Fox Nation, the streaming service owned by Fox News, is betting on NASCAR to boost its streaming fortunes (and its subscriber base).
The streaming service is sponsoring the car of Spire Motorsports and its Number 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which will feature a Fox Nation graphics package as it circles the track at Daytona International Speedway Feb. 20. NASCAR Cup Series racer Landon Cassill will be driving.
And the service is also taking a cue from streaming giant Netflix, which found success with the docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive (a series credited with giving Formula 1 a popularity boost in the U.S.). Fox Nation will debut its own series, The Road to Daytona, documenting the team’s lead-up to the race.
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The first two episodes of the series will launch on the service Monday, with the third episode (chronicling the recent race in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) debuting Feb. 19. The final episode, which goes behind the scenes with Spire at the Daytona 500, will debut Feb. 25.
The Daytona 500 will air on Fox next weekend, and the company is betting that its sponsorship, and the docuseries (coupled with a discount code for a 30-day free trial) will help drive subscriptions to the service. Fox News’ morning show Fox & Friends Weekend will also originate from the speedway Sunday that weekend.
Fox Nation launched in 2018 as a service targeting fans of the cable channel. Its programming includes replays of the primetime shows, as well as other programs hosted by some of Fox’s TV talent, and original shows hosted by people like former HLN host Nancy Grace. Fox Nation also has some entertainment programming, most notably a reboot of the reality series Cops, which debuted last year.
It has not broken out subscriber numbers, though research firm MoffettNathanson estimates that there are over 1 million subscribers, and the company has been aggressive in its recent promotional campaigns, including free 1-year subscriptions for military members and veterans, as well as first responders.
