“You're asking so much of your fans”: Denny Hamlin delivers a blunt take on ‘not good’ NASCAR’s TV ratings, citing NFL dominance

Denny Hamlin has weighed in on NASCAR’s declining television ratings, pointing to the sport’s unsteady media rights and direct competition with the NFL as the main culprits. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver admitted the sport’s new TV deal has made following the races more difficult for fans, even as the on-track product has remained strong.

This year’s playoffs have seen four straight races fail to clear two million viewers, a first in NASCAR history. The Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire brought in just 1.29 million, the lowest of the season. Gateway and Bristol each sat around 1.5 million, far from the series’s playoff standards of just a few years ago.

At the same time, the NFL season kicked off on September 5, increasing the ratings gap. Formula One has also chipped away at NASCAR’s audience in the U.S., with the Azerbaijan GP averaging 1.1 million viewers despite airing at 7 a.m. ET.

When asked about ratings, Hamlin said on the Actions Detrimental podcast:

"Just not good. We signed the deal that we signed. We obviously lost a significant amount of network races in this TV deal. In each one of the TV deals that we’ve signed over the last few years... we've always just taken the most amount of money. It’s not been about what’s going to put us in the most households. We were the guinea pigs to get channel X off the ground, channel Y off the ground, and it’s just you’re asking so much of your fans to just keep chasing you around all these different networks." (7:41 onwards)

The new agreement, which runs from 2025 through 2031, will see NASCAR split Cup Series broadcasts across four partners: Fox, NBC, Amazon Prime Video, and Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT/Max). Fox keeps the opening 14 races, Amazon Prime will show five exclusively in the summer, TNT/Max adds another five, and NBC will close the year with the final 14, including the playoffs.

Denny Hamlin (C) and the 2025 NASCAR Playoff Round of 12 drivers at Loudon. Source: Getty

While the arrangement maximizes revenue, it has left fans juggling subscriptions and different networks. The Pocono race on Prime drew 1.87 million viewers, a solid debut for a streaming-only event but still down about 22% from the previous year’s cable broadcast on USA Network. NASCAR has pointed to growth in younger demographics, with 233,000 viewers aged 18–34 tuning in, a 36% increase over 2024, but the overall decline remains stark.

Denny Hamlin noted the timing couldn’t be worse, as the NFL continues to post record-breaking numbers, and fans raise questions about the racing product, next-gen car, and the playoff format.

"There’s a lot of things. I’m very steadfast that there’s only so many sports eyeballs. People that love sports love sports. And sometimes you’re just watching what’s on sports. And when the NFL has taken such a lion’s share of those eyes right now, record-setting every single week, people just — that’s their priority. And if football is not on, then I think that you’ve got a legitimate shot of being the next in line. But going head-to-head, it’s just going to be a tough road," Denny Hamlin added. (8:46 onwards)

Even as NASCAR continues to debate its playoff system for 2026, the TV question looms just as large. The Cup Series will remain split across multiple networks, but the Xfinity Series’ shift to The CW has produced consistent numbers above one million, a surprising contrast that underscores the struggles of the top division.

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Denny Hamlin believes NASCAR has lost casual fans, not its core

Denny Hamlin fans before the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan. Source: Getty

Discussing the ratings issue, Denny Hamlin added that a major problem is the timing. Sunday, 3 p.m. ET is when the first NFL match gets over and the second one starts. Football attracts a lot of betting, and that's when fans turn away from NASCAR, he believes.

However, when asked whether the sport’s core base had turned away or if it was more casual fans tuning out, Hamlin was clear.

"I think it’s the casuals. I have no data to support that, but my feeling is you’ve lost the people that say football is my priority this time of year... The NFL ratings are up 15, 20%. Like big numbers. So they’re taking people that were 50/50 are no longer 50/50... I'm coming up with theories here. I'm not coming up with facts," he added (14:50 onwards).

Denny Hamlin added that NASCAR’s media strategy has long been about chasing revenue rather than stability. The comments underline a bigger debate inside the sport, whether NASCAR’s pursuit of dollars over exposure has created a disconnect with fans.