2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR Season FOX leverages NASCAR experience for newly added IndyCar Series next month By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Friday, February 14, 2025 - 4:18 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Although, technically, FOX Sports kicked off its 2025 NASCAR campaign with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium two weeks ago, the rubber truly hits the road this week in Daytona. The broadcaster heads into its 25th consecutive season of NASCAR coverage and its 22nd Daytona 500 broadcast (tied for the most by any broadcaster) with a new media-rights deal and plenty of production-technology firepower.
Four-time Indy 500 champion H lio Castroneves will make his first appearance in the Daytona 500 this weekend.
The Daytona 500 is a big race in every respect, says FOX Sports, EVP, Technical and Field Operations, Mike Davies. Not only is it an iconic race with so much history, but it's also very long track at 2 miles, it has one of the largest [entry lists], it has the most races throughout the week of any [NASCAR event], and it has a massive pregame show and concert. When we say big,' we're not talking only about the spectacle of the whole thing; we're talking about the size of the event itself. In terms of production enhancements, we [deploy] as many resources as possible to cover every angle of this race.
FOX Sports' weekends will look very different under the terms of the new NASCAR rights deals. The CW network is set to become exclusive home of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, freeing Saturdays for FOX to launch its newly acquired IndyCar Series package.
This is a very special year for FOX, says Davies, not only because we get to re-up our contract with NASCAR and do some of the more iconic races at the beginning of the season but also because we know that this runs right into our new contract with IndyCar. We are looking forward to seeing how these two racing series one right after the other can serve racing fans' appetite.
Drones Lead the Way FOX's 1080p HDR production of the race - and its sprawling two-hour pregame show (beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET) - will feature an arsenal of more than 50 cameras (plus in-car systems) and will rely more than ever on drones provided by Beverly Hills Aerials (with transmission handled by BSI). The broadcaster will deploy three types of drones: an FPV drone, a high-speed drone, and a heavy-duty cinema drone.
FOX will use three types of drones at Daytona: an FPV drone, a high-speed drone, and a heavy-duty cinema drone.
Among other key tools are BSI in-car GyroCam units and Sony Hawk-Eye extraction capabilities from a Sony HDC-5500 4K camera. FOX's assortment of cameras distributed throughout the track includes a large complement of Sony HDC-4300, -4800, and -5500 broadcast cameras; a bevy of Fletcher robotics (mostly outfitted with Sony HDC-P31 camera heads); and several specialty units.
FOX also continues to escalate its use of virtual graphics and AR within the broadcast, including optical car pointers. It is taking optical tracking data provided by NASCAR (via BOLT6) and giving that data to SMT to create enhanced optical tracking pointers for aerial coverage.
In the compound, FOX Sports' operation will be based in Game Creek Video Cleatus mobile units, which will serve as the broadcaster's NASCAR home all season.
FOX and Beverly Hills Aerials continue to ramp up use of drones for NASCAR coverage.
Cosm Comes Aboard FOX is also working with Cosm to produce and deliver this year's Daytona 500 to the tech company's immersive Shared Reality venues in Los Angeles and Dallas for the first time. Leveraging multiple vantage points throughout the Daytona International Speedway, Cosm's cameras will deliver real-time footage, and its spatial high-fidelity audio will deliver the roar of the race to its 12K+ LED domes, allowing guests to feel like they are right in the middle of NASCAR's biggest race.
Cosm has carried many different sports, but this weekend's Daytona 500 will mark a new chapter with motorsports.
It has been exciting to work with them on several events, including the Super Bowl, says Davies. The question is, how we can present a race over the course of 2 miles inside a dome? You can't do it the same way that you would do a basketball, soccer, or football game.
It's going to be learning process, he continues. Our production folks are working with Cosm to help guide them in terms of how to make motorsports successful in the dome. They understand that they are going to have to treat it a little differently, whether that means multiple windows [on the LED screen] or perhaps switching cameras less frequently. We're all working together to figure out some best practices.
The team is also looking to use Cosm's proprietary camera rigs to offer fans a panoramic view of the race within the FOX broadcast as well. We are working closely with Cosm to see if we can use any of their cameras for our coverage at Daytona, says Davies. I think we will make it happen. Those amazing cameras and lenses [provide some] panoramic views that can be useful in the traditional broadcast - not unlike what we did with them for the Super Bowl.
If the Audio Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It When you have a good thing going, you don't mess with it. That's essentially how Senior Audio Engineer Kevin McCloskey approaches the audio for the race. That's not surprising, given that the production has garnered the broadcaster and its audio crew several Emmy Awards for Outstanding Live Event Audio, most recently in 2023.
When you have a good product like the one we have here for the race's sound, he says, you want to keep it going.
Behind the scenes in Daytona at a FO
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and gaming, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR Season FOX leverages NASCAR experience for newly added IndyCar Series next month By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. 
