Feb 20, 2026 | 1:10 PM EST
The NFL’s booming rise in recent years has tightened its grip on America’s sports calendar. With Amazon Prime Video drawing over 30 million viewers for Bears–Packers in 2025, the league’s dominance is becoming unavoidable for every other sport, including NASCAR. Due to this, NASCAR executive Steve O’Donnell admits the Cup Series schedule may need a dramatic overhaul to stay competitive in a shifting media landscape.
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NASCAR schedule faces shake-up
NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell has signaled a major willingness to rethink the NASCAR Cup Series calendar, potentially breaking from its long-standing 36-race February-November structure. Options currently on the table include trimming the season to around 30 races, adding more events in new markets, or introducing midweek competitions to compress the schedule.
These discussions aren’t happening in a vacuum but are driven by a rapidly shifting media landscape where traditional cable viewership continues to erode and competition for broadcast windows is fiercer than ever. Much of that pressure stems from the overwhelming rise of the NFL, whose domination of Sunday sports and Primetime has only intensified.
NFL games regularly command the largest audiences on television, and the league’s season begins each September, right as NASCAR enters its post-season’s most important stretch. As NFL popularity soars, especially through streaming deals and international expansion, NASCAR’s postseason faces unavoidable overlap, making schedule innovation increasingly necessary for survival.
Steve O’Donnell:”It’s worked for us, but I would not say this is the way it will always be. Is there a number of races that makes more sense? Could it be 30—or even more? Could we introduce midweek races and shorten the season? All of that is on the table.”https://t.co/86umVWdn5h
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) February 20, 2026
Compounding the challenge is NASCAR’s own decline in ratings, driven by fan frustration with previous rules packages, parity concerns, and on-track product issues. Yet the sport is actively course-correcting. For 2026, NASCAR has added a 10-race Chase format to inject more drama and restored horsepower from 670 to 750 at short tracks and road courses to address fan demand for greater driver control and more competitive racing.
As the NFL tightens its grip on the sports calendar and media companies prioritize football-driven revenue, NASCAR’s willingness to evolve may be essential. A shorter, more compact, higher-quality season could become the key to stabilizing the sport’s audience. It could ensure the sport remains relevant in an increasingly football-centric world.
Meanwhile, after a thrilling NASCAR Cup Series opener at Daytona International Speedway, the focus now shifts to Atlanta Motor (EchoPark) Speedway, where a key competition change awaits teams.
Tire change for Atlanta Cup race
For this weekend’s race at EchoPark Speedway, NASCAR and Goodyear are rolling out a new right-side tire compound designed specifically to increase fall-off over a run. The adjustment marks a strategic effort to fine-tune racing at Atlanta’s unique superspeedway configuration.
“Typically, the tires we use at EchoPark Speedway are only used at this track, and its smooth surface doesn’t naturally lead to much tire wear. As such, we develop tires that encourage wear, and we have seen consistently good racing here since it became a superspeedway,” said Rick Heinrich, Goodyear NASCAR product manager, in a press release.
According to Goodyear’s competition notes, the fresh right-side tire will be paired with the familiar left-side compound used since 2023. The goal is to move Atlanta’s tire package closer to what teams experience on other 1.5-mile tracks, creating a more predictable balance while still accommodating the high-speed pack-racing style the track demands.
Importantly, it’s not the tread itself being altered but the tire’s internal construction or the materials beneath the surface. This Atlanta-specific build aims to regulate fall-off more effectively after previous races showed unique wear patterns at the track. As a result, this tire will only be used for the two annual Cup Series events at EchoPark Speedway.
With speed, drafting, and tire management all playing defining roles at Atlanta, the introduction of this revised tire could add yet another layer of strategy. It will be interesting to see whether the change enhances long-run handling or introduces new variables in what has already become one of NASCAR’s most unpredictable races.
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