NASCAR's Daytona 500 Week Sees Viewership Gains

The 68th Daytona 500 drew 7.489 million viewers, up from last year's rain-delayed race.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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The 68th running of the Daytona 500 on FOX drew 7.489 million viewers, up from 6.76 million the previous year. While the race was affected by rain and had its start time moved up, the overall viewership numbers showed a combination of real growth and steadiness compared to 2025. The Truck Series race on FS1 also saw a 37% year-over-year increase in viewership.

Why it matters

NASCAR has faced challenges in recent years with declining viewership, so these viewership gains for the Daytona 500 and Truck Series races are an encouraging sign that the sport may be regaining some of its popularity. The Daytona 500 is NASCAR's marquee event, so strong ratings are crucial for the sport's overall health and media rights negotiations.

The details

The 68th Daytona 500 on FOX drew 7.489 million viewers, up from 6.76 million the previous year. However, the race was affected by rain and had its start time moved up an hour to avoid a thunderstorm. The O'Reilly Auto Parts season opener on The CW drew 1.812 million viewers, largely flat from 2025. The Truck Series race on FS1 saw a 37% year-over-year increase in viewership to 1.387 million, the most watched Truck Series race since 2016.

  • The 68th Daytona 500 aired on Sunday, February 16, 2026.
  • The O'Reilly Auto Parts season opener aired on Saturday, February 15, 2026.
  • The Truck Series race aired on FS1 on February 15, 2026.

The players

FOX

The television network that aired the 68th Daytona 500.

The CW

The television network that aired the O'Reilly Auto Parts season opener.

FS1

The television network that aired the Truck Series race.

Tony Stewart

Hall of Fame NASCAR driver making his first NASCAR race appearance in a decade.

Cleetus McFarland

YouTuber making his Truck Series debut.

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What they’re saying

“NASCAR sacrificed about five percentage points from its best-case scenario for viewership by moving the race up an hour to avoid rain, per historical trends.”

— Adam Stern, Sports Business Journal (Sports Business Journal)

The takeaway

While NASCAR has faced viewership challenges in recent years, these gains for the Daytona 500 and Truck Series races suggest the sport may be regaining some of its popularity. The Daytona 500 remains a crucial event for NASCAR's overall health and media rights negotiations.