For U.S. brands entering global motorsport, the biggest question is no longer whether to invest but which racing series to sponsor. From Formula 1 to NASCAR, IndyCar, and endurance racing, each platform offers a different audience, cost structure, and brand positioning.
Motorsport is growing rapidly as a marketing channel. In 2024, Formula 1 alone reported 1.5 billion cumulative TV viewers and record race attendance exceeding 6 million fans globally.
At the same time, NASCAR continues to dominate the U.S. market with millions of loyal fans and strong domestic brand engagement.
As sponsorship competition intensifies across Formula 1, NASCAR, MotoGP, IndyCar, Formula E, and endurance racing, many global companies now choose to hire sports marketing consultant for motorsports sponsorships to identify which racing series best aligns with their audience, commercial goals, and long-term growth strategy.
Quick Decision Snapshot for Brands
- F1 → Global reach and premium positioning
- NASCAR → Strong U.S. audience and loyalty
- IndyCar → Cost-effective U.S. + international exposure
- WEC → Technology-driven and endurance-focused branding
For brands exploring sponsorship in F1, the decision should be based on audience alignment, budget, and long-term brand strategy, not just visibility.
How Do Motorsport Audience Demographics Differ Across Racing Series?
Understanding motorsport audience demographics is critical when deciding the best racing series to sponsor a U.S. brand.
Audience Comparison Table (2024 Insights)
| Racing Series | Audience Profile | Geographic Reach | Brand Positioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 1 | Younger, affluent, global | Europe, Middle East, Asia, USA | Premium |
| NASCAR | Loyal, domestic US audience | USA-focused | Mass market |
| IndyCar | Balanced US + international | North America | Performance-driven |
| WEC | Tech-focused, endurance fans | Europe, global niche | Innovation |
1. United States Formula 1 Sponsorship for Brands: The Global Dimension, Premium Access, and Burgeoning American Expansion
What it is: Formula 1 is the leading international motorsport series in the world, with 24 races in 21 countries. It is the main commercial force behind worldwide motorsport, and F1 teams signed a record $2.04 billion in 2024 of sponsorship revenue, second only to the NFL among North American presence sports leagues, according to SponsorUnited.
Who watches it: F1’s global audience totalled 826.5 million in 2024. The Formula 1 fan base in the United States has reached approximately 52 million, according to recent reports, marking a significant, ongoing surge driven by the popularity of Netflix’s Drive to Survive and the expansion of the US calendar to include three major races.
Best for U.S. brands that:
- Requires a global footprint spanning different continents at the same time.
- Run a business in technology, financial services, energy, luxury, or crypto.
- Aim at an affluent, global audience (including decision-makers and business executives).
- Search for premium B2B hospitality environments and innovative storytelling.
- Can invest in a multi-year investment to achieve compounding brand value.
2. NASCAR Sponsorship for U.S. Brands: Domestic Depth, Brand Loyalty, and Consumer Market Power
What it is: The U.S. national motorsport series with 36 Cup Series races annually on American tracks. According to GlobalData sponsorship revenue generated by NASCAR teams reached over $750 million for the 2023 season. Series-level sponsorship reached over $362 million in 2024.
Who watches it: NASCAR has an average viewership of 3.2 million TV viewers for every race, according to YouGov Profiles data, and the Daytona 500 pulls more than 8 million viewers. NASCAR fans are leaning a tad younger than a typical American audience, with 26% being 18–29 year-olds. Its fanbase is 59% male and has strong brand loyalty. More than 50% of NASCAR fans buy stuff from sponsors of their team, and 55% of millennial fans switch brands for reasons specific to sponsorship alone.
Best for U.S. brands that:
- Target domestic U.S. consumers, particularly in the area, with a strong regional presence.
- Be in consumer packaged goods, automotive products, insurance, energy drinks, or home services.
- Must have an approachable entry into a large American audience with quantifiable purchase patterns.
- Get high-volume event activations all the way through 36 race weekends a year.
- Are consumer-oriented brands of the mid-market looking at how to purchase directly through consumers’ move?
Things to watch: Technology, health and financial services brands are becoming more established as nontraditional sponsors in NASCAR.
