No Competition: NASCAR is Embraced by Sports Fans

Photo by Chase McBride on Unsplash

No MLB, no NHL, no NBA…with no competition, NASCAR is living up to its promise to bring the action of live sports to eager fans. From tributes to front line workers, to a $100K bounty for COVID relief, drivers are putting the massive platform they have right now to good use. Even without fans at the tracks, the reignited competition has led to some of the best racing to date.

The passion and drama NASCAR delivers has been welcomed with open arms and increased engagement. But longtime fans aren’t the only ones tuning in now that their favorite sport is back. With few options for live sports entertainment, newcomers are finding out what NASCAR is all about.

We partnered with NuVoodoo Media Services to find out just how much NASCAR means to sports fans during this time. According to the study, over 2/3 of people surveyed say they miss sports broadcasts, but racing fans are feeling it even more. Over 8 in 10 NASCAR fans say they miss sports broadcasts.

A majority of those who are longing for live sports to return are looking forward to NASCAR races (over 60%). 84% of those who intend to tune in to the live broadcasts this season are existing NASCAR fans, and of the people who intend to tune in to NASCAR racing, nearly 20% are NEW fans to the sport.

The potential for these newcomers to become lifetime NASCAR fans is a win for sponsors too. That’s because NASCAR fans welcome brands, and they are more likely to be loyal to advertisers. Nearly 90% of existing NASCAR fans have a positive impression of brands that sponsor or advertise during a NASCAR event and three-quarters of NASCAR fans reported they are more likely to purchase brands from those sponsors and advertisers.

This summer, your brand can effectively and efficiently reach this high-value audience via the race broadcasts from Motor Racing Network (MRN): The Voice of NASCAR and the Performance Racing Network (PRN). MRN and PRN have picked up 100 additional affiliates including KTCT-AM (San Francisco), WEEI-FM (Boston), and WJZ-FM (Baltimore) with live races airing on 435 U.S. radio stations.

The June schedule offers non-stop content over the next few weeks, with more summer races to be announced soon.

Racing is open for business and a great place for advertisers to be. For details on sponsorships and packages, get in touch.

Source: NuVoodoo Media Services Custom Insights™, Sample = 2,660 Adults 16-64 weighted 50% male/50% female, May 6-7, 2020.