The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Rockingham wasn't only a great day for winner  William Sawalich, but it also sparked a conversation on how fans consume the sport. THE CW network covered the race live, and a few fan reactions indicate they loved it. While the $25.83 billion worth FOX has received some heavy criticism, the "new kid on the block" is proving that high-quality, accessible coverage is exactly what the audience needs.

The broadcaster earned 1,165,000 total viewers for last weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at Rockingham Speedway. It’s an 11% increase compared to last year’s Rockingham race on Easter weekend, per Nielsen panel + big data.

Much of the positive feedback stems from the consistency of the platform, with one viewer noting that "The CW from top to bottom is just a legitimate broadcast. Same channel every week. And for the most part, the superior product of the weekend."

Some fans have also suggested that if the CW crew takes up on other series, it could be a great benefit too. "If the CW crew took over the truck races, they’d have similar jumps in viewership. That crew really is fantastic."

However, this praise for the newcomer highlights a growing rift between fans and the established network, Fox. A viewer expressed by saying, "Fox should be ashamed of how bad their broadcasts are, but they probably aren't because they're too busy selling too many commercials and cutting broadcast quality to make sure they turn a wild profit."

Even the talent in the booth is seeing a boost in reputation; fans have pointed out that "Adam Alexander p**** on everyone at Fox." They've pointed out how they like Adam's commentary better with CW as compared to when he was with Fox.

Fans Notice a New Energy in Adam Alexander’s Commentary

Adam Alexander served as the play-by-play voice for NASCAR on Fox for almost 19 years before making the switch to CW earlier in 2025.

A viewer noticed the change in production had improved even Alexander. "I never liked Adam when he was at Fox. Its gotta be a production thing because he's got a lot more energy now," the viewer remarked.

It is clear that Alexander is one of the best in the business, as he has already helped CW Network become a great place to watch NASCAR. With fans' frustrations growing due to Fox's increasing issues, it is clear that CW is capitalising and making itself known to people in the NASCAR community.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Sanskriti Pastor