FOX Sports and NBC Sports will jointly be honored with the 2017 NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award at the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards today.
“We are fortunate to have two world class television partners dedicated to presenting our sport in new and innovative ways each weekend,” said Steve Phelps, EVP, Chief Global Sales and Marketing Officer. “Both FOX Sports and NBC Sports are deserving honorees, each delivering dynamic marketing campaigns that introduced our sport to new audiences and brought fans closer to our athletes than ever before.”
FOX Sports and NBC Sports integrated NASCAR into its broader suite of media company assets, putting the sport in front of non-traditional audiences to help grow appeal across key demographics. The networks collaborated to implement a wide-ranging strategy to cross-promote races on both networks during the season.
FOX Sports executed a multi-faceted marketing campaign (Daytona Day) that drove anticipation and excitement for the DAYTONA 500. The campaign featured custom television creative, including a 60-second spot titled “Anthem” which debuted during FOX Sports’ broadcast of Super Bowl LI. FOX also featured NASCAR content or athletes across popular shows like The Simpsons, Lethal Weapon and an integration with FOX Celebrity Chef, Gordon Ramsey.
At the track, FOX Sports delivered best-in-class production and innovation at every turn, providing viewers with unique experiences and digital offerings. This season was highlighted by a “Drivers Only” broadcast of the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Pocono Raceway, a Visor Cam at Sonoma Raceway, FOX Sports GO Driver Channels, and the first-ever 4K broadcast of a NASCAR event at Martinsville Speedway.
“It is an honor to accept this award on behalf of the dedicated men and women who bring this sport into the homes of millions of viewers each weekend,” said Robert Gottlieb, EVP, Head of Marketing, FOX Sports.
NBC Sports delivered a multi-platform season-long marketing campaign that included custom creative featuring drivers in their own voices, experiential marketing with weekly in-market NASCAR on NBC food trucks, as well as an on-air #NASCARThrowback social media program honoring Dale Earnhardt Jr. In addition, NASCAR content and drivers were featured on NBCUniversal’s most popular shows including: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the TODAY Show,Sunday Night Football, Watch What Happens Live, and American Ninja Warrior.
Pushing the envelope with unique production, NBC Sports introduced new technology and several additional elements to its 2017 Monster Energy Cup Series and XFINITY Series coverage. Highlights included the debut of BatCam, a camera designed to reach speeds exceeding 100 mph down the back stretch; “On The Box” coverage, featuring Daytona 500 winning crew chief and NASCAR on NBC analyst Steve Letarte contributing real-time race analysis from a position atop a pit box on pit road; and the inaugural “Pit Crew All-Star Team,” a season-long initiative to honor NASCAR crew members who made a significant difference in their driver’s and team’s success. NBC also added four-time Olympic medalist and features reporter Ato Boldon to its NASCAR broadcast team, to help bring fans closer to the action and provide a behind-the-scenes look at the many intricacies of the sport. In addition, NBC Sports partnered with MRN to cover the NASCAR XFINITY Series and Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International from multiple vantage points, offering viewers comprehensive coverage from strategically positioned broadcast members around the historic road course.
“NBC Sports is incredibly proud of our long-standing partnership with NASCAR, and we are thrilled to accept this award,” said Jenny Storms, Chief Marketing Officer, NBC Sports Group. “This prestigious honor is the direct result of an insights led strategy, combined with the passion and creativity of our team, to continue to connect and engage with fans in new and exciting ways.”
This marks the second time both FOX Sports and NBC Sports have been presented with the Marketing Achievement Award, both jointly won the award in 2002. Other previous winners of the NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award include Comcast; Sunoco; Coca-Cola; Mars, Incorporated; and Toyota.
NASCAR Champion’s Week will culminate with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards. NBCSN presents this year’s awards on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 9 p.m. ET, while Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the award show live beginning at 8 p.m. ET. For more information on NASCAR Champion’s Week in Las Vegas, please visit ChampionsWeek.NASCAR.com.
NASCAR PR
