NASCAR fans are not happy. Despite the new season on the horizon, there seem to be very few advertisements for the upcoming campaign, while IndyCar, which will resume on March 2nd, seems to be given preference. Owned by Roger Penske, IndyCar had been a part of NBC’s coverage for almost two decades but has found a new home in FOX Sports in 2025. Could the new deal between the two parties be the underlying reason why the FOX Corporation seems to be having double standards?

With a month to go before Cup Series action resumes, will motorsports enthusiasts see more promotional material for the season-opening Daytona 500? Time will tell. However, disgruntled fans were quick to share their views on social media, with many eager to cut the cord with FOX Sports once and for all.

Is NASCAR being treated poorly by FOX?

Perhaps it all comes down to the media rights deal. In 2023, NASCAR signed an agreement with NBC, Fox, Amazon, and Warner Bros Discovery, which will split domestic coverage between the four broadcasters. While it’s not the most convenient option for fans, the deal, which amounted to $7.7 billion from 2025 to 2031, is the most lucrative media rights agreement in the sport’s history. As per the terms, FOX Sports, which broadcasted 18 Cup Series races in 2024 will have only 14 events to cover from 2025 and beyond.

The reduced role in NASCAR’s Cup Series coverage, combined with the fact that FOX Sports will be broadcasting the entire IndyCar Series for the first time might highlight the reason behind their priorities. However, the apparent shift in allegiance has not gone unnoticed, with the popular X handle nascarman writing, “Fox has been doing some super marketing for IndyCar this off-season. We haven’t been seeing as much Daytona 500 and NASCAR promos from them this year 👀”

The NASCAR writer wasn’t the only one to notice the shift in priority. Truck Series driver Rajah Caruth also observed that there was a lack of promotional material for the upcoming season and went on to write, “I haven’t seen any NASCAR ads lol. Little frustrating to say the least.” However, there does seem to be a Daytona 500 commercial released by FOX, which seems to be a far cry in terms of production quality in comparison to the IndyCar advertisements that have been released so far.

According to the Editorial and Content Lead of IndyCar Eric Smith, FOX Sports will also be featuring dedicated commercials for Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou, apart from the one they have already made for Josef Newgarden. The underlying promotional strategy seems to not just be focused on promoting the sport, but also on its marquee drivers while educating the masses. With IndyCar having just 51-200 employees, Roger Penske could also be dedicating considerable financial resources to promote his racing series, in comparison to NASCAR, which is 5000 to 10,000 individuals working in the sport.

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Fans call out FOX Sports for its clear bias

As expected, frustrated NASCAR fans didn’t hesitate to share their opinions about FOX Sports’ shift in priorities on social media. Speculating on the underlying reasons for the bias, one fan concluded that the new multi-billion dollar media rights deal may have something to do with it, while IndyCar remains the broadcaster’s only home. The fan wrote on X, “why would they? it’s clear @IndyCar is going all in with one network. yes I know not their choice. @NASCAR is clearly trying to maximize their income potential by spreading it across several outlets. you can’t possibly be surprised why you don’t see more promotions.”

Another fan theorized that NASCAR should do the opposite of IndyCar and shift its allegiances to NBC Sports temporarily to get better treatment from its broadcaster. The X user wrote, “Maybe NASCAR needs to cut their losses and cut fox for a bit and give it to NBC.” Another motorsports enthusiast vowed to steer clear from FOX Sports after the Daytona 500 and questioned the quality of their coverage by saying, “They never spend on NASCAR. Sadly the only race I will watch before Amazon takes over is the Daytona 500. I will listen to rest before tuning into Fox. Their schtick is stale.”

Some fans did manage to watch a FOX Sports advertisement for the season-opening Daytona 500 race, which is widely considered a crown jewel event in the Cup Series calendar. Broadcasted during the Green Bay Packers game, the commercial failed to win over fans, with one X user writing, “I just saw a quick ad for the 500 in the packers game, but it was like 5-7 seconds….it’s sad.” Another stock car racing supporter highlighted FOX Sports’ indifferent attitude towards NASCAR in recent years by writing, “@FOXSports doesn’t care for the sport. It’s evident in the broadcasts the last decade. #DropThem #NASCAR”