The Big Three; Media, Tech & Banks

Not a day goes by that we aren’t hearing a new story of corporate greed and corruption that ultimately leads to the disruption of everyday folks like you and me. It seems like NASCAR is no different, and when push comes to shove, the fans are the ones who lose out while everyone else is sitting back enjoying themselves. It’s no secret that to be a part of the sport, even at the most primitive level, you must have sustainable wealth. The average US household makes $78,538 in 2025. From our strategic research, the average household income of a NASCAR fan is $62,903, lower than the national average. To participate in racing as a child, let’s use karting as the baseline example; the average cost is $10,000 per season according to Youth Racers of America. This logic would align with the belief that NASCAR, and racing at large, is an aspirational form of entertainment, and nearly none of the actual fans would have the ability to get behind the wheel.

This brings me back to my original point: when greed gets priority in this equation, the fans are left talking the L while everyone else is comfortable. That’s par for the course when you enjoy a family-owned “sport” and this “family” business is concerned about their family, not yours. As a new fan coming in, I’m so disappointed that it’s a dying sport. Maybe because I’m enjoying it so much, but when I follow the bread crumbs, I can see a correlation between the decline in NASCAR and their increased connection to Big Media, Big Banks, and Big Tech. When will enough be enough?

Big Media - Instead of creating a product accessible on primary networks, NASCAR follows the media dollars. The networks need content for their secondary cable sports channels. So long as the price is right, NASCAR falls in line without a fight. The long-term effects are the loss of viewership and access. A sensible solution would be to find and accommodate the largest audience funnel, but not with NASCAR. You are competing with what is on network TV and’re now buried in the channel guide. If the check clears, they will worry about the fans afterward. Since NASCAR gets the most media coverage in its so-called charter deal, even the teams are left with scraps. I'm not saying the owners are much better here, but let’s be real: they have no power, no matter what they convince themselves.

Big Tech - Let’s talk Amazon. I will be the first to admit that I order more from Amazon Prime than is humanly healthy. I’m not innocent in caving to the ease of the platform. But NASCAR’s connection to Amazon Prime seems like more of a sellout than my need for free two-day shipping. Learning more and more about the traditional NASCAR fans, streaming makes little to no sense. Why would NASCAR partner with Amazon? Why would you actively put your sport behind a pay wall? Greed. In addition, would lose the ability to navigate away from traditional channels (who doesn’t want to flip?) Peak NASCAR season asks you to commit 3+ hours of dedicated air time to watch a race, which is not even taking practice or qualifying into the equation. There is not a person on this planet who is not flipping between NASCAR, NFL, and College Football at the bare minimum. Are you willing to bet against football to align with Big Tech? The NFL averages 17.5 million viewers per game on traditional media outlets, while NASCAR is nearly scraping 3.5 million; I’m sure that number is inflated and incorporates the Daytona 500, but we’ll call it even at 3.5. Even as a life long New York Giants Fan, I’m willing to bet - on Dak Prescot’s odds over NASCAR’s most popular driver every damn time. That is saying a lot. If NASCAR is truly a billionaire’s simulation, it has a long way to go before it can go toe to toe with Jerry’s World, respectfully. Just because Amazon was willing to pay doesn’t mean it’s the best option for the sport, and it’s not the best option for the fans. To fuel the fire (stick), Amazon Prime Video will sponsor Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott’s No. 9 on a deal lasting through 2027. Another double dip that caters to anyone but the fans.

Big Banks - Money makes the world go round. And while the names of banking sponsors on the cars are Ally, Credit One, National Debt Relief, and Bank OZK, recognizable brands for individuals with lower income and potentially lower credit scores, those banks aren’t financing NASCAR from the top. I can confidently say that no one in the France family is signing up for National Debt Relief. I suppose they only know their fans when they serve them up to high interest rates, and forget who they are when they seek media distribution.

Interestingly, big banks like JP Morgan & Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo have all had their hand in NASCAR publicly, but now it “appears” that Bank of America is the only forward-facing name. Why is that? It appears that all the big banks affiliated with NASCAR were fixated on affinity credit card-driven practices, which is now considered a predatory practice that most banks have moved away from since the crash of 2008. Bank of America strongly connects to NASCAR by sponsoring the "Bank of America ROVAL 400" race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This event is a key part of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Bank of America has also sponsored other NASCAR events and teams, most notably Hendrick Motorsports. Interestingly, NASCAR would be so early aligned with Bank of America given their recent run-in with President Trump and the ominous de-banking without cause, seemingly due to Republican affiliation. Indeed, NASCAR sees that their fans swing dominantly right; they had the President pacing around the high-banks of the Daytona 500 and practically rolled out every red carpet they could find in Florida for his arrival. NASCAR wants to have its cake and eat it, too. Succumb to Big Banks, but seemingly align with the views of their fans. Which every way the wind blows, they’ll be there.

Maybe I look at things differently because I only recently started watching NASCAR, a unique form of entertainment with so much potential to become mainstream. Why would NASCAR continue to get in its way? But seeing something cave to Big Media, Big Tech, and Big Banks is a turn-off. It makes you think NASCAR is just soft. Maybe they are.