Fox Hits the Fast Lane
LOS ANGELES Fox will try to extend the tremendous brand loyalty of NASCAR down to its youngest audience when it creates a children’s show based on the fast growing sport.
The show, which is being worked on by two teams of developers, is expected to air sometime in 1999, says Elie Dekel, executive vp, marketing and advertising, Fox Family Worldwide. The deal will include licensing, merchandising, and marketing efforts between the network and racing league.
“Th e colorful, dramatic, exciting elements of NASCAR lend themselves to entertainment,” Dekel adds. The show expects to include the personalties of drivers and the cutting-edge equipment used in the race cars.
“Our relationship with Fox Family and Saban is an extraordinary fit,” says NASCAR vp marketing George Pyne. “Our goal is to build the sport with a young demographic on a worldwide basis.”
NASCAR is already the country’s fastest growing sport, with weekend attendance topping 100,000 at most events. Fox expects to extend the deal past TV through its Web site, licensed products, local events, and national promotions.
