The 2025 Cook Out Southern 500 kicks off Sunday, Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. ET on USA Network, and it’s the first playoff race of the year — which means things are about to get intense. Darlington’s not your average track either. It’s narrow, it’s worn out, and it’s earned the nickname “Too Tough to Tame” for a reason. This is where drivers earn their stripes (literally), and with 16 championship hopefuls looking to make a statement, don’t expect anyone to play it safe. You can stream all the action, including Saturday’s practice and qualifying on truTV with a 50% off a subscription to Sling TV.

How to watch 2025 NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500

• When: Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025 at 6 p.m. ET
• TV: USA Network
• Stream: Watch with a subscription to Sling TV.
• From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.

Everything you need to know about the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500

What is the broadcast schedule for the 2025 NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500?

Why we like Sling TV for watching NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500

If you’re bouncing between NASCAR races, F1 weekends, concerts, and every other summer event, Sling makes it simple to stay caught up without spending a ton. It’s one of the most budget-friendly ways to stream live TV, offering key broadcast and cable channels that always seem to have exclusive rights to different events.

The usual price is $46 per month, but right now you can grab 50% off your first month, bringing that down to just $23. Whether you go with Sling Orange, Sling Blue, or combine both, you’re still saving. The bundle typically runs $61 a month, but with the deal, your first month is only $30.50 — cheaper than most live TV streaming services. Just need short-term access? You can also grab a Sling TV day, week, or weekend pass to catch the race and call it a day.

Save with Sling

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Sling TV

Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord-cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $45.99/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $45.99/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.

You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $60.99 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.

Save with Sling

$19.99+ / month

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Can you watch the NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 for free?

If you’re just here for the race and don’t want to commit to a full TV package, there are a few streaming services that offer free trials — but the details can be all over the place. DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV all let you try before you buy, though not all trials are created equal. The most consistent option is DIRECTV STREAM, which gives you a solid five-day free trial every time. Hulu’s usually around three days for new signups.

Fubo? That one’s a little murkier. As The Streamable’s David Satin pointed out, figuring out how long your trial will last isn’t super clear — even during sign-up. Some folks get a week, others just a day.

YouTube TV plays the same game. They say the trial lasts “up to two weeks,” but a lot of users only get two days, which makes it tough to plan ahead.

Bottom line? If you want the most straightforward, hassle-free way to stream the Cook Out Southern 500 without paying, DIRECTV STREAM is your best bet with that guaranteed five-day trial.

Watch a preview of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs:

About 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500

The 2025 Cook Out Southern 500 isn’t just any race — it’s the kickoff to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Sixteen drivers made the cut after 26 regular-season battles, and now they’ve got three races to prove they belong in the next round. After Darlington, the Round of 16 rolls into Gateway and Bristol, with four drivers getting cut before the field shrinks to 12. William Byron enters as the regular-season champ, leading the field in speed, restarts, and stage points. Kyle Larson, last year’s Darlington winner, has been rock-solid all season and knows how to grind out a long run here. And don’t count out Bubba Wallace — his stats might not pop, but he’s in the mix thanks to a Brickyard win and one of the top pit crews in the sport. It’s going to be a tense, elbows-out fight all the way to the checkered flag.

How to watch the 2025 NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 from anywhere

If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the 2025 NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to Sling TV in order to stream the race with a VPN.

NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. I use it every single day to surf the web. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!

While NordVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling (and my preferred option), there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.

• Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
• Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
• Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available