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
More from Sports Video Group
02/06/2026
Tennis Channel has completed a transition from satellite-based distribution to a...
02/06/2026
Daktronics has announced the 2026 High School Video Summit, a two-day educational event for high school educators and student production teams, taking place Jun...
02/06/2026
Fandango will bring Telemundo's live Spanish-language coverage of the FIFA W...
02/06/2026
All Women's Sports Network (AWSN) has announced the live television schedule...
02/06/2026
Spalk, a cloud-based multilingual commentary and production platform, has announced three new partnerships: Ligue 1 (English and Portuguese highlights), Eurolea...
02/06/2026
NHL Network's 2026 Stanley Cup Final coverage began June 1 with NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final Media Day from the Carolina Hurricanes' Lenovo Center at ...
02/06/2026
Matrox Video has announced the Maevex MGX Series, a lineup of IPMX-ready video e...
02/06/2026
Marshall Electronics will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7521), showcasing a lineup of 4K and HD compact POV cameras for corporate, education, hospitality, wo...
02/06/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated have...
02/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C50...
02/06/2026
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) has announced the promotion of Joe Marchitto to Western Regional CTO. In his new role, Marchitto will oversee system design across ...
02/06/2026
The NHL has announced that Brothers Osborne will headline a free outdoor concert...
02/06/2026
CP Communications has announced the appointment of its first two female executives in the company's 40-year history. Tabitha Coleman has been named Vice Pre...
02/06/2026
The Lighting Design Group (LDG) has announced the completion of Studio C at Yahoo's headquarters at 770 Broadway in Manhattan. The studio launched April 24 ...
02/06/2026
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (Z) has announced a partnership with FIFA to broadcast FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA World Cup 2030, FIFA Women's World Cup 2...
02/06/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...
02/06/2026
The department is broadcasting NCAA Baseball Super Regionals at Plainsman Park this weekend
Broadcast and production crews at Division I institutions are busy ...
02/06/2026
The initiative is extends beyond the league's arenas to team training rinks,...
01/06/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
01/06/2026
Designed to solve a common problem in broadcasting, the automated workflow detects, identifies, removes, and documents copyrighted music
AudioShake has introdu...
01/06/2026
The sports-analytics company combines its data with proprietary AI to help leagu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
28/05/2026
FOX Sports' MLB coverage dominated the night at the 47th Annual Sports Emmy ...
28/05/2026
One of the most memorable postseasons in baseball history would have had no memo...
28/05/2026
NBC's Sunday Night Football is among the most-decorated and most-watched pro...
28/05/2026
The 2026 Sports Emmys marked a watershed moment for Prime Video Sports. After bu...
28/05/2026
Hosted by ESPN Senior Writer Ryan McGee, the ceremony honored winners from athletic departments, conference offices, professional networks, production companies...
28/05/2026
Major rights-holders rolled out their 2026 college football slates today, offering a first look at marquee windows, kickoff partners, and conference distributio...
28/05/2026
The 4 Nations Face-Off, an international competition that launched in February 2...
28/05/2026
Soccer is a truly global sport, and, to match the U.S. viewing audience's in...
28/05/2026
The NFL Today, CBS Sports' top-of-the-line NFL studio show, has a storied hi...
28/05/2026
Prime Video is no stranger to innovation, and, within the realm of live streamin...
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. 
