By Jack Shaw, Guest Writer
NASCAR is a sport of tradition and household names. Hendrick, Childress and Earnhardt are mainstays in the stock car league and will be for a long time.
However, NASCAR is capable of evolving and helping fan access when possible. The next decade foreshadows a new era of technology that will change the motorsports viewer experience. These changes assist the North Carolina-based sport as it competes with other leagues for fans’ attention.
One significant development is NASCAR’s new media rights deal, which will start in 2025 and conclude after the 2031 season. While familiar faces remain, fans will have more choices next season.
Last November, the sport announced its deal with four media partners — NBC Sports, FOX Sports, Amazon Prime and TNT Sports. These networks and streaming services will carry all 38 NASCAR Cup Series events for seven seasons.
With this move, NASCAR has acknowledged streaming is the future of sports. While NBC and FOX will carry 28 races, Prime Video and TNT Sports will divide the 10 remaining events.
NASCAR is also taking advantage of the network’s affiliate streaming services. When NBC airs its 14 races, some events will have a simulcast on Peacock to engage viewers who only have this platform.
“Our goal was to secure long-term stability with an optimized mix of distribution platforms and innovative partners that would allow us to grow the sport while delivering our product to fans wherever they are — and we’ve achieved that today,” said NASCAR President Steve Phelps.
The streaming aspect is interesting for NASCAR, as it tries to curb the illegal feeds seen on the internet. When people illegally stream a Cup Series race, they take revenue and undermine efforts to aid the sport’s viewership numbers.
Considering the public’s move from cable, streaming services have become a reality for all motorsports. A 2024 Statista report found that 27% of consumers were interested in cutting their cable subscriptions.
If the cable numbers continue to slide, it’s only a matter of time before the Daytona 500 and other events are behind a paywall. Ultimately, it’s up to NASCAR and other motorsports to engage viewers from the younger generations.
Over the past few years, NASCAR has catered to younger viewers to combat the popularity of Formula 1 and IndyCar. With the streaming aspect, it will be interesting to see how Gen Z and other young fans view NASCAR’s shift.
Viewing platforms are just one way the sport has changed motorsports fans’ experience. In 2022, NASCAR inserted cockpit cameras into every car in the field.
Previous seasons only had these feeds for particular drivers. Now, fans can select any driver they want for a unique perspective on the race.
This feature is handy if a fan’s favorite driver is in the garage due to a mechanical issue or a wreck. Now, they can switch feeds and watch the leader’s cockpit camera for the best views.
Fans can stream the cockpit cam for free through NASCAR Drive, which includes race stats and fantasy sports tracking.
One of the best parts of motorsports broadcasts has been the helmet cam. With this view, fans get a much better perspective of what it’s like to drive these gigantic stock cars. Avoiding a wreck at Daytona International Speedway is more complex when driving at 200 mph.
While the fans gain a lot from this technology, the drivers and teams can use it to improve. For example, the driver and spotter can review crash footage and see what they can change in future events. The cameras can improve safety and limit risks while providing data on driver behavior.
With numerous camera angles, drivers — especially the young ones — can adjust their response to future crashes. If they make enough improvements, they could hold the trophy at the end of the race.
Another way NASCAR has leveraged technology is through virtual reality (VR). In the past few seasons, fans have had the opportunity to watch the race through VR and gain different perspectives.
Last fall was the sport’s first playoffs with XTADIUM, an app that lets race fans watch NASCAR races after the event ends. Watching with the Meta Quest headset provides mixed reality (MR) and eight different camera angles of the race.
These new technologies take NASCAR to the next level by meeting younger people where they are. That said, these tools build off multiple decades of improved racing broadcasts.
FOX, NBC and other networks have used RACEf/x systems to make the races easier for the average fan to follow. They use GPS technology to determine precisely where the cars are on the speedway.
For instance, the 1979 Daytona 500 couldn’t show the distance between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison. However, advanced technologies showed William Byron won the 2024 race by 0.006 seconds over Alex Bowman.
How are the measurements so precise? The stock cars carry sensors and send data to the broadcasters. With the instant information, Mike Joy and Kevin Harvick can see how the drivers shift gears and brake around the track.
These metrics give fans a better understanding of what goes on inside the racecar. It also adds to the broadcast by providing more context to the race. The viewers need to know what’s going on at the finish line when the stakes are high.
For example, races occasionally boil down to fuel mileage. Sensors give the broadcasters and fans an estimate of how much Sunoco fuel the driver has burned. Knowing this information, the commentators can focus on acceleration and braking to see how aggressive the drivers are with their fuel-saving tactics.
The broadcast also gains from digital models of the track on TV screens. With a virtual map, the fans can see where each driver is on the track and how far they are behind the leader.
This information is critical throughout the race, especially during green flag pit stops. Digital mapping shows the distance between the leaders before and after their stop, demonstrating the effectiveness of each team’s pit crew.
What does the future hold? Like other sports and industries, artificial intelligence (AI) drives NASCAR’s path forward. This advanced technology has helped General Motors drivers in NASCAR and other leagues. Chevrolet has consistently been at the top of the sport, so its time and resource investment is unsurprising.
GM uses AI to aid driver and crew chief decisions, such as pit stop timing. Race strategy is crucial each weekend, so teams try to find an edge in any area.
AI has also enhanced the fan experience through video games, namely iRacing. This motorsports simulation allows fans to simulate real racing and get closer to the action.
The video game has also helped drivers hone their craft and improve their track performance. William Byron, Rajah Caruth and other competitors started on iRacing before experiencing the real thing.
iRacing brings fans closer to NASCAR by letting them compete against real drivers. Some of the sport’s most famous names — such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. — have played the video game.
Overall, the viewing experience is much different nowadays than 20 or 30 years ago. The future is bright because of AI, in-car cameras and streaming.
Author Bio
With a passion for all things automotive, Jack Shaw is a respected writer in the racing and off-roading scenes. As a sought-after contributor for Engine Labs, Ford Muscle, NASCAR Chronicle and more, his expertise and attention to detail bring articles to life, keeping readers informed and entertained.