NASCAR’s USA Network coverage of the Iowa Cup Series race drew an average of 1.86 million viewers, according to Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel methodology, a drop from the 2.17 million recorded a year earlier.
The panel‑only audience for the same event was 1.93 million, also below the previous year’s figure, underscoring that the newer combined metric has not reversed the downward trend.
Since the Fox Sports portion of the schedule was replaced by a partnership with other networks, linear television ratings have consistently lagged behind the older panel‑only numbers, a pattern that persisted through the 2023 season.
The Shift to Big Data
The only bright spot came from the Amazon Prime Video‑exclusive five‑race package, where the Big Data + Panel numbers were about 15 percent higher than the panel‑only counts, suggesting that a dedicated streaming window can lift engagement.
Ty Gibbs’ victory in that race became the largest non‑Olympic sports audience on USA Network for the year, highlighting that marquee events still attract significant viewership.
Nevertheless, the Iowa season opener was the least‑watched opening race since 2022, with panel‑only figures nearly identical to the 2022 Road America opener at 1.929 million versus 1.930 million.
On the cable‑only side, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on the CW averaged 1.02 million viewers, marking the most‑watched edition of that series since its return after a multi‑year hiatus.