2026 Daytona 500 on FOX Draws 7.5 Million Viewers, Rivals Olympics Coverage

The 68th running of the Daytona 500 was a smashing success both on the track and on the big screen. FOX Sports PR announced on Thursday that the 2026 Daytona 500 on FOX (Feb. 15) drew a combined 7,489,000 viewers, which is an 11% increase from the 2025 Daytona 500, which generated 6,761,000 viewers. The race peaked at 9,154,000 viewers from 5:30-5:45 p.m. ET. Moreover, the first race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season was the most-watched program during the primary window of the race from 2:15-5:45 p.m. ET. In doing so, the FOX broadcast had better ratings than any broadcast or cable coverage of the non-prime-time windows of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy during that span. As for the race, Tyler Reddick took the lead on Turn 4 of the final lap, rocketing past Zane Smith and then squeaking beyond Chase Elliott to take the lead and, seconds later, the checkered flag. It was the 23rd Daytona 500 on FOX. Meanwhile, Reddick’s win marked the first time that 23XI Racing, co-founded by NASCAR star Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan, reached victory lane in the Daytona 500. It was the ninth win of Reddick’s Cup Series career (full time from 2020-26). Next up for Reddick and the Cup Series field is the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, GA this Sunday (3 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).