Race Ranks as Most-Viewed NASCAR Xfinity Series Season-Opener at Daytona Since 2020

Saturday’s Broadcast on The CW Was the Most-Watched NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Across Any Track or Network Since Talladega in April 2022

Viewership Peaked at 2.2 Million Total Viewers

NASCAR and The CW Network today announced that Saturday’s 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona on The CW delivered the largest audience for any Xfinity Series race in almost three years, with 1.8 million total viewers, according to Nielsen fast national ratings.

The CW is quickly establishing itself as a must-see destination for live sports, with the race ranking as the most-viewed Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona since 2020 and the most-watched Xfinity Series race since Talladega in April 2022. Viewership peaked at 2.2 million total viewers in the 7:30 p.m. ET quarter hour, as the drivers raced to a thrilling conclusion which saw Jesse Love cross the finish line first at the legendary Daytona International Speedway.

Compared to last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series weather impacted opener at Daytona, viewership was up 93% in total viewers and rose by double digit percentages across key demos including +76% in Adults 18-49 (330,000) and +47% in Adults 25-54 (444,000). Viewership was also up double-digit percentages compared to The CW’s final playoff race last year from Phoenix in total viewers (+62%), Adults 18-49 (+74%) and Adults 25-54 (+78%), a clear sign that race fans are flocking to The CW as the new home of the NASCAR Xfinity Series and a strong start to a partnership that will entertain audiences for the next seven years.

The 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series continues on The CW this Saturday, February 22 from Atlanta Motor Speedway. Coverage begins with NASCAR COUNTDOWN LIVE (4:30-5:00 p.m. ET) hosted by Carla Metts, with the race beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET. Adam Alexander serves as lead play-by-play announcer alongside analysts Jamie McMurray and Parker Kligerman. Dillon Welch and Kim Coon serve as pit reporters.

About The CW Network

The CW is America’s fifth major broadcast network and reaches 100% of US television households. The CW delivers 15 hours of primetime entertainment programming per week in addition to nearly 400 hours of sports per year as the broadcast home to ACC football and basketball games, Pac-12 football games, “Inside the NFL,” WWE NXT and NASCAR Xfinity Series. The fully ad-supported CW App, with more than 100 million downloads to date, is available for free to consumers on all major platforms and is home to the latest episodes and seasons of The CW’s primetime programming and a library of entertaining film and television content for on-demand viewing. The CW is 75%-owned by Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST), a leading diversified media company and largest CW affiliate group. For more information about The CW, please visit www.cwtv.com.

The CW Media Contacts: Beth Feldman 646/563-8334 Beth.Feldman@cwtv.com

Rob Moynihan 760/519-5543 Rob.Moynihan@cwtv.com

NASCAR Contact: James Hallas 704/261-4540 jhallas@nascar.com

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