The NASCAR Cup Series season kicked off with the Daytona 500, a race showcasing Fox Sports' new broadcast approach. The TV partner did not show a single full-screen ad during green flag racing.
Fox Sports told AltDriver that this is an approach that it will continue to use this season for every event on big Fox. These races will feature side-by-side ads during the green flag portions of the race so that the fans do not miss a second of racing action.
FS1, which will air numerous Cup Series races this season, will have a similar approach. Fox Sports says it will have significantly more side-by-side ad breaks during green flag conditions, but it will not be as many as the races on big Fox.
Cawsandjaws.com tracked the breakdown of the commercials during the Daytona 500 and noted that Fox had 18 minutes of traditional commercials and 35 minutes of side-by-side commercials. The race had 49 full-screen commercials and 93 side-by-side commercials.
The number of side-by-side ad breaks was significant considering the type of racing taking place in Florida. The Daytona 500 is a superspeedway event where the field runs two- and three-wide for the majority of the laps due to significant fuel-saving efforts.
When the field runs in such a tight pack for so long, at least one massive wreck will inevitably occur. Having side-by-side ad breaks ensures that the fans will at least see the wreck even if they don't hear the commentary in real time.
The first two races of 2025 -- the Clash and the Daytona 500 -- aired on Fox. Three more races in the opening portion of the season will air on this channel. These races include this weekend's trip to Atlanta Motor Speedway, the March 2 race at Circuit of the Americas, and the April 27 race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Phoenix Raceway (March 9), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 16), Homestead-Miami Speedway (March 23), Martinsville Speedway (March 30), Darlington Raceway (April 6), Bristol Motor Speedway (April 13), Texas Motor Speedway (May 4), Kansas Speedway (May 11), and North Wilkesboro Speedway (May 18) will all air on FS1.