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STAMFORD, Conn. – June 30, 2016 – NBC Sports Group’s social and digital engines are fired up and getting NASCAR fans ready for Saturday night’s presentation of the Coke Zero 400. Last night’s #NASCARThrowback viewing party on NBCSN welcomed a highly engaged audience of fans, drivers and race teams during a first-of-its-kind television event that reached the No. 1 U.S. Trending Topic on Twitter within an hour.
During a classic re-air of the July 2001 Daytona race, which saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. capture an iconic victory, viewers were invited to share their thoughts, emotions and watch parties using the #NASCARThrowback hashtag. Select tweets were pulled into NBCSN’s broadcast and featured on screen throughout the two-hour race.
Participation was widespread throughout NASCAR as more than a dozen active Sprint Cup drivers chimed in, including Kurt Busch, Joey Logano and reigning champ Kyle Busch. In addition, NASCAR on NBC’s on-air team also stoked conversation with fans on Twitter as Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett, Steve Letarte, Kyle Petty, Rick Allen and Rutledge Wood contributed from Daytona amid broadcast preparations for Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 on NBC.
The overwhelming response topped all U.S. Twitter trends, including those surrounding Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. In the final moments of the race, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. captured the checkered flag, more than 400 tweets per minute poured in from viewers, drivers, teams and Earnhardt Jr. himself.
The surge of Twitter activity helped fuel an impressive +86% increase in #NASCARThrowback ratings on NBCSN vs. a classic NASCAR race that aired during the same day and time period in 2015.
KYLE BUSCH AND DALE JARRETT STAR IN NEW “PHONE A FAN” SOCIAL WEB VIDEO
Kyle Busch participates in NASCAR on NBC’s new “Phone a Fan” campaign, where unsuspecting fans receive calls from their favorite NASCAR drivers. In the video released yesterday via the NASCAR on NBC Facebook page, Busch catches his fan “Ken,” by surprise, posing as a NASCAR market researcher. After a short discussion, the 2015 Sprint Cup Champion reveals his identity and draws considerable excitement. As an added bonus, “Ken” also got a chance to speak to another of his favorite all-time drivers, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett. Posted yesterday, the promo has already generated over 66,000 views on Facebook.
Check out the full promo available here.
DANICA PATRICK TAKES OVER NASCAR ON NBC’S FACEBOOK AND TWITTER
Danica Patrick came to New York this week in order to help NBC Sports celebrate its NASCAR season launch. Along with appearances on NBC’s TODAY and The Dan Patrick Show on NBCSN, she also took over NASCAR on NBC Facebook and Twitter accounts. During her 30 minutes on Facebook over 85 thousand viewers tuned in live to hear her thoughts on racing, nutrition and a healthy work-life balance. Since its posting, the video has seen over 345,000 views.
EXCLUSIVE SOCIAL AROUND-THE-CLOCK COVERAGE FROM DAYTONA
Throughout this week, the NBC Sports and NASCAR on NBC social media handles will share photos, video, Vines and Snapchats of everything that goes into putting on a NASCAR broadcast, from activity inside the production trucks to interviews with NASCAR on NBC talent.
Coverage of this weekend’s race from Daytona will come from various NBC Sports digital and social platforms, sharing behind-the-scenes access and entertaining glimpses into race day culture. Be sure to follow the below handles to experience all this storied event has to offer first hand.
- Facebook: The NBC Sports and NASCAR on NBC Facebook accounts will provide users with news from NASCAR Talk, shareable images, videos, and chats with NBC Sports Group commentators.
- Twitter: @NASCARonNBC and @NBCSports will provide real-time news and photos from Daytona.
- Instagram: The NBC Sports Instagram account will be one-stop shopping for photos throughout July 4th Weekend in Daytona, with behind-the-scenes access to NBC’s production, including photos of NBC Sports Group commentators from the studio to pit road.
- Vine: The NBC Sports social team will create behind-the-scenes Vine content from Daytona throughout the week.
- Snapchat: The NBC Sports Snapchat account will feature on-site content live from pit road.
NBC SPORTS DIGITAL SURROUNDS NASCAR SEASON WITH 24/7 ACCESS TO LATEST NEWS, POLLS AND HIGHLIGHTS
Leading into this weekend’s showdown in Daytona, NBC Sports Group provides fans with NASCAR All Access, a one stop shop for the latest social conversations around the tracks, including trending drivers, video highlights, and polls. Never miss a moment of the action and stay involved in everything NASCAR related NBC Sports has to offer. NBC Sports’ digital team also offers a NASCAR newsletter, featuring highlights from NASCARTalk and the latest news on and off the track delivered right to you inbox each day.