Commentary

Max Verstappen’s Nürburgring 24 Debut Ranks Among Top 5 Sports Streams of 2026

Published on May 29, 2026

The 2026 ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring attracted 759,480 peak concurrent viewers and ranked fifth among all sports-related livestreams year to date, according to data published by Streams Charts. The event featured 4x Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen making his Nürburgring 24 debut.

The race, held at Germany’s Nordschleife circuit, recorded its peak viewership near the end of the 24-hour event, when race winners were determined. The total did not reach 1 million concurrent viewers across Kick and YouTube, but the event surpassed 10 million hours watched, placing it second in the sports category for total 2026 watch time.

Viewership by Channel

Viewership concentrated on the official ADAC channel. Both the German-language and English-language streams each exceeded 260,000 peak viewers. The official Red Bull Motorsports channel ranked second among individual channels by both peak viewers and hours watched.

Streams Charts aggregates data from more than 60 million channels across platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, and Kick. The report covers sports streaming performance from January through May 18, 2026. A PRO subscription provides access to the full dataset.

Max Verstappen’s Nürburgring 24 Debut Ranks Among Top 5 Sports Streams of 2026

Context Among 2026 Sports Streams

The Cyborg Season Ultra 600, an endurance event by creator Arda Saatçi, leads all 2026 sports-related streams with 2.8 million peak viewers and 26.2 million hours watched. Streams Charts identified it as Red Bull’s most-watched livestreaming event by audience engagement. The Nürburgring 24 Hours is the only other sports competition to exceed 10 million hours watched in 2026.

Verstappen drove the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG during the race. His car suffered a mechanical failure less than four hours before the finish, ending his bid for victory. His participation contributed to a sold-out crowd at the circuit. The No. 80 Team Ravenol (Winward Racing) won the race, with Maro Engel, Maxime Martin, Fabian Schiller, and Luca Stolz claiming victory for Mercedes-AMG, ending the manufacturer’s ten-year winless streak at the event.