XFINITY X1 Technology Brings Fans Closer to NASCAR than Ever Before
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2016) – Comcast will be honored with the 2016 NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award for its support of the NASCAR XFINITY Series™, known as the series “Where Names Are Made.” The company, which also serves as the Official Entertainment Provider of NASCAR®, will be recognized at the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards today.
Entering the sport with a historic 10-year entitlement agreement last year, XFINITY is changing the way fans experience NASCAR by introducing live race stats and data directly to the TV through their XFINITY X1 platform. XFINITY X1 provides an insider’s look at the action taking place across NASCAR’s three national series each race weekend, along with custom video content, weekly exclusive VOD content, live leaderboards, up-to-the-second race stats, interactive championship point standings, and much more.
At the track, Comcast engaged fans, the industry and media at its state-of-the-art activation space, the XFINITY Zone. The award-winning fan zone allowed thousands of fans to interact with drivers and utilize the technology that is changing the live sports TV experience. Off the track, Comcast is working to recognize charitable efforts of NASCAR team members through the Comcast Community Champion of the Year Award, which was created in 2015.
“The innovation that Comcast delivers through its XFINITY brand drives deeper engagement and is transforming the way fans consume our sport,” said Brent Dewar, NASCAR Chief Operating Officer. “Our partnership with Comcast is one of the most unique and powerful in all of sports, and our work together this year has helped elevate the NASCAR XFNITY Series to new heights.”
In year two of the partnership, NASCAR and XFINITY collaborated on changes that differentiated the series and further integrated the XFINITY brand into the sport. The introduction of an elimination-style Chase and a new Dash 4 Cash format enhanced competition, spiked fan interest, and generated even more drama around the series. The competition changes were accompanied by a new visual identity, providing the NASCAR XFINITY Series with its own distinct look across digital, social, at-track and on broadcast.
“We are honored and excited to accept this year’s NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award, as it is a direct reflection of the successful and progressive partnership we’ve had with NASCAR since entering the sport in 2015,” said Matt Lederer, Executive Director of Sports Marketing at Comcast. “All of us at Comcast are committed to continuing to find new and innovative ways to bring fans closer to the sport they love through XFINITY products and services.”
Comcast’s integrated marketing strategy was expansive:
- NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers captured more than 70 unique, first-person social videos that were shared as part of Comcast’s “My Chase” program
- Produced original television creative promoting the series throughout the season
- Created the XFINITY Zone, an 85-foot-by-85-foot display area that showed off X1 technology, and hosted fans across 14 NASCAR events
- Hosted the first-ever “off-campus” NASCAR Fuel For Business Council meeting in Philadelphia, welcoming nearly 50 Official Partners to facilitate business to business opportunities
- Comcast and Pocono Raceway hosted NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers around the Road 2 Pocono, which included a City Hall proclamation and a parade lap down the streets of Philadelphia
Other previous winners of the NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award include Sunoco; Coca-Cola; Mars, Incorporated; Nationwide Insurance; Sprint; and Toyota.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week will culminate with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards. NBCSN presents complete coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards on Friday, Dec. 2 beginning at 7 p.m. ETwith “NASCAR America,” followed by the red carpet at 8 p.m. ET and the awards broadcast at 9 p.m. ET. Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will also begin coverage at 8 p.m. ET.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’). For race tickets, visit www.NASCAR.com/tickets.
