NASCAR proud of media offers, however seems for broader push with gaming, FAST, film efforts.

NASCAR begins its playoffs this coming weekend. The conventional report card — TV viewership — has the Cup Series at round 2.6 million viewers, which is on par with final season and a quantity that many properties would like to get to (to not point out the 8% progress amongst adults 18-24). Plus, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is up 5% and the Craftsman Truck Series is up 9%.

On social media, whole submit views on Cup race days are up 43.1% from final yr, with 1.94 billion impressions (+31% vs. 2025) and 70 million engagements (+5.4% vs. 2025).

While NASCAR is proud of its TV companions, who’re paying a combined $7.7 billion in deals that run through 2031, the sanctioning physique has moved past counting on TV races to search out new audiences. There has been heavy funding in FAST channel content material, documentaries, digital and social media efforts, video gaming and possibly a small undertaking coming with Tom Cruise.

“We’re probably diversifying our portfolio more than we ever have before,” stated Tim Clark, NASCAR’s EVP and chief model officer. “The way we’re going to grow and evolve this sport is by taking a less selfish view of what fandom means.

“Maybe that means that they follow us on social. Maybe it means they buy the NASCAR 25 game. Maybe it means that they buy merch. Maybe it means they follow us on social. Maybe it means they do all of those things. But I think we’re a little bit more comfortable than we have been traditionally of meeting fans where they are.”

Game on

As Clark places it, video video games are the “tip of the spear in terms of a youth marketing strategy” for the game. NASCAR not solely has an eponymous sport from iRacing Studios — which is the game’s best-selling sport in a decade — however it additionally licenses its marks to video games like Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport and Epic Games’ Rocket League and Fortnite. Esports stay a progress space as properly, because the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series viewership has grown greater than 18% from final yr.

NASCAR World on Roblox has reached 180 million visits in 2026, and greater than 60% of NASCAR World customers are beneath the age of 18. The Roblox effort can be exposing NASCAR to new international audiences, as 80% of tourists reside outdoors North America.

“It’s easy to talk about an international strategy in terms of where are we going to put races, and obviously that’s important to us,” Clark stated, “but the way that we’re going to reach a younger audience and reach an international audience initially is going to be through things like gaming.”

I wanna go FAST

Clark admits speak about FAST channels isn’t horny, however that’s the place many digital eyeballs are today. The NASCAR Channel, which is the game’s 24/7 FAST platform, launched at the beginning of 2025 and is on Tubi, Prime Video, Roku Channel and Xumo Play, amongst different platforms. Beyond archival content material, NASCAR has additionally invested in authentic programming for the channel, and it has even added dwell occasions which were on FloRacing.

“Last year, we were blown away by the first full year that we had on the FAST platform, and just when we thought that audience and those consumption rates couldn’t continue to grow at the rate they were, they somehow still are — to the point where we’re now making content specifically for that platform,” Clark stated.

A display close to you

NASCAR can be a sport much less pushed by highlights in comparison with stick-and-ball opponents, and that has led to extra spending to inform deep tales across the racing property and its personalities. Clark stated NASCAR is “very pleased” with the transfer of the “Full Speed” docuseries from Netflix to Prime Video this season, which got here on the heels of a profitable “Earnhardt” doc on Prime final yr.

“There are still good stories to tell,” he stated. “We just have to be really selective on not wearing out fans in terms of telling the stories from our 78-year history as much as we are focusing on the current characters. But navigating the original space and certainly the sports documentary space right now — it’s tricky. But I think we put the right pieces and parts in place to have some success there.”

The subsequent huge undertaking for NASCAR? The “Days of Thunder” sequel set for 2028. Tom Cruise rolled out the formal announcement on social media over the weekend (studies had him crashing the drivers’ assembly Saturday), and Clark stated the reception has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

“Entertainment projects are a really powerful front door to the sport,” Clark stated. “We’ll be great partners, we’ll provide great access, we’ll be hyperfocused on authenticity. We’ll look to get our drivers and our partners and our teams involved in that project.”