Chicago Becomes Most Watched Race on NBC Since 2017

Despite a massive amount of kickback from the "core fanbase" who refused to watch or attend the inaugural Chicago Street Course race Downtown Chicago. Well, it didn't work. 

Credit: CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 02: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #91 Enhance Health Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 220 at the Chicago Street Course on July 02, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

The Grant Park 220 weekend became an instant hit. NASCAR estimated roughly 50,000 fans per day. And they got their roughly 50,000 fans in attendance each day plus onlookers even outside the track area. But the TV Numbers were the next big question mark. 

Monday afternoon NBC dropped those numbers via Nielsen, and they far and exceeded what many expected. The Grant Park 220 scored a 2.52 rating and 4.632 million viewers. That puts it as the second most watched race of the year behind the Daytona 500. That also makes it the most watched race for NBC Sports since the Championship race at Homestead-Miami in 2017. 

• These numbers make Chicago the most-watched sporting event of the weekend
• The 8th most-watched race under the current rights contract for NBC
  
• A 72% increase vs NBC Sports Cup Series average from 2022 (2.784 million)
• The 2017 Indianapolis 400 was the last race to exceed the numbers of the Chicago Street Course for NBC 

​By: Tom Luttermoser