Supercars’ New 2025 Finals Format Sparks 17% Viewership Surge—and Major Championship Controversy
In 2025, the Repco Supercars Championship's adoption of a NASCAR-inspired finals format culminated in a controversial Adelaide Grand Final, where Chaz Mostert claimed the title despite Broc Feeney's season-long dominance.
This shift, dividing the season into Sprint Cup, Enduro Cup, and a high-stakes Finals Series with points resets and eliminations, aimed to heighten drama but instead fueled debates over fairness and sporting integrity. Stakeholders in motorsports must now weigh the format's ability to boost engagement against its potential to undermine consistent performance.
The controversy highlights a tension in the industry between entertainment value and traditional merit-based outcomes. As series like Supercars experiment with playoff-style structures, data from this inaugural year provides critical insights into audience responses and business implications.
"The 2025 bp Adelaide Grand Final attracted 285,700 attendees, a 10% increase from 259,400 in 2024." (Premier Peter Malinauskas Facebook, December 2, 2025)
This attendance growth underscores the format's draw for live events, even as online discourse revealed divided opinions.
Viewership metrics further illustrate the format's mixed impact. Broadcast partners reported significant uplifts, suggesting that heightened stakes translated to broader appeal.
Why Did the Finals Format Spark Intense Controversy?
The new system reset points after the Bathurst 1000, reducing 24 drivers to 10 contenders, then progressively eliminating them over Gold Coast, Sandown, and Adelaide rounds. This NASCAR-like approach prioritized late-season performance, leading to accusations of gimmickry.
In the finale, an early incident involving Mostert's teammate Ryan Wood and Feeney—resulting in a 15-second penalty for Wood—shifted the championship trajectory. Feeney, who started on pole, finished 20th due to the contact, a slow pit stop, and engine failure.
"Chaz Mostert won the 2025 Supercars championship with 4 race wins, while Broc Feeney recorded 14 wins but lost the title under the new format." (EssentiallySports, November 30, 2025)
Such disparities fueled fan outrage, with many arguing the format devalues the regular season's 14 events.
Industry voices echoed these concerns. Commentators noted parallels to NASCAR's 20-year-old playoffs, which have faced similar criticism for one-race deciders causing uncharacteristic errors.
"NASCAR's winner-takes-all final is widely scorned by fans after 20 years, with consensus favoring a multi-race tweak over abolition." (Wide World of Sports, November 13, 2025)
Supercars modified the model by avoiding automatic seeding for race winners, mitigating some pitfalls seen in NASCAR where lower-ranked drivers can surge to titles.
Yet, the Adelaide outcome—marked by potential race manipulation discussions—highlighted vulnerabilities. Non-contenders influencing the fight blurred lines between competition and interference.
What Do Engagement Metrics Reveal About the Format's Impact?
Despite backlash, the finals delivered quantifiable gains in audience metrics. The Adelaide event's multi-faceted programming, including concerts by AC/DC and Lenny Kravitz, amplified its appeal beyond racing.
Broadcast data shows the format's success in capturing casual viewers. The high-stakes narrative kept the title alive until the final lap, aligning with trends in other sports where playoffs sustain interest.
"The 2025 Adelaide Grand Final race achieved an average total TV audience of 498,000, a 17% increase year-on-year." (Footy Industry AU on X, December 1, 2025)
This uplift correlates with the format's emphasis on elimination drama, similar to NASCAR's playoff boosts.
Streaming platforms also benefited. Digital consumption surged, reflecting younger demographics' preference for on-demand content.
"Viewership on 7plus Sport for the 2025 Adelaide round grew 138% year-on-year." (Seven Network, December 1, 2025)
These figures suggest the format enhanced ROI for broadcasters and sponsors through expanded reach.
Comparatively, traditional formats in motorsports often see viewership dips mid-season. The finals' structure created a "second season" effect, with the final three events producing some of the year's most exciting races.
However, long-term retention remains uncertain. Fan polls and social media indicate alienation among purists, potentially offsetting gains if not addressed.
The interplay between attendance, TV, and streaming metrics points to a format that excels in event optimization but risks eroding core fan loyalty.
So What?
For motorsports stakeholders—including series organizers, teams, sponsors, and broadcasters—the 2025 Supercars finals controversy underscores the value of data-driven analytics in balancing innovation with tradition: by tracking engagement metrics like the 17% TV audience increase and 138% streaming growth, entities can identify trends such as heightened late-season interest to refine formats, perhaps incorporating multi-race deciders as suggested for NASCAR to reduce one-off controversies; teams can leverage insights from win disparities (e.g., 4 vs. 14) to advocate for hybrid systems that reward consistency while maintaining drama, optimizing strategies like pit crew efficiency under pressure; sponsors benefit from elevated ROI through targeted activations at blockbuster events drawing 285,700 attendees, using real-time data to measure exposure and adjust partnerships; ultimately, subscribing to Vantage Motorsports Event Analytics' free newsletter provides ongoing tools for trend spotting, event enhancements via audience forecasting, and engagement tactics tailored to evolving fan preferences in a sector where playoff experiments can drive growth if calibrated against evidence-based feedback.
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Sources
- "The bp Adelaide Grand Final has been named Supercars Best Event," Premier Peter Malinauskas Facebook, December 2, 2025, https://www.facebook.com/PMalinauskasMP/posts/the-bp-adelaide-grand-final-has-been-named-supercars-best-event-for-the-fourth-y/1407763430710718/
- "Fans Mockery Consumes V8 Supercars After NASCAR-Inspired Twist Triggers Championship Controversy," EssentiallySports, November 30, 2025, https://www.essentiallysports.com/supercars-nascar-news-nascar-news-fans-mockery-consumes-v-8-supercars-after-nascar-inspired-twist-triggers-championship-controversy/
- "Supercars warned not to adopt disastrous NASCAR-style finale," Wide World of Sports, November 13, 2025, https://www.nine.com.au/sport/motorsport/supercars-news-2025-leigh-diffey-comments-nascar-crossover-finals-format-20251113-p5nfaa.html
- "The Seven Network's live and free coverage of the Repco Supercars Championship," Footy Industry AU on X, December 1, 2025, https://x.com/footyindustryAU/status/1995323176046518503
- "Supercars full throttle on Seven and 7plus Sport," Seven Network via Markets Insider, December 1, 2025, https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/supercars-full-throttle-on-seven-and-7plus-sport-1035605726
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