Why did Sunday’s NASCAR broadcast look so gray? For supporters who were watching at home, it wasn’t a dream. What should have been a vibrant, fast-paced scene was flattened out on screen as vehicles raced around the track. The pavement faded into the darkness, the sponsor insignia lost their typical impact, and the live racing enthusiasm seemed visually subdued. A sense of discontent that had been building throughout the majority of the 2025 season was heightened by the flat visual tone on FOX’s feed, which caused significant misunderstanding and a rush of inquiries.

Viewers have previously had reservations over the way NASCAR races are presented visually. This year, FOX Sports’ coverage has come under increasing fire for its lack of color and clarity, in addition to its uncomfortable camera work and missed restarts. Longtime play-by-play commentator Mike Joy has publicly admitted on-air that he tracks fan input and is aware of the problems, even though the network has not yet addressed the grayish tone specifically. “I want to know what people are seeing,” he noted during a recent broadcast, signaling that the production team is at least aware of the discontent.

Executives at FOX Sports have reacted more cautiously behind the scenes. The network’s president of marketing, Robert Gottlieb, recently said that while FOX is proud of its long-standing relationship with NASCAR, the corporation is mindful of the continuous criticism from fans. “Every season is different, the challenges and opportunities each year are different,” he said. He affirmed that the network is assessing coverage and making plans for the upcoming season enhancements. The message was apparent even though he didn’t specifically address any visual problems: FOX is aware that change is necessary, even if it hasn’t arrived yet.

Since NASCAR has not directly commented, fans are left to make their own interpretations of the experience, and many people feel that the present offering is out of date. Fans have noticed and are growing impatient, regardless of whether the washed-out appearance is due to camera settings, bad weather, or reduced streaming quality.

Flat screens and fast races: Fans rip NASCAR broadcast over dull, washed-out coverage

The heavily criticized FOX broadcasts, marked by muted visuals and awkward audio mixing, left fans eager for a clearer, sharper presentation from NBC. On a dry and largely clear race day, however, spectators started to notice something was wrong as cars started to roll out onto the track and the green flag was raised. Fans were left perplexed and dissatisfied by the screen’s murky, washed-out appearance, which replaced the vibrant colors and striking contrasts. It felt more like a poorly lit test reel than the fast-paced drama it should have been.

The reaction was immediate and far from subtle. “It looks like a badly converted HDR stream,” one fan posted, pointing to a visual flatness that made even dramatic moments feel underwhelming. Another viewer quipped, “Zack Snyder’s NASCAR,” drawing a comparison to the famously dark and stylized films of the Justice League director. That tone, cinematic but joyless, seemed to hang over the FOX’s broadcast, leading others to describe the race as visually “flat” or “drained of life.” The dull presentation did not spare even the most important action scenes. There should have been a flash of sparks, smoke, and possibly a startling shaking of the camera as Kyle Busch struck the wall hard as he exited Turn 1. Rather, viewers did not see the incident with the intended visual impact. One fan put it bluntly: “Busch’s impact with the wall off of 1 was so hard that it dimmed the hopes of television viewers across the world.” Whether intended as humor or critique, the sentiment stuck.

There was a discussion about what caused the boring broadcast. Some speculated that environmental elements such as smoke from wildfires could be obstructing vision. Fans, however, swiftly disproved that theory. “Anyone saying the wildfire smoke is causing it is an idiot,” one wrote. “Not saying there isn’t smoke, but that’s not why it’s grey. It’s the poor quality of this channel.” Indeed, weather reports from the track confirmed mostly clear skies and moderate light conditions that wouldn’t justify the broadcast’s lack of depth or color. The inconsistency became even more obvious as fans switched between races. One viewer noted, “I noticed the same thing. My stream is very flat too. Watching Xfinity now, and it has way more color.” A possible technical or production imbalance in FOX’s system was shown by this comparison of the Cup Series and the Xfinity Series broadcasts done on the same day. Suspicions that something in the Cup Series production process wasn’t calibrated correctly, whether because of camera settings, post-processing, or encoding, were only strengthened by the contrast.

Others took a more measured approach, acknowledging that early-season hiccups can happen even for experienced broadcasters. “First week of NBC production. Gotta dial in the balances,” one fan wrote. Assuming it was a broadcast by NBC, although NBC’s first broadcast segment does not begin until August 3, 2025, at Iowa Speedway, they take over mid‑season, not at the start. FOX still covers the first 14 races, including the Clash, Daytona Duels, and Coke 600. “FOX looked like this for the first few months, so hopefully, they get it sorted quicker than that.” That viewpoint is consistent with what many devoted viewers have grown accustomed to: a grace period at the beginning of each network’s run, followed by gradual enhancements, provided that user feedback is taken into consideration and implemented.

Several fans praised the audio mix, noting it was “noticeably better than TNT off the jump.”  Fans were left wanting more from TNT’s short midseason run, which was supposed to offer consistency. Although the presentation lacked coherence and did not improve the viewing experience, some viewers liked its experimental camera angles. The season-long annoyance was only made worse by TNT’s coverage, which failed to bridge FOX’s early difficulties with NBC’s anticipated comeback. The FOX broadcast flowed more smoothly because of clearer engine sound, balanced booth commentary, and fewer sudden cuts between in-car and aerial images. TNT was criticized for airing full-screen ads during green-flag racing, something FOX generally avoids by using side-by-side or picture-in-picture. However, the flat picture continued to be the most talked-about topic, and NBC will likely need to address it soon if it hopes to maintain momentum during its rest of the season. 

Incorrect HDR-to-SDR conversion, a technological error that can flatten contrast, strip colors, and cause blacks and whites to clip or smear on ordinary screens, could be the cause of the washed-out look. This is made worse by streaming services’ severe compression, particularly during the first week of a new broadcast cycle when live encoding configurations are still being adjusted. In contrast to FOX, which experienced visual problems early in the season, NBC starts the season in the middle and frequently resets its visual systems and production workflows.

Even between Cup and Xfinity Series streams broadcast on the same weekend, there may be visual discrepancies due to that transition period. As this is going on, viewers are increasingly contrasting traditional networks with websites like Amazon, whose motorsports broadcasts include crisper, more dramatic images with seamless overlays and less lag. Legacy broadcasters like FOX are facing increasing pressure to update their coverage as Amazon and F1 TV set new standards, particularly among younger viewers drawn in by Netflix’s Drive to Survive. Presentation is important as NASCAR enters its final stretch of the playoffs and looks to draw in new spectators. When the graphics are poor, the effect of an exciting race is diminished. NBC has a chance to improve upon FOX’s missteps when rivals like Amazon enter the motorsports streaming market with bolder production values and higher resolution requirements. The supporters’ voices have been heard clearly and loudly. The network is now responsible for bringing the screen back to life.