Atlanta Motor Speedway promised high-octane action with the Ambetter Health 400, but fans were left fuming. Not because of the race, but because of FOX’s blunders. NASCAR’s official broadcaster failed to deliver a seamless viewing experience yet again prioritizing commercials over crucial race moments. It wasn’t just a minor mistake; it was a pattern that had already frustrated viewers just a week earlier at Daytona.

During the 2025 Daytona 500, FOX faced intense criticism for missing key moments, including the highly anticipated Air Force Thunderbirds flyover. The network also made questionable production choices, like focusing on outdated content instead of live action. Fans, already frustrated from that debacle, hoped for a better broadcast in Atlanta. Instead, they got more of the same—if not worse.

At Atlanta, FOX made three massive mistakes that left fans outraged. The biggest issue was its failure to cover multiple caution flags. Viewers tuned in to watch an intense race but found themselves in a cycle of non-stop commercials. Each time the broadcast returned; they had already missed key incidents. A fan summed up the frustration perfectly: “Every caution has been while on commercial. It never f—— fails!”

This wasn’t an exaggeration. FOX skipped at least three caution periods by switching to advertisements. When the broadcast returned, it rushed through the replays, leaving fans confused about what had happened on the track. However, the backlash from Atlanta didn’t stem from just one bad broadcast—it exposed a problem that had been building for years. Just a week earlier, FOX’s Daytona 500 coverage had already pushed fans to their limit.

One of the incidents was a caution called for Todd Gilliland having a tire issue and leaving debris on the racetrack, FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass posted on X, “Gilliland was a tire issue and caution is out for debris from his tire.” The replies were filled with fans saying they got to know about the caution only from Pockrass! FOX has some real questioning to do and it must start from their broadcast back in Daytona.

One of the biggest blunders in Daytona was FOX missing the highly anticipated Air Force Thunderbirds flyover. The Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s biggest race, and the pre-race ceremonies are a major tradition. Fans look forward to the patriotic flyover, but FOX failed to show it, leaving many outraged. Beyond that, FOX filled the Daytona 500 broadcast with poorly timed replays, constant commercials, and an overemphasis on off-track moments.

A celebrity guest appearance seemed to get more attention than actual race highlights. Viewers felt like FOX was prioritizing everything except the race itself. This wasn’t a first-time issue. In 2023, FOX cut to commercials during a pivotal moment when Kevin Harvick was making a move at Daytona. With NASCAR’s media rights shifting in 2025, FOX is under pressure to prove it can still deliver high-quality race coverage in its limited role this season. But if the Daytona 500 and Atlanta races are any indication, the network is failing to meet expectations.

Fans express frustration with NASCAR’s ignorance of Fox’s mishaps!

NASCAR fans are some of the most passionate in sports, and they aren’t afraid to call out bad coverage. During the Ambetter Health 400, social media exploded with complaints, and the frustration was loud and clear. One fan sarcastically called out the broadcast and wrote, “y’all are surprised it happened under a commercial break but 2/3 of this broadcast has been commercials.”

Some other fans pointed out how excessive the commercials had become. While side-by-side commercials kept some action visible, fans noticed they were happening too often. One viewer noted, “I like that FOX is making an effort to have mostly side-by-side commercial breaks. I don’t like the fact that they play them every 5 laps and they last 5 minutes.” Another user echoed the sentiments and called out FOX Insider Bob Pockrass and wrote, “Don’t worry Bob, your wonderful FOX had us in the commercial.”

To make matters worse, the timing of the commercials seemed suspicious to some. Every time an exciting battle was heating up, FOX cut to an ad break. When a crash or caution happened, it felt almost intentional. “These cautions are rigged to just get more commercials,” one frustrated fan wrote. Whether planned or not, FOX’s poor timing made fans feel like they were being robbed of the race experience. NASCAR is at a turning point with its TV rights, the criticism, and comparisons are going to be sky-high. Fans would expect FOX to understand the demand and make necessary changes.