Crossing The Finish Line: Fox Sells Out Daytona 500 Inventory

By John Ourand, Staff Writer

Fox has sold out its broadcasts over the Daytona 500 weekend, including the Budweiser Shootout and qualifying show, network executives said. Fox pulled in an average unit cost of $550,000 per 30-second spot for this year’s race, a 15% increase from $475,000 last year. Fox officially sold the race out during the week before the Super Bowl. The ad sales success around the Daytona 500 has helped the net’s overall NASCAR season, which is close to 90% sold through the first quarter and 85% sold through the second quarter. Pharmaceutical and apparel categories have shown surprising strength this year, and other strong categories include financial services, QSRs, retail, wireless and soft drinks. The ad sales windfall comes despite an overall NASCAR ratings downturn over the past couple of year. “The races in our part of the season have held up well,” said Fox Sports President Ed Goren. “There’s been a slight erosion. But if you talk to an advertiser, they would talk about the value they would get when they buy a 30-second commercial.” That value translates to enhancements throughout the broadcast, including signage on the Fox Box.