The conventional preseason Clash event introduces a new field of Cup series drivers with fresh paint schemes to Nascar fans.
While the teams won’t turn a wheel in anger until the season-opening Daytona 500, there is already enough off-track contention as it is before racing begins. Namely,the ongoing court case between Nascar and two of its teams,23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
Thanks to a preliminary injunction delivered in December, the two teams are competing as chartered entries in 2025 despite taking legal action against the series, something that looked unlikely a few months ago. nascar’s motions to dismiss the antitrust lawsuit were dismissed by a judge earlier this month.
This sets the scene for what could be a tumultuous year for the stock car racing series at a time when it’s in need of certainty.Sponsors – both current and potential – will be nervous of the ramifications of both the lawsuit and Nascar’s new media rights deal that covers four different broadcasters.
Just five regular season races will be shown on commercial television in 2025 and viewers will need to navigate six different platforms to watch the full season.Moreover, the majority of race weekends will require two subscriptions to catch practice, qualifying and the race.
Amid all this, BlackBook Motorsport delves into some of the data from SportsPro’s Nascar commercial guide – a one-stop shop, exclusively for SportsPro+ premium members, to access the latest business intelligence and data pertaining to the series’ commercial dealings – to see what the numbers say.
A higher annual TV fee, but at what cost?
As already mentioned, this is the first year of Nascar’s new seven-year domestic media rights deals with Fox Sports, NBC, Warner Bros Revelation (WBD) and amazon, which are reportedly worth a combined US$7.7 billion until 2031.
Between 2015 and 2019, the Nascar audience shrunk from an average of 5.1 million viewers per race to 2.92 million. Since then,viewership has stabilised around the three million mark,with last year’s average audience hitting 2.87 million.
The difference this year will be the introduction of streaming platforms, with Prime Video and TNT Sports’ Max taking a package of five races each.Combined with the drastic reduction in races on commercial television – nine in 2025 compared to 20 last year – and there is a veritable apprehension about the year to come.
This is not helped by Formula One’s increasing efforts to expand its audience in the US, alongside IndyCar’s landmark TV deal with Fox that grants it 19 windows of coverage on the network’s flagship channel.
Increased competition is not what Nascar needs in such a pivotal year.
Sponsors take stock as revenues shrink in 2024
Even before entering such an uncertain year, there were signs of caution from sponsors in Nascar. As the well-worn motorsport cliché goes,cautions breed cautions,so expect continued wariness further into 2025.
The latest available estimates published by GlobalData have Nascar’s revenue across its 2024 portfolio of sponsors at US$362.34 million. This is a drop of nearly 15 per cent compared to 2023’s figure of US$425.06 million.
Of the partners in the top 20 for sponsorship deal value in 2024, the four premier partners are significant contributors: Xfinity (US$20 million), Coca-Cola (US$16 million), Geico (US$15 million) and Busch (US$15 million).
There are only three premier partners locked into 2025 at the time of writing, with Geico departing Nascar at the end of 2024.
The teams have experienced mixed fortunes on the sponsorship front. In 2023, Team Penske generated the most estimated sponsorship revenue at US$140.94 million, but this fell dramatically last year to US$86.63 million, a drop of nearly 39 per cent.
Richard Childress Racing suffered an even worse decline, with 2023 sponsorship revenue of US$104.55 million falling 49 per cent to US$52.9 million in 2024.
The top three teams – Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing – all experienced year-over-year (YoY) sponsorship revenue increases compared to 2023.With Stweart-Haas Racing now having ceased Nascar operations, their partners could possibly move over to the much smaller Haas Factory team or flock to rival teams.
sportspro partner Caytoo reveals that consumer goods companies make up 16.6 per cent of sponsors among teams, the joint-highest alongside food and beverage brands. The top five is completed by the industrial (15.6 per cent), professional service (9.9 per cent) and automotive (9.2 per cent) sectors.
Following does not equal popularity
Garnering an audience on social media is crucial for engaging the next generation of Nascar fans – even if the future of TikTok in the US is up in the air.
Joe Gibbs Racing comes out on top with 1.6 million overall followers, in part due to their huge following on TikTok of 897,400, which is more than double second-placed trackhouse Racing on the platform (307,400 followers).
Hendrick Motorsports and haas Factory Team are the only other teams that have over one million followers, with the latter benefitting from the existing support for Stewart-Haas Racing when they assumed control of the old social channels.
Similarly, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin are the only three Cup Series drivers to clear the one million follower mark.
it’s interesting, though, that second-placed Elliott has been crowned the winner of nascar’s ‘Most Popular Driver Award’ for the last seven years. What’s more, Busch didn’t finish in the top three in voting last year, with Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney receiving more
NASCAR’s Social Media stars Reign Supreme
While NASCAR Cup Series drivers Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and Ross Chastain lead in merchandise sales and fan votes, it’s the rising stars of the NASCAR Truck Series who dominate the social media landscape.
