Connolly discusses NASCAR industry and sports marketing with students during Winter Term.
Kevin Connolly, sports anchor and reporter for WGHP Fox8 News, visited Elon to speak with students in the Business of NASCAR Winter Term course about a variety of topics, including his career in sports reporting, his favorite NASCAR moments and the industry’s marketing techniques.
Led by Coleman Rich, senior lecturer in operations and supply chain management and chair of the Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, the course focused on the history, marketing, management and economical aspects of the sport, and helped students develop an understanding of NASCAR as a sport, sporting entertainment and business.
Connolly noted Greensboro and the Triad area continually lead the nation with the highest number of television viewings of NASCAR races. He said the industry is worth more than $6 billion in North Carolina alone and has gained popularity over the past 25 years.
When asked about the challenges NASCAR faces in an increasingly competitive entertainment market, Connolly noted that NASCAR is reaching for ways to get younger generations involved. He said he has personally upped his social media presence as a sports anchor in order to connect with young people. NASCAR is also a “DVR-proof” sport, and Connolly believes that the live action will continue to attract fans, as it has for the NFL and other sports.
Connolly also discussed the impact of increased marketing in NASCAR and how brands have transformed the professional sport from a competition into a business.
Connolly first got involved in sports reporting as an intern for Fox8 in 1986 while attending High Point University. After graduation, he worked at the local Boys & Girls Club in hopes that the connections he had already established at the station would be helpful to him in securing a full-time position there. In 1987, he landed his first job at Fox8 broadcasting local high school football games. Since then, he has become well known for his work on the Fox8 “Prep Profile,” which highlights local athletes for academic and athletic accomplishments, and as the host for “North Carolina High School Xtra,” a segment devoted to high school sports across the state. He continues to report primarily on high school sports and NASCAR races.