Can BET Help NASCAR's Image with African Americans?

Filed under: News, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

What do you get when you show lots of fast, souped-up cars on a television network best known for airing rap videos, gospel music and urban-oriented programming? Hopefully, a lot of black TV viewers -- and some goodwill about the sport of auto racing too.

At least that's what NASCAR is betting on. NASCAR is teaming up with Black Entertainment Television (BET) by airing a reality show on BET called 'Changing Lanes' in which people complete for the chance to become a NASCAR driver. On the surface, this is clearly a bid to attract African American viewers. Let's face it: professional car racing has the perception (rightly or wrongly) of being a sport that mainly appeals to white Southerners. So perhaps it's no surprise that NASCAR hopes to bring more African American fans to the sport by partnering with BET.

But I suspect NASCAR is also eager to do some reputation building - or repairing, as the case may be - within the African American community. For at least a decade, NASCAR has sought to diversify its ranks and reach out to black spectators and racers alike. They've had the Drive for Diversity program running for seven years straight in an effort to add minority professionals to the sport. They've sponsored multicultural events. They've even highlighted black racing enthusiasts, like ex football great Randy Moss, a former All-Pro wide receiver for the New England Patriots who now has a 50% stake in Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, a team that competes at NASCAR.


So NASCAR should be given credit for its multicultural initiatives. Despite those efforts, however, NASCAR remains plagued by problems on the diversity front. In the last year alone, NASCAR came under fire:

- From the NAACP, who threatened a boycott regarding a Confederate flag issue,

- From racing fans and experts, who said NASCAR's Hall of Fame snubbed a black racing legend,

- And from the media, who implied that NASCAR was too quick to sweep racial incidents under the rug.

So even though untold millions of dollars are at stake, this latest move to broadcast 'Changing Lanes' -- which highlights the Drive for Diversity program -- is as much a public relations strategy as it is a financial strategy. In fact, NASCAR's decision to join forces with BET comes amid a broader shakeup in the communications and marketing divisions at NASCAR. No doubt, those changes have been spurred by recent widespread reports that the sport is suffering from a decline in attendance, sponsorship and TV ratings. Maybe increased African American viewership can help turn some of those things around.

Some auto-focused shows like 'Pimp My Ride' have proven very popular with African American audiences. ('Pimp My Ride,' by the way, launched on MTV, a unit of Viacom. Viacom also owns BET).

But what's your take on NASCAR promoting itself to the African American community? Would you watch NASCAR-related programming on BET? And does the sport of auto racing excite you at all?

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Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, an award-winning financial news journalist and former Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC, has been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Times, as well as magazines ranging from Essence and Redbook to Black Enterprise and Smart Money. Check out her New York Times best seller 'Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom.'

 

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