The 64th Rolex 24 at Daytona is a complete commercial success for IMSA: growth across all indicators – sports cars are booming in the USA
The IMSA SportsCar Championship has started the 2026 season with a historic record.
The 64th edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway smashed numerous records in terms of spectator numbers, digital interaction, and TV reach. A particular highlight was the atmosphere at the venue: over 180,000 fans attended the four-day event at Daytona International Speedway—a new all-time record.
A new attendance record was announced on race day, but no figures were given. Interest was booming not only at the track, but also in front of the screens. The broadcast on NBC attracted an average of 1.1 million viewers, an increase of 49 percent compared to the previous year.
This made it the second-highest-rated Daytona weekend since records began, just behind the peak figure of 2021 (1.2 million). These figures are on a par with a good IndyCar race.
The growth in the young target group is particularly pleasing for those responsible: In the advertising-relevant demographic of 18- to 34-year-olds, the figures rose by 52 percent. The NBC streaming service provider Peacock, which showed the race in full, recorded 784,000 viewers, an increase of 102 percent over the previous year.
Global digital triumph
The international reach was largely driven by the IMSA’s YouTube channel. The live broadcast generated around 3.8 million views. Here, too, an impressive 63 percent of these viewers were in the 18-34 age group.
Social networks also reported record figures:
Instagram surpassed the 1 million follower mark for the first time, the TikTok channel reported over 400,000 followers, and X (formerly Twitter) broke the 200,000 mark. Across all channels, 390,000 new followers were added in January alone.
“In every respect, the 64th edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona was an event for the history books,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “I am overwhelmed by the support of our fans, who contributed to this record-breaking start to the 2026 season.”
CEO Ed Bennett also emphasizes that the strategy of broadening the IMSA brand through modern streaming and social platforms has paid off in full. “Whether at the track, on television, or on streaming and social platforms: I am proud of our entire community, which has helped drive this remarkable renaissance of growth in sports car racing.”
The enormous increase in merchandising sales (+42% for event merchandise) also underscores the economic strength of the current sports car boom.