NASCAR’s playoff races were expected to bring a boost in audience, but so far, the opposite has happened. The first four events of the 2025 Cup Series postseason - Darlington, Gateway, Bristol, and New Hampshire - have all fallen short of the two-million viewer mark, something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.Ryan Blaney’s win at New Hampshire drew just 1.29 million viewers, the lowest number of the season and the fourth straight playoff race under the two-million line. The dip comes at a time when the sport is debating its 'win and you’re in' playoff format. Some fans and former drivers argue the system rewards luck than a season-long grind.At the same time, NASCAR is considering major adjustments for 2026, with proposals of expanding the championship race to a multi-race finale or a return to a traditional 36-race season. But amid all the debate over formats, one of the sport’s most familiar media voices sees the real problem elsewhere.On X, Amazon Prime host and TNT reporter Danielle Trotta weighed in:"Radical change is often met with criticism, but I believe it’s necessary for health of the sport. Our playoff format is not why ratings drop in the fall, football is. If NASCAR wants casual fans & younger demo we should end our season before Sept 1st & offer all races thru network streaming apps & streaming services. We have to meet young people where they are."NASCAR’s five-race run on Prime Video this summer averaged 2.1 million viewers, essentially even with cable. Younger audiences in the 18 - 34 range were up by 36 percent compared to last year. Still, fans pushed back.They pointed out that Formula 1 continues to grow its U.S. base, the Azerbaijan GP (September 21) averaged 1.1 million viewers despite airing at 7 a.m. ET, while NASCAR’s playoff events struggled in head-to-head time slots. In recent weeks, the contrast has been sharp. NFL games are topping 20 million viewers, NASCAR hovering under two million, and F1 holding steady around the million-viewer mark.Danielle Trotta has also been vocal in the playoff debate itself. While some fans and drivers, such as Mark Martin, have called for a return to a 36-race full-season points format, she has stressed that rules alone won’t solve the sport’s larger challenge. She argues that schedule placement and media distribution carry more weight than a single-race championship event.The bigger issue Danielle Trotta sees in NASCAR’s viewership problemFans during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Source: GettyFor Danielle Trotta, the focus is not just the playoff system, it’s the overall health of the racing product and how it’s consumed. She argues that younger audiences have more options than ever, and if NASCAR doesn’t put itself where those fans are, the ratings will reflect it. Former driver Kenny Wallace has echoed the same concerns.Trotta amplified that point when a fan wrote on X:"Is NASCAR’s playoff problem an issue with the sport, drivers, format etc or is it that by year end (from a ratings standpoint) they’re just going head to head with the 800lb gorilla in the room known as the NFL."She replied: "Say it louder for the people in the back Todd 🗣️."That “gorilla” has been on full display. The NFL season kicked off September 5, right before NASCAR’s second playoff race at Gateway, and the ratings gap has widened each week. Despite delivering strong racing on track, its viewership losses to football highlight a deeper challenge than the playoff format.The Next Gen car was supposed to close the competition gap, and in some ways, it has. But fans have complained about pack racing as the cars have brought the field closer. Also, there is a lack of personalities that truly break through. The days of Dale Earnhardt or Jeff Gordon as cultural icons are long gone. Add in fewer young drivers coming through grassroots American racing, and the connection between the sport and its next generation of fans looks thinner than before.