now, as we sit, our ratings in Cup are down 14%, exactly what we predicted.”

Kyle Larson crowned 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion at Phoenix

The 2025 Cup season ended with Kyle Larson winning his second championship. Despite, at one point, going a lap down and failing to lead a single lap, Larson and his No. 5 team kept battling at Phoenix and put themselves in good position heading into overtime.

Thanks to a two-tire call on the final pit stop, Larson restarted five spots ahead of Denny Hamlin, whose team gave him four fresh tires. Hamlin didn’t have enough time to catch Larson, who finished third to win the 2025 title. Larson admitted it was an “awkward” feeling for him denying Hamlin, who led a championship race record 208 laps, of his first championship.

“No, I mean, I definitely have a lot of empathy for him,” Larson said. “I said it I think in the interview I did on the stage. It’s great to celebrate and all that, but it does feel a little awkward because he has put so much time and energy, has been so close to winning so many championships. This is as close as he’s ever been. Sure, he’s a competitor, but he is a friend. I was going to be happy for him to win. That’s kind of what I was thinking about.

“Like, man, I can’t wait to go tell him, ‘Good job.’ Then the caution came out, and the script flipped right there, so… yeah, I haven’t seen him. I haven’t seen an interview. I haven’t seen the moments that I’m sure he had with his family, shared that with his daughters. Yeah, no, I mean, sure, I’m happy, but there’s definitely a piece of me that is sad for him, as well. I’m sure all of us in here, even the Denny haters, I’m sure there’s a spot where they’re sad, too. That’s competition. That’s the format. It’s just weird, you know? But yeah, I still hope someday he can get to feel what it’s like.”