Sports fans love to complain.
There is nothing wrong with that. It is just the way it is. They will complain about the direction of their favorite team, the calls made by officials and even of rival fan bases. There is nothing more scrutinized by fans, however, than the way sporting events are covered.
That is why the recent premiere of 100,000 Cameras on Fox Sports 1 is so unique and so special. For once, the coverage of a sporting event – in this case, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race – was controlled by the people at home and in the stands themselves.
Using #100KCams, NASCAR fans from home or at the Charlotte Motor Speedway could pass along their perspective of the race simply by using a mobile device. Edited by NASCAR Productions in a quick turnaround period – the show premiered Thursday – select homemade videos and camera angles were used in a half-hour summary of one of NASCAR’s most special events. Fans, in a sense, were in control.
But this is not about control. This is about much more.
As the close of an eight-year NASCAR television contract approaches, critics have argued that there has been a state of staleness in NASCAR programming. Virtually the same schedule, same networks, and same personalities have dominated the content viewed by NASCAR fans for years. While one could argue this programming has been solid, there is nothing wrong with mixing it up. Excitement can come simply from starting something new.
With 100,000 Cameras, Fox Sports 1 and NASCAR Productions provided just that.
Sports are nothing without fans. Fans fund sports. Paying for tickets, purchasing sponsor products, and dipping into their wallets for expensive television fees are actions of fans that keep leagues financially stable. Those are all tangible. But that is only half of it.
Sports fans provide passion, emotion, and love for their sport. From cheering for one driver, to booing another, to giving a driver or crew chief a piece of their mind on Twitter, NASCAR fans are passionate beyond words.
Racing is exciting, but it would not be by itself. As the green flag approaches on race day at the track, the exciting atmosphere comes from those beside us in the stands, not from the cars themselves. When a side-by-side battle for the lead takes shape or when a fight breaks out on pit road, the reaction from the crowd is just as significant as the cause. People come to watch 43 drivers, but people feed off of the 100,000 around them.
In just 30 minutes, 100,000 Cameras portrayed everything that is special about attending a NASCAR race in person. From surrounding yourself with friends and family, to preparing snacks and playing games, to making new friends who share a common hobby, Thursday’s show captured it all. Emotion, something so critical to a sporting event, was a key ingredient in the program.
As NASCAR enters a new era with FOX Sports and NBC Sports, unique and special content will be important to energizing the current fan base. It will be equally important to entertain potential new fans.
NASCAR is special. NASCAR is fun. Perhaps we forget that. Perhaps we do not. Either way, it is important to be reminded.
Thankfully, 100,000 Cameras helped us with that.
