Fox Sports says that coverage of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 had nearly 7.5 million viewers, an 11% increase over last year. It was the most watched Daytona 500 since 2023.
Furthermore, the race topped all broadcast and cable networks in viewership during the race from 2:15-5:45pm/et, including coverage of the Olympics.
🚨 Ratings slam dunk! FOX Sports delivered 7,489,000 viewers for Sunday’s Daytona 500, an +11% jump over 2025 (6,761,000)! 🏁
▪️Outscored every non-prime Winter Olympics window on broadcast and cable
▪️Topped all broadcast and cable networks in viewership during the race from… pic.twitter.com/gmg5qlk1zP— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) February 19, 2026