CW Posts Strongest NASCAR Series Viewership Since 2021
The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series averaged 1,044,000 total viewers across 33 races on The CW in 2026.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Motorsports
The CW's 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series coverage averaged 1,044,000 total viewers per Nielsen Panel + Big Data, marking the second straight year of growth and the strongest season since 2021. Justin Allgaier won his second series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a race that averaged 1,181,000 viewers.
Why it matters
Two consecutive years of audience growth signal sustained interest in the series' broadcast package on The CW, which carries the races in the network's sports lineup. The 13% rise among Adults 18-49 points to gains in a demographic that advertisers closely track.
Viewership was measured by Nielsen Panel + Big Data, with 22 of 33 races averaging more than one million total viewers and the championship race peaking at 1,638,000 viewers from 7:30 to 7:45 p.m. ET. Whether the growth trend continues into 2027 remains to be seen, as the extraction contains no projections beyond the season's start date.
The players
Justin Allgaier
Allgaier is a NASCAR driver who won his second NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series championship in 2026.
The CW Network
The CW Network is a U.S. broadcast network that carries NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races as part of its sports lineup.
The details
The 2026 season concluded Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Justin Allgaier clinched his second NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series title. All NASCAR programming on The CW reached nearly 38 million total viewers over the year.
Timeline
Saturday, November 7, 2026: 2026 season concludes with Allgaier's championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Saturday, February 20, 2027: 2027 season begins on The CW at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Season Trajectory
The 2026 season marked the second consecutive year of viewership growth on The CW and the strongest audience since 2021. The rise in the Adults 18-49 demographic suggests the broadcast package is gaining traction with a younger audience during the series' current media deal.
Fans who watch on The CW can track the 2027 season beginning February 20, 2027, from Daytona International Speedway. Viewers planning to follow the series will find the broadcast schedule on The CW for the full season.
The takeaway
Rising viewership on The CW suggests the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series is building a broader audience for its races on broadcast television. Fans can use the February 20, 2027 season opener as the starting point for following the next season.
What happens next
The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series returns to The CW on Saturday, February 20, 2027, with the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Further reading
Explore more motorsports coverage for context on the series and its broadcast schedule.
