With a start time of 2:30 p.m. ET and the green flag scheduled to wave at 3:05 p.m. ET, the Daytona 500 likely will be a race that begins with plenty of Florida sunshine but ends at night. That's been the case for the Great American Race over the last few years.
This is partly due to how long of a race the NASCAR Cup Series season-opener has become. Yes, advertisers pay big bucks to show commercials during stock car racing's finest event, and Fox stuffs in as many ads as possible, but the nature of superspeedway racing over the last few seasons has made the Daytona 500 something of a marathon and a game of survival. Expect the same in 2020 — several multi-car crashes, likely causing at least one red flag.
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Fox in 2020 will broadcast the Daytona 500 for the 14th consecutive season, and it's the network's 20th year overall covering NASCAR Cup Series races. Fox's prerace coverage will begin at 11 a.m. ET with a special edition of NASCAR RaceDay on FS1. At 1 p.m. ET, the network's coverage will move to Fox and lead into the start of the race.
Below is all you need to know to watch the 2020 Daytona 500, including the green flag time, the TV channel and live stream info.
What time does the Daytona 500 start in 2020?
- Start time: 2:30 p.m. ET
- Green flag time: 3:05 p.m. ET
The start time of 2:30 p.m. ET for the Daytona 500 is really the start time for prerace ceremonies, which include the invocation, the national anthem, the command to start engines and the pace laps.
Which means the Daytona 500 won't actually get underway until roughly 3:05 p.m. ET, when the green flag is scheduled to wave.
As usual, Fox's coverage of the Daytona 500 will begin long before that green flag time. The network will air a special edition of NASCAR RaceDay on FS1 beginning at 11 a.m. ET, and at 1 p.m. ET, the show will move to Fox and stay there until the network's Daytona 500 coverage begins with the start of prerace ceremonies at 2:30 p.m. ET.
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How long is the Daytona 500?
A 500-mile race at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway means the Daytona 500 is scheduled for 200 laps, and the race will be broken into three stages.
Stage 1 will end on Lap 65, Stage 2 will end on Lap 130 and Stage 3 will end on Lap 200 — making the stage lengths 65 laps, 65 laps and 70 laps, respectively.
Sunset at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday will occur at 6:14 p.m. ET, a little more than three hours after the Daytona 500 begins. Even without rain delays or lengthy red flags, the race is sure to end under the lights.
What channel is the Daytona 500 on today?
- TV channel: Fox
- Live stream: Fox Sports Go
The Daytona 500 in 2020 will air live on the network that has been its home for the last 13 years. Overall, Fox is beginning its 20th season of NASCAR Cup Series coverage.
On the call of the 2020 Daytona 500 for Fox will be Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon, marking the first race the duo has worked together since longtime Fox NASCAR analyst Darrell Waltrip retired. Joy will call his 41st Daytona 500, and Gordon will call his fifth.
"In a two-man booth, you’re much more focused on the call of the race and not looking for other storylines," Joy told Sporting News when asked about the pros and cons of Fox's new broadcast setup.
Fox also will lean on additional analysis from Jamie McMurray. The recently retired driver will be joined by Larry McReynolds, the longtime Fox broadcaster who again will deliver information on race trends and team strategy, basically the crew chief of the broadcast.
The veteran reporting team of Matt Yocum, Jamie Little, Vince Welch and Regan Smith will provide stories and updates from pit road for the Daytona 500. Chris Myers and Adam Alexander will anchor Fox's prerace coverage.
Daytona 500 live stream
Cord-cutters shouldn't have a problem finding a live stream for the 2020 Daytona 500 — Sling, Hulu, YouTube TV, fuboTV and AT&T Now all carry Fox.
Another option: Anybody who has a cable or satellite subscription can access Fox's live broadcast of the Daytona 500 via Fox Sports Go.
