FOX Sports has long been a household name in American motorsports broadcasting. It is bringing NASCAR’s signature roar into living rooms for more than two decades. Since 2001, legends like Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds have guided fans through historic races and iconic moments as FOX shaped how millions experience stock car racing. Through its coverage of the Daytona 500, the Craftsman Truck Series, and a landmark Emmy-winning run, FOX has earned its reputation as a pillar of racing media.

Now in its 25th season, the network is carrying a mix of races under NASCAR’s sweeping new media rights deal. Yet, in a rapidly shifting sports media landscape, and with the bold bet on expanding its racing portfolio into IndyCar, FOX finds itself facing questions it hasn’t truly confronted before. Is it still keeping pace with racing’s modern, evolving audience?

FOX’s IndyCar bet misses the mark

FOX’s highly anticipated entry into full-season IndyCar coverage in 2025 came with a wave of marketing energy. It promised a new era for the open-wheel series after years of NBC stewardship. The network doubled down on cross-promotion through NASCAR broadcasts and social media buzz.

The broadcast network bet publicly and financially that IndyCar could become appointment viewing for both seasoned motorsports fans and the younger demographics FOX has so often courted. Remember the hype with Kyle Larson‘s Double Duty attempt this year? Expectations ran high that FOX’s event-driven approach and national reach would deliver a ratings lift and broader fan engagement for a series hungry for growth.

But the numbers paint a more sobering picture. Comparing nine head-to-head network IndyCar broadcasts across NBC and FOX over the past two seasons, only three FOX events saw year-over-year viewership increases. But here’s the bigger concern. Six events experienced declines. These include Thermal Club, Indy RC, Indy Pole Quali, Road America, Mid-Ohio, and Iowa Sat.

The average IndyCar broadcast under FOX has hovered around 1.77 million viewers in 2025, the series’ best since 2016. But, it is still short of the breakout leap many inside the industry and at FOX hoped for. And the problems become glaringly bigger if we remove the viewership data for the Indy 500. Then, this season is averaging just 893,000 viewers.

Some in the industry argue that FOX’s “eventization” strategy for motorsports remains promising, noting isolated rating spikes and increased engagement for marquee events. Others point to fragmentation, an aging linear TV audience, and an overreliance on old marketing tools as signs that FOX is struggling to keep pace with the expectations of modern racing fans and the changing TV landscape. So much for the Josef Newgardeen and Tom Brady commercial that lit up on social media, but the numbers haven’t matched that hype.

But, while IndyCar has struggled to maintain consistent viewership on FOX, often averaging under 1 million viewers for regular races, NASCAR remains a television powerhouse, consistently drawing far higher numbers. For example, NASCAR’s Cup Series still averages over 2.7 million viewers per race in 2025 despite a year-over-year decline. But even here, FOX is not without its share of issues. And maybe the answer to solving FOX’s issues lies here.

Missed moments, old habits, and a path forward for FOX in NASCAR

FOX’s NASCAR coverage in 2025 has become a lightning rod for criticism. Viewership continues to dip, and core fan frustrations go unaddressed. This decline tracks with wider sports TV trends. But FOX’s telecasts have drawn ire for reasons specific to their broadcasts. Frequent, poorly timed commercial breaks, abrupt camera cuts that miss key overtakes or crashes, and a perceived lack of innovation in graphics and commentary.

Fan feedback across social media repeatedly highlights issues such as “missing green flag action,” disjointed on-air transitions, and stale, predictable production approaches. It fuels the sentiment that FOX is out of step with younger, digitally savvy motorsports fans. The network’s focus on legacy over modernization, and its tendency to cram races into rigid TV windows, has further alienated a vocal segment of the NASCAR community.

What’s notable is the contrast from NASCAR’s recent debut on Amazon Prime Video. While Prime’s average viewership for the first five races (2.16 million) was 17% lower than comparable FOX events, the streaming platform excelled with a sharper, more tech-forward broadcast.

The seamless pre- and post-race coverage, immersive in-car camera angles, interactive graphics, and on-demand replays got heaps of praise from the NASCAR community. Even Dale Jr. praised the post-race coverage by Prime, stating that FOX will never be able to match the standards. Then, Prime also succeeded in attracting a significantly younger average audience, a coveted demographic for the sport’s future growth. Their emphasis on deeper storytelling, fan engagement during downtime, and innovation in analytics has set a new benchmark.

The message for FOX is clear. To curb stagnation, boost viewership, and capture fans beyond the core, the network needs to revamp its presentation. They can easily borrow from streaming’s playbook with better technology, flexible coverage, and a focus on fan-centric content. It will be interesting to see what approach FOX takes henceforth. What do you think about FOX’s approach regarding motorsports coverage? Do let us know in the comments below.