UPDATE: The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at Charlotte earned a 1.95 rating and 3.218 million viewers on NBC, up 6% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (1.8, 2.86M) and just the fourth Cup Series race all season to post an increase, joining Michigan, Chicagoland and Watkins Glen.
Excluding rainouts, Sunday’s race was the highest rated and most-watched at Charlotte since 2014 on ABC (3.1, 5.1M). It was the first race at Charlotte not to be affected by rain since 2014 (last year’s start was moved up an hour). In a rarity, the story is less positive when including rainouts. The 2016 race, which was postponed from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon, had a 2.1 and 3.221 million on both NBC and NBCSN.
The telecast, which peaked with 4.4 million viewers from 5:15-5:30 PM ET, had a combined TV and streaming audience of 3.24 million.
Original post 10-1-2018:
This is one of the first, if not the first, natural ratings increases for a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race this year.
➖Last year's race earned a 1.8, while yesterday's earned a 2.0.
➖Other ratings increases in '18 came due to switching the race from cable to broadcast. pic.twitter.com/LbJNhzcTGS
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) October 1, 2018