After a record-setting Super Bowl, Fox is continuing its success by capitalizing on strong advertiser demand. Following the achievement of a new high for Super Bowl ad revenue, with 30-second spots selling for over $8 million, Fox Sports has completely sold out of ad inventory for the upcoming Daytona 500, according to a report by Adam Stern in Sports Business Journal.
Fox has sold 30-second spots for more than $500,000, with many ads priced between $400,000 and $450,000. Notably, the network achieved a sellout in December, marking the earliest it has ever done so for Daytona 500 ads, as stated by NASCAR’s chief media & revenue officer, Brian Herbst.
Fortunately for NASCAR fans, this doesn’t mean an overwhelming number of commercials during the broadcast. According to Stern, “Fox has asked all partners to run ads in the double-box format, which permits the network to display the race alongside a commercial simultaneously. NASCAR fans typically prefer this approach to full-screen advertisements.” While not ideal, the double-box format offers a better viewing experience than traditional full-screen breaks.
The high demand for Fox’s ad slots can be attributed to the limited broadcast windows under NASCAR’s new media rights agreements. This season, Fox will air only five races, while NBC covers four, compared to 21 races that aired on broadcast networks last year. This scarcity creates fewer opportunities for brands aiming to associate with NASCAR, leading to increased interest from advertisers.
With the introduction of these television deals, NASCAR has made a strategic choice to prioritize revenue over reach by increasing media rights fees, adding TNT and Amazon as partners, while limiting potential viewership through less accessible platforms. The opening event of the season, the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray, averaged 3.08 million viewers on Fox earlier this month, a decline from previous years but an improvement over 2024’s airing on FS1.
