UPDATE: Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 on USA Network (2:55-6:18 p.m. ET) averaged a TAD of 2.834 million viewers, up 8% vs. last year’s race (2.623 million) to rank as NBC Sports’ most-watched Cup Series race on cable since 2019 (Michigan, NBCSN, 2.929 million).
- Most-watched NASCAR Cup Series race on any cable network in more than two years (Darlington, FS1, 3.149 million);
- Most-watched sports event of the week on cable and second most-watched sports event of the weekend on all networks behind Sunday’s Final Round coverage of the 151st Open Championship on NBC;
- Most-watched Pocono race since 2017;
- Cup Series qualifying on USA Network averaged 455,000 viewers, up 22% vs. last year’s average on the network.
Overall, NBC Sports is off to its most-watched NASCAR Cup Series season since 2018, averaging a TAD of 2.887 million viewers through five races.
Additionally, the Xfinity Series saw viewership gains on USA Network:
- Saturday’s Pocono 225 on USA Network (5:57-7:50 p.m. ET) averaged a TAD of 964,000 viewers, up 4% vs. 2022;
- Friday’s Xfinity Series qualifying averaged 311,000 viewers, up 33% vs. last year’s average on the network.
Overall, NBC Sports’ Xfinity Series coverage is averaging a TAD of 950,000 viewers, up 9% vs. 2022.
— NBC Sports —
ORIGINAL POST 7-26-2023: The USA Network earned a 1.58 rating and had 2.808 million viewers for Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway.
To date, Pocono was the most-watched motorsports event in 2023 on a cable network, surpassing the spring race at Darlington.
.@USANetwork got a 1.58 rating and 2.808 million viewers for Sunday's NASCAR race at sold-out Pocono, up from a 1.56 rating and 2.590 million viewers last year. pic.twitter.com/q5kyMBKuXx
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) July 25, 2023