3. IndyCar Sponsorships for Brands: Open-Wheel Prestige With American Roots
What it is: IndyCar is North America’s leading open-wheel Formula Series, sanctioning 17 race weekends each year. Its flagship event, even the Indianapolis 500, is the world’s largest single-day sporting event by attendance, bringing more than 300,000 fans into the Brickyard. For the 2024 IndyCar Series, a record 1.4 million people tuned in to each race on NBC, and the Indianapolis 500 also generated the highest audience ratings at 5.5 million U.S. viewers in 2024 and reached 30 million globally.
Who gets to watch it: IndyCar’s audience is technically engaged; it’s more of a motorsport fan base that’s interested in engineering and open-wheel precision. The fanbase is geographically concentrated in the U.S. Midwest and expanding on the coasts. The series is quickly bringing in new brand entrants. Andretti Global’s Cadillac F1 program opened Fortune 100 brand talks with IndyCar as part of it.
Best for U.S. brands that:
- Target mainly American audiences.
- Do you have an interest in open-wheel sports?
- Want innovation and engineering associations at a lower entry cost than F1.
- Require a geographic footprint heavy on the Midwest.
- Maybe looking at motorsport as a novel channel with low initial investment.
- Think of the Indianapolis 500 as a “flagship event” activation platform.
4. MotoGP Sponsorship for U.S. Brands: Southeast Asia, Southern Europe, and Global Reach Beyond F1
What it is: MotoGP is the most successful two-wheel racing series in the world, with 20 rounds on five continents. It leads in the Southeast Asian, Southern European, and Latin American markets, where Formula 1 is structurally weaker.
Who is viewing it: The fanbase of MotoGP is especially high in Indonesia, Spain, Italy, Thailand, and Argentina. Its audience skews younger and more male than F1, with a high concentration of brand-loyal two-wheel enthusiasts and premium motorcycle consumers.
Best for U.S. brands that:
- Need to reach Southeast Asia, Southern Europe, or Latin America for market expansion.
- Be in automotive, motorcycle, technology, energy or financial services.
- Need an addition to an F1 deal to expand the geography coverage.
- It is aiming at a younger, more digitally-interested global audience.
- Have brand values aligned with speed, innovation, and competition.
5. Formula E Sponsorship: The Platform for U.S. Brands With Sustainability Commitments
What it is: Formula E is the top electric single-seater racing series in the world, which races in city-centre circuits on 5 continents. It was the first global sport to achieve net zero carbon certification, making it the natural home for brands with genuine sustainability and ESG objectives. The Formula E is a B2B-sponsorship space, and the key sponsors are ABB, Julius Baer, and PIF.
What follows it: The fans of Formula E are on the urban markets, where the population is wealthy, such as London, Berlin, Tokyo, New York, and São Paulo. Its fan base is younger, more sustainability-conscious, and more likely to be in the technology, finance, or professional services than the wider demographic of F1.
Best for U.S. brands that:
- Requirement to report on their face and desire genuine sustainability communications.
- Work in clean energy, electric cars, financial services or B2B tech.
- Appeal to professional, city, sustainability-aware clients worldwide.
- Desire for city-centre presence of events in big financial capitals.
- Need a credible innovation narrative that goes beyond conventional motorsport associations.
How to Decide the Best Racing Series to Sponsor for Your Brand
Choosing which racing series to sponsor requires a structured approach.
Step-by-Step Decision Framework:
- Define business and marketing objectives.
- Analyse target audience demographics.
- Compare sponsorship costs and benefits.
- Evaluate ROI potential.
- Partner with a sports marketing consultant for sponsorship.
If your organization is exploring global motorsport opportunities, working with an experienced sports marketing consultant ensures you select the right platform and maximize ROI from day one.
Drive Your Brand Forward With Expert Guidance
Are you ready to secure your spot on the grid? Navigating the complex world of global motorsport requires an independent partner who understands both the U.S. market and the international racing landscape.
Build your winning partnership today. Contact RTR Sports Marketing consultancy to receive a bespoke motorsport sponsorship comparison and identify the exact racing series that will deliver the highest ROI for your brand. From Formula 1 to MotoGP and WEC, their sports marketing consultants help you secure the sponsorships that turn laps into leads.