Car racing organization NASCAR is ramping up its mobile and digital strategy by partnering with ESPN to give sports fans a VIP view of races on their mobile devices during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

The partnership is NASCAR?s latest endeavor to give race car fans exclusive access to their favorite races. In addition to mobile streaming, NASCAR is also aggressively marketing its broadcast, cable and digital channels.

?Mobile is a critical pillar for us because it allows us to continually engage with our fans,? said Marc Jenkins, vice president of digital media at NASCAR, Charlotte, NC.

In the fast lane
The NASCAR and ESPN deal will let consumers watch live streams of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup via WatchESPN, which includes iPhone and Android applications and an online platform.

The WatchESPN program is part of the broader, nationwide TV Everywhere initiative that broadcasters and cable providers are pushing to get TV content to consumers across multiple platforms.

The service will be available with NASCAR?s Web-based RaceBuddy program that sets up cameras around the race track and aggregates real-time statistics for sports fans.

Nine out of the ten races from the event will be available for streaming on mobile devices.

This mobile video push for NASCAR signals that the organization sees a need from consumers to watch content on as many platforms as possible.

Sports fans can watch NASCAR races from their mobile devices or online

NASCAR?s core strategy focuses around the brand?s traditional TV channel but recognizes the need to expand coverage elsewhere.

?There is a huge appetite for consumption across all channels,? Mr. Jenkins said.

On target
In addition to this new partnership with ESPN, NASCAR has developed a mobile-optimized site.

According to Mr. Jenkins, after adding the mobile site in the past year, unique visits on handsets have doubled.

Mobile is a perfect fit for NASCAR because the sport is always on the road.

?Because NASCAR is always on the go, there isn?t a continual presence for the brand in local media,? Mr. Jenkins said.

?Mobile is more targeted and keeps our fans engaged when they?re not watching a race,? he said. ?Sports as a category is central to mobile because of the time-shifting behaviors of consumers.? 

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York