NASCAR TV schedule 2020
| Date | Race | Track | Start time | TV channel | Radio | Winner |
| Feb. 16 | Daytona 500 | Daytona International Speedway | 2:30 p.m. ET | Fox | MRN | - |
| Feb. 23 | Pennzoil 400 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | 3:30 p.m. ET | Fox | PRN | - |
| March 1 | Auto Club 400 | Auto Club Speedway | 3:30 p.m. ET | Fox | MRN | - |
| March 8 | FanShield 500 | Phoenix Raceway | 3:30 p.m. ET | Fox | MRN | - |
| March 15 | Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | 2 p.m. ET | Fox | PRN | - |
| March 22 | Dixie Vodka 400 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | 2 p.m. ET | Fox | MRN | - |
| March 29 | O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 | Texas Motor Speedway | 2 p.m. ET | FS1 | PRN | - |
| April 5 | Food City 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway | 2 p.m. ET | FS1 | PRN | - |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| April 19 | Toyota Owners 400 | Richmond Raceway | 2 p.m. ET | Fox | MRN | - |
| April 26 | Geico 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | 2 p.m. ET | Fox | MRN | - |
| May 3 | NASCAR Cup Series Race at Dover | Dover International Speedway | 2 p.m. ET | FS1 | MRN | - |
| May 9 (Sat.) | NASCAR Cup Series Race at Martinsville | Martinsville Speedway | 8 p.m. ET | FS1 | MRN | - |
| May 16 (Sat.) | All-Star Race | Charlotte Motor Speedway | 9 p.m. ET | FS1 | MRN | - |
| May 24 | Coca-Cola 600 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | 6 p.m. ET | Fox | PRN | - |
| May 31 | Kansas 400 | Kansas Speedway | 2 p.m. ET | FS1 | MRN | - |
| June 7 | FireKeepers Casino 400 | Michigan International Speedway | 2 p.m. ET | FS1 | MRN | - |
| June 14 | Toyota / Save Mart 350 | Sonoma Raceway | 3 p.m. ET | FS1 | PRN | - |
| June 21 | Chicagoland 400 | Chicagoland Speedway | 2:30 p.m. ET | NBCSN | MRN | - |
| June 27 (Sat.) | Kids Free 325 | Pocono Raceway | 3 p.m. ET | NBCSN | MRN | - |
| June 28 | Worry-Free Weather Guarantee 350 | Pocono Raceway | 3:30 p.m. ET | NBCSN | MRN | - |
| July 5 | Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | 3:30 p.m. ET | NBC | IMS Radio | - |
| July 11 (Sat.) | Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart | Kentucky Speedway | 7:30 p.m. ET | NBCSN | PRN | - |
| July 19 | Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | 3 p.m. ET | NBCSN | PRN | - |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Aug. 9 | Consumers Energy 400 | Michigan International Speedway | 3 p.m. ET | NBCSN | MRN | - |
| Aug. 16 | Go Bowling at The Glen | Watkins Glen International | 3 p.m. ET | NBCSN | MRN | - |
| Aug. 23 | Drydene 400 | Dover International Speedway | 3 p.m. ET | NBCSN | MRN | - |
| Aug. 29 (Sat.) | Coke Zero Sugar 400 | Daytona International Speedway | 7:30 p.m. ET | NBC | MRN | - |
NASCAR schedule 2020: Playoff races
| Date | Race | Track | Start time | TV channel | Radio | Winner |
| Sept. 6 | Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway | 6 p.m. ET | NBCSN | MRN | - |
| Sept. 12 (Sat.) | Federated Auto Parts 400 | Richmond Raceway | 7:30 p.m. ET | NBCSN | MRN | - |
| Sept. 19 (Sat.) | Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race | Bristol Motor Speedway | 7:30 p.m. ET | NBCSN | PRN | - |
| Sept. 27 | South Point 400 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | 7 p.m. ET | NBCSN | PRN | - |
| Oct. 4 | Alabama 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | 2 p.m. ET | NBC | MRN | - |
| Oct. 11 | Bank of America ROVAL 400 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | 2:30 p.m. ET | NBC | PRN | - |
| Oct. 18 | Hollywood Casino 400 | Kansas Speedway | 2:30 p.m. ET | NBC | MRN | - |
| Oct. 25 | Texas 500 | Texas Motor Speedway | 3 p.m. ET | NBCSN | PRN | - |
| Nov. 1 | NASCAR Cup Series Fall Race at Martinsville | Martinsville Speedway | 2 p.m. ET | NBC | MRN | - |
| Nov. 8 | NASCAR Cup Series Championship | Phoenix Raceway | 3 p.m. ET | NBC | MRN | - |