NASCAR fans are fuming. For many, the coverage of the 2025 AmBetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was the worst in recent memory. FOX Sports, the official broadcaster of the race, was heavily criticized for excessive commercial breaks and technical problems, which resulted in fans missing crucial race moments, making the overall experience frustrating. It’s not the first time the media corporation has been criticized for its coverage quality, as similar issues plagued the season-opening Daytona 500 as well.
Meanwhile, IndyCar’s inaugural season is facing no such issues. Seeing the difference in standards, NASCAR fans took to social media to criticize the American broadcaster for its double standards.
IndyCar overshadows NASCAR in coverage quality
FOX Sports has come under plenty of scrutiny lately. The American broadcaster was criticized for the way it handled ‘The Great American Race’, as fans missed out on key moments such as the highly anticipated Air Force Thunderbirds flyover because of commercial breaks. Several crashes in the season-opener were missed entirely, only to be shown as replays long after they had occurred. Fans also questioned its outdated production choices, as the media corporation used unrelated pre-recorded clips instead of focusing on the action on the track.
To make matters worse, some viewers also noticed that the audio and video were not in sync, which resulted in a disconnect between what fans could see and the commentary accompanying it. FOX missed out on at least three caution flags at Atlanta Motor Speedway, leaving fans confused about the circumstances leading up to the events on the track. With NASCAR’s multi-billion dollar media rights deal going into effect this year, it’s surprising to see FOX not improving its broadcast quality despite facing stiff competition from NBC, Amazon, and Warner Bros Discovery.
Meanwhile, IndyCar seems to be getting the VIP treatment from FOX, ever since the media company announced that the full 17-race season will be broadcasted on its network. From high-quality ads to an updated interface when IndyCar and IndyCar NXT drivers drove for practice on the streets of St. Petersburg, the broadcaster is leaving no stone unturned for the open-wheel competition.
bruh the difference is night and day… how is this the same broadcasting network? pic.twitter.com/uvIrZObyoM
— DennyDeliversYT (@DennyDelivers2) February 28, 2025
Highlighting their broadcast quality, IndyCar’s coverage featured a clear clock, with the top five drivers being showcased with their headshot, car number, and last name. They were also color-coded to match their team and sponsors’ color schemes, a thoughtful interface initiative. Meanwhile, there is still no change in how NASCAR drivers are showcased on television, with the same format that has been used for years being recycled. It’s clear where FOX Sports’ priorities lie, and NASCAR fans didn’t fail to notice the double standards.
Frustrated fans express their dissatisfaction against FOX
Considering the broadcasting blunders of the opening two races of the season, it should come as no surprise that fans are disillusioned by FOX Sports ahead of the 2025 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Addressing the elephant in the room regarding IndyCar getting preferential treatment, a fan wrote on X that the American broadcaster’s efforts “Shows where the priority is I guess.” Even though IMS Productions runs the broadcast while FOX acts like a distributor for IndyCar, the significant difference in quality did not go unnoticed by a fan, who wrote, “NASCAR got played bro.”
NASCAR will be competing in its first points-paying race this year at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez. By looking at the broadcast quality of the opening two races, an X user couldn’t help but say, “NASCAR looks like they’re already in Mexico,” joking that a lack of infrastructure might be the underlying reason behind FOX’s blunders. Another motorsports enthusiast went on to say that the sanctioning body has nobody else to blame but themselves, given the nonchalance of the sports hierarchy in the face of the media corporation’s obvious preference. The fan wrote, “because nascar allowed it to be treated like a joke”, shedding light on the gulf in coverage between the two sports.
FOX Sports is taking great care in handling the promotional activities leading up to the 2025 IndyCar season. After all, the broadcaster will be airing the open-wheel format for the first time in its history and is determined to get it right to attract fans for the 17-race season. Meanwhile, the media corporation will only broadcast 12 NASCAR races in 2025, two fewer than rival NBC. Revealing why the broadcast quality is so different between the two sports, a fan wrote, “The difference is giving a s— about the product, and not treating it like a clown show.”
The post Livid Fans Brutally Slam FOX’s Sly NASCAR Betrayal as IndyCar’s Flaunts Blatant Broadcast Supremacy appeared first on EssentiallySports.
