Rolex 24 Shatters Audience Records

The 64th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona has been confirmed as a landmark moment for endurance racing in North America, with IMSA announcing record-breaking figures across attendance, television viewership and digital engagement. The opening round of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship not only delivered compelling on-track action, but also underlined the series’ growing cultural and commercial momentum.

According to IMSA, more than 180,000 spectators attended the four-day event at Daytona International Speedway, making it the most heavily attended Rolex 24 in the championship’s history. The surge in interest was mirrored by a significant rise in broadcast and streaming audiences, particularly among younger viewers.

NBC’s television coverage attracted an average audience of 1.1 million viewers, representing a striking 49 per cent increase year-on-year, as measured by Nielsen and NBC Sports. That figure places the 2026 race as the second most-watched Rolex 24 on record, surpassed only by the 2021 edition, which peaked at 1.2 million viewers. Equally encouraging for IMSA was a 52 per cent year-on-year rise in the crucial 18–34 demographic, highlighting the event’s growing appeal to a new generation of motorsport fans.

The broadcast strategy played a key role in this success. The opening hour and final two hours of the race were shown live on network television, while American viewers could stream the entire 24-hour contest on Peacock. The platform recorded 784,000 unique viewers, a remarkable 102 per cent increase compared with the previous year.

Internationally, IMSA’s official YouTube channel continued to serve as a vital gateway for global audiences. The live stream of the Rolex 24 generated approximately 3.8 million views, up 30 per cent year-on-year, with an impressive 63 per cent of viewers again falling within the 18–34 age bracket. The channel’s growth was further underlined by the addition of 229,000 new subscribers during January alone.

IMSA’s digital and social media presence also expanded rapidly. Across platforms, the organisation added 390,000 new followers during the first month of 2026. Instagram surpassed one million followers for the first time, TikTok exceeded 400,000, and X (formerly Twitter) moved beyond the 200,000 mark.

IMSA President John Doonan described the event as an “all-time” milestone, crediting the collective efforts of staff, teams, manufacturers, partners and fans for delivering a record-setting start to the 2026 season. IMSA CEO Ed Bennett echoed that sentiment, noting that years of deliberate investment in fan engagement, digital platforms and event presentation are now bearing fruit.

Key 2026 Rolex 24 Viewership and Engagement Figures

Taken together, the figures point to what IMSA has described as a renaissance period for sports car racing — one in which tradition and innovation are combining to deliver unprecedented growth both at the circuit and across modern media platforms.