Toni Breidinger and Hailie Deegan, both boasting 4.8 million followers across instagram and TikTok, surpass the social media presence of even the most popular Cup Series drivers. Deegan’s move to Indy NXT in 2025 is unlikely to diminish her impressive online following.
Teh article provides a comprehensive overview of NASCAR’s current challenges and trends, especially in the areas of sponsorship, social media engagement, and audience reach. Here are some key takeaways and thoughts on how NASCAR might navigate these challenges:
NASCAR’s Shifting Landscape: Viewership, Sponsorship, and Social Media
NASCAR is at a crossroads. As the roar of engines fades from broadcast television, the sport grapples wiht declining viewership, shifting sponsorship landscapes, and the rise of new racing stars on social media.
Between 2015 and 2019, NASCAR’s audience shrunk from an average of 5.1 million viewers per race to 2.92 million. since then, viewership has stabilized around the three million mark, with last year’s average audience hitting 2.87 million.
This year, the introduction of streaming platforms, with Prime Video and TNT Sports’ Max taking a package of five races each, adds another layer of complexity. Combined with the drastic reduction in races on commercial television – nine in 2025 compared to 20 last year – ther is a palpable apprehension about the year to come.
Sponsors Take Stock as Revenues shrink in 2024
Even before entering such an uncertain year,there were signs of caution from sponsors in NASCAR.As the well-worn motorsport cliché goes, cautions breed cautions, so expect continued wariness further into 2025.
The latest available estimates published by GlobalData have NASCAR’s revenue across its 2024 portfolio of sponsors at US$362.34 million.This is a drop of nearly 15 per cent compared to 2023’s figure of US$425.06 million.
Of the partners in the top 20 for sponsorship deal value in 2024, the four premier partners are significant contributors: Xfinity (US$20 million), Coca-cola (US$16 million), Geico (US$15 million) and Busch (US$15 million).
There are only three premier partners locked into 2025 at the time of writing, with geico departing NASCAR at the end of 2024.
The teams have experienced mixed fortunes on the sponsorship front.In 2023, Team Penske generated the most estimated sponsorship revenue at US$140.94 million, but this fell dramatically last year to US$86.63 million, a drop of nearly 39 per cent.
Richard Childress Racing suffered an even worse decline, with 2023 sponsorship revenue of US$104.55 million falling 49 per cent to US$52.9 million in 2024.
The top three teams – Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing – all experienced year-over-year (YoY) sponsorship revenue increases compared to 2023. With Stewart-Haas Racing now having ceased NASCAR operations, their partners could possibly move over to the much smaller Haas Factory team or flock to rival teams.
sportspro partner caytoo reveals that consumer goods companies make up 16.6 per cent of sponsors among teams,the joint-highest alongside food and beverage brands. The top five is completed by the industrial (15.6 per cent), professional service (9.9 per cent) and automotive (9.2 per cent) sectors.
Following Does Not Equal Popularity
Garnering an audience on social media is crucial for engaging the next generation of NASCAR fans – even if the future of TikTok in the US is up in the air.
Joe Gibbs Racing comes out on top with 1.6 million overall followers, in part due to their huge following on TikTok of 897,400, which is more than double second-placed Trackhouse Racing on the platform (307,400 followers).
Hendrick motorsports and haas Factory Team are the only other teams that have over one million followers,with the latter benefitting from the existing support for Stewart-Haas Racing when they assumed control of the old social channels.
Similarly, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, and Denny Hamlin are the only three Cup series drivers to clear the one million follower mark.
It’s interesting, though, that second-placed Elliott has been crowned the winner of NASCAR’s ‘Most Popular Driver Award’ for the last seven years. What’s more, Busch didn’t finish in the top three in voting last year, with Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney receiving more votes.
NASCAR Social Media Stars Reign Supreme
While NASCAR Cup Series drivers Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and Ross Chastain lead in merchandise sales and fan votes, it’s the rising stars of the NASCAR Truck Series who dominate the social media landscape.
Toni Breidinger and Hailie Deegan, both boasting 4.8 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, surpass the social media presence of even the most popular Cup Series drivers. Deegan’s move to Indy NXT in 2025 is unlikely to diminish her extraordinary online following.
Q&A
**Q: Where can I watch NASCAR races now that there are fewer on traditional television?**
A: NASCAR’s move towards streaming platforms means races will be available on Prime Video and TNT Sports’ Max, alongside select broadcasts on traditional networks.
**Q: Is sponsorship revenue down across the board for NASCAR teams?**
A: Yes, most teams experienced a decline in sponsorship revenue in 2024 compared to 2023. Though, Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and Stewart-Haas Racing bucked the trend.
**Q: Who are the most popular NASCAR drivers on social media?**
A: While Cup Series drivers like Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch have significant followings, Truck Series drivers Toni Breidinger and Hailie Deegan are social media stars, boasting millions of followers.
Let us know your thoughts on how NASCAR will navigate these challenges!
