By Ayush Aggarwal, Essentially Sports
Modified Feb 15, 2025
For more than 75 years, the Daytona 500 has been the pinnacle of speed, competition, and unbridled excitement. In 2025, the “Great American Race” will make a shift into the high-tech future. With Meta’s Quest VR and the Xtadium App, NASCAR fans will be able to experience the live VR broadcast of a race experience, as if in person trackside—or even a rider in the car—without ever leaving home.
And that’s only the start of the innovation. Cosm, the revolutionary new immersive viewing experience, will make NASCAR come alive in a whole new way. Employing 360-degree domed viewing technology, Cosm will enable fans to see races as if they’re part of the action, surrounded by massive high-definition screens that give the illusion of being there at the track.
For as adrenaline-fueled a sport, this technical innovation would be the greatest upgrade since on-board cameras.
The VR Revolution: NASCAR Enters Metaverse
Observing a race has always been exhilarating—there at the raceway, in the midst of the deafening roar of engines, or stuck to your set, on tenterhooks per lap. But Meta Quest VR and Xtadium will take that immersion to another plane entirely. For the first time ever, it’s possible for fans to step into the world of the Daytona 500 virtually and put themselves right in the middle of it. They can experience a driver’s-eye view from inside the cockpit or a trackside view as if they were inches from racing cars.
NASCAR will be seen in a way never before possible with VR. Meta Quest headsets by Mark Zuckerberg have been changing the sports entertainment landscape, and NASCAR’s move to adopt this technology is ushering in a new era for the sport—an era that focuses on winning over younger, more technologically aware fans who are eager for interactivity. “This is a game-changer,” said Brian Herbst, NASCAR’s EVP and chief media & revenue officer. “We want fans to feel the race in a way that wasn’t possible before. Virtual reality, immersive viewing—these are the technologies that will define the next era of sports entertainment.”
While VR brings fans into the digital world, Cosm is revolutionizing live viewing with massive, dome-shaped screens that make fans feel like they’re actually on the track. Imagine watching every lap unfold around you, hearing the engines roar through high-tech surround sound, and feeling like you’re inside the action, even if you’re miles away from the speedway.
Cosm’s Los Angeles and Dallas venues are already changing sports entertainment, providing this cinematic, interactive experience for fans seeking something beyond the television screen. NASCAR’s partnership with Cosm is another bold step in bringing the sport into the future, combining real-world and digital experiences to deliver the ultimate fan experience.
NASCAR has struggled for years to stay ahead of its fans. Adding the Chicago Street Race, more exposure on streaming services such as Amazon and TNT Sports, and now the foray into virtual reality and immersive viewing demonstrate a desire to court the next generation of fans. NASCAR fans today aren’t merely here to watch sports—now they want to be a part of them. With VR, immersive watching such as Cosm, or interactive television, NASCAR is showing that it’s racing into the future burning rubber with abandon.
The Daytona 500 had never been about taking chances. Now in 2025, it’s about taking chances on how we compete. Buckle up—NASCAR’s new future has arrived now.
Fox Sports amps up Daytona 500 coverage with cutting-edge technology
The Daytona 500 has never been NASCAR’s pageant, having millions of viewers at its mercy waiting for the speedway action to come through. But not this time, as Fox Sports is taking the TV viewing experience to new heights, making use of cutting-edge technology to make the event even more interesting than ever.
For the first time in NASCAR history, Cosm’s super-wide-angle cameras will be used, providing stunning visions of the Daytona International Speedway. These 84-foot domes, which are new to the UFC, NFL, and Premier League, now will witness the “Great American Race” in beautiful detail. If it is successful, this will pave the way for upcoming NASCAR events, such as the Coca-Cola 600 or Phoenix Raceway season finale, to follow suit. “We’re creating an experience where you don’t just watch the race—you live it,”said Jeb Terry, CEO of Cosm. “The Daytona 500 will be unlike anything fans have ever seen before.”
And that’s just the beginning. Fox Sports is using a heavy-lift drone with a full-frame camera lens to capture dynamic, cinemalike moments regular cameras cannot. Then in addition to that, the network is inserting data based on NASCAR optically into its SportsMEDIA Technology (SMT) graphics, providing fans with real-time data-driven analysis, which will encourage more viewer engagement.
It’s obvious that Fox Sports is leaving no stone unturned. With the broadcaster planning to cut its Cup Series coverage from 16 races to 12 in 2025, this might be their means of making the most of an impression while they still hold the keys to NASCAR’s best moments. With double-box ads guaranteeing uninterrupted race action and industry-leading production quality in 1080p, this year’s Daytona 500 broadcast will be one of the most compelling ever.
The hype has never been greater—now Fox Sports’ turn to bring a blockbuster event worthy of NASCAR’s crown jewel event.