• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, January 27, 2012

In the day’s second keynote at MediaPost’s mobile summit, Marc Jenkins, vice president, digital media, NASCAR, revved up the audience with insights into how the sport is integrating mobile into its programming and marketing. 

While rights fees are revenue drivers for NASCAR and other sports broadcasters, it doesn't look at digital as cannibalizing revenue, since it helps drive engagement through things like fantasy sports leagues. Digital is also becoming intertwined with broadcast rights.

In terms of mobile specifically, it provides the opportunity to reach fans wherever they are, but also serves as a complement to TV broadcasts. Jenkins says tablets are well-suited to personalized viewing, and he is a proponent of the TV Everywhere concept.

The challenge is translating the visceral experience at the track to the fan at home. Jenkins said NASCAR is trying to push for deeper engagement at home by supplying lots of race-related data via mobile devices to enhance viewing.

To that end, it created a RaceBuddy digital tool -- developed with Turner -- that offers both data and shows different camera angles on the action. Translating all that to a mobile screen can be challenging, Jenkins says. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile app shows leaderboards, live audio from in-car audio, and recaps.

The use of mobile outpaces the PC three to one during event hours, Jenkins said. But NASCAR is still trying to determine where people are using mobile to follow races.