• Loading stock data...
Thursday, March 28, 2024
2024 Best Venues nominations are open now through April 8! Submit Now

Live Streaming Presents Thin Wall Between Virtual and Real World

  • Two recent incidents in NASCAR show real-life consequences at the intersection of sports and video games.
  • The virtual world also offers a chance for personalities to emerge in the real world, creating potential sponsorship opportunities.
Feb 16, 2020; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48),, NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain (77), NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) and NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (42) during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

While eNASCAR has seen massive success in viewership in the absence of live sports, two recent incidents show the thin line between the virtual and real world. 

During an iRacing event on April 12, driver Kyle Larson said a racial slur during a race when he assumed his microphone was muted. He was quickly suspended by NASCAR and lost several sponsors, including McDonald’s and Credit One Bank. Larson was also eventually dismissed from Chip Ganassi Racing.

On April 5, NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace quit a virtual race after a crash. Pain relief company Blue Emu later dropped its sponsorship of Wallace. 

NASCAR’s efforts online with iRacing have garnered millions of viewers on FOX, largely because it looks close to real and includes real drivers, esports consultant Rod Breslau said. The similarities to real life, the lack of live sports, and the resulting viewership have raised the ante for participating parties.

“Because it’s the closest we have to the real thing, it also has reproduced the stakes and the hype and excitement,” Breslau said. “Because the stakes are closest, if you get a big win, you could make a name for yourself. At the same time, if you’re playing a game and make a racist remark, people will notice, and you’ll pay the consequence.”

The reproduction of those stakes can also bring positives not only for the leagues but for the athletes themselves, as driver Michael McDowell demonstrated earlier in April by gaining a new sponsor. The lower bar for entry can help introduce new relationships.

READ MORE: NASCAR Virtual Races Pave Way for Esports Expansion

The eNASCAR races have proven to be a place where younger drivers can beat more established drivers and teams with more resources, potentially putting them more in the spotlight, said Kelly Wolf, vice president at the global sports marketing agency Octagon. Wolf is responsible for driver Jimmie Johnson’s out-of-car, non-team marketing.

“The top drivers are struggling, and that creates its own storyline,” Wolf said. “That makes it interesting for a viewer because you’re learning personalities they wouldn’t get to see week-in and week-out.”

Those emerging personalities could provide a unique platform for sponsorship deals, Wolf said. However, that value add is a little more difficult for an established driver like the seven-time Cup champion Johnson.

“For younger drivers, it allows them to have a future fanbase they wouldn’t necessarily have before,” she said. “It adds a humanistic element to people that in NASCAR you don’t normally get.”

Wolf said Johnson is seeing a side benefit to the eNASCAR circuit as well, as his YouTube viewership race-to-race has gone from 10,000 views the first week to 50,000 views the third week.

“That in and of itself will create more opportunities outside the car,” she said.

READ MORE: Fundamentals: Scott Warfield on NASCAR and iRacing

Breslau said there’s also a potential upside to the attention Larson brought to a larger issue within the gaming community. 

“It’s something that the gaming community needs to look at and continue to take seriously,” he said. “So many of these stories in the gaming community are people who don’t think they’re on a hot mic, and that shows how they talk in real life. It’s definitely an issue and worth calling out.”

Despite the two negative situations the eNASCAR series has witnessed, Breslau believes the sport will come out the biggest winner in bridging the gap of real and virtual in sports because of the speed and quality of the production it rolled out.

Wolf agreed and believes it’s going to help the teams and their sponsorship partners.

“NASCAR was definitely, in the sports world, ahead of the curve,” she said. “They were pretty smart and edgy, and I don’t believe any following will be as realistic.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

March 22, 2024, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) and Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie (0) react in overtime against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center.

‘An Expensive Game’: March Madness and NIL Collectives Are Intertwined

At schools nationwide, collectives are fueling NCAA tournament runs and vice versa.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) waits to be announced in the starting lineup against West Virginia in a NCAA Tournament round of 32 game Monday, March 25, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

The Women’s Trading Card Market Is Overlooked. Can Caitlin Clark Change That?

Traditionally, women’s sports cards have been a marginal part of collectibles.
The Sports Illustrated cover signed by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, February 27, 2019, at Don & Charlie's, 7501 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. Don Charlie S

Everything You Need to Know About the Ongoing ‘Sports Illustrated’ Saga

Understanding the strange state of affairs for the nearly 70-year-old publication.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

MLB Opens Season With MLBPA, Ohtani, and Ownership Dramas

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Inside the Big East’s Bizarre Online Subculture

Peeling back the curtain on the ‘phenomenally weird’ Big East online ecosystem.
Mar 21, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Stetson Hatters guard Stephan Swenson (30) reacts during team practice at Barclays Center.
March 22, 2024

First-Time NCAA Men’s Tourney Bids Could Be on the Verge of Extinction

Power and success are consolidating around the richest teams in college sports.
March 17, 2024

‘Everybody Was Under Suspicion’: The Day Selection Sunday Was Scooped

In 2016, the ‘Selection Show’ backfired when the bracket was leaked anonymously.
Sep 3, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Orlando Pride forward Ally Watt (11) and Orlando Pride forward Julie Doyle (20) enter the stadium before the game against OL Reign at Lumen Field.
March 16, 2024

So Long, White Shorts: Here’s Why the NWSL’s Uniform Pivot Matters

There’s finally a growing trend to adapt women’s sports to women’s bodies.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Live Nation
Multiple - USA Careers
Adidas
Multiple - USA Careers
Spotify
Multiple - USA Careers

Top Sports Business Jobs This Week (March 2024)

Each week, our staff combs through the thousands of job listings from…
August 10, 2022

PGA Tour Touts Projected Earnings to Keep Players

The PGA Tour is asking its players to consider their potential futures.
October 3, 2022

Real Madrid President Renews Call for Super League

Real Madrid’s president believes that soccer is losing ground.
Sponsored

How Daily Fantasy Sports Solved NBA Fantasy

The remarkable growth of the #1 Discord sports server in the world.
August 10, 2022

Bayern Munich to Make Growth Push in U.S. Market

Bayern Munich is looking to expand its reach in the U.S.
Nintendo-logo
August 3, 2022

Nintendo Profits Underwhelm, Switch Sales Decline

Nintendo failed to meet expectations in the company’s latest earnings report.
manfred_at_microphone
August 19, 2021

MLB Owners Propose $100M Salary Floor

Major League Baseball owners have proposed a $100 million payroll minimum for MLB’s 30 teams and a lower luxury tax threshold.
nfl_logo
July 23, 2021

NFL to Players: Get Vaccinated or Pay the Price

The NFL’s threatening to drop the financial hammer on un-vaccinated players and teams that cause forfeited games in 2021, according to memo.