Supercars drives online engagement, fuels local Townsville tourism

Supercars is proud to reveal that the NTI Townsville 500 earlier this month drove a huge increase in audience numbers to Supercars’ online platforms and delivered a welcome boost to local tourism.

The Supercars app saw its number of users jump 54 percent year-on-year and the Supercars TikTok page had an incredible audience increase of 85 percent on last year.

Additionally, NTI Townsville 500 videos posted across Supercars branded accounts – including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube – were viewed by 46% more people, and for 43 percent more minutes, than for last year’s event.

North Queensland’s biggest annual sporting event saw Supercars implement a number of innovative fan-focused events and measures to enhance the visitor experience, boost engagement and drive sales to local businesses.

Data from Supercars.com revealed a substantial increase in fans intending to travel to the event city, with traffic to the website’s 'Plan Your [Townsville] Visit' page up 38% on 2023.

Supercars CEO Shane Howard said: “We are really proud of the enhancements we have made to create a truly unforgettable NTI Townsville 500 and even more proud of the economic contribution Supercars makes to regions across Australia.

“With cost-of-living pressures, this digital growth shows just how much Supercars fans love the escape and excitement of being part of race weekend. And bringing thousands of visitors to Townsville is essential for local business and morale. Last year, our Townsville event contributed $36 million to the local economy. With such strong digital growth, we are eagerly awaiting the results of 2024.”

Supercars Digital Activation Director Andrew Mara said: “A record 31,000 people utilised the new updates to our interactive event maps which streamlined their ability to find activities, food and drinks around the track. This not only adds to the fan experience but boosts sales for local vendors.

“Our first-ever – and free - Townsville Track to Town event drew thousands of excited fans to the streets of Townsville to witness all 24 Supercars parade their way through the city. And rounding out the weekend with three headline acts taking to the circuit stage, in the form of Tones and I, G Flip and Cyril, made the weekend truly memorable for fans."

Since the new Supercars.com website launched in October 2023, page views have increased 68 percent to an average of 3.3 million a month.

In 2023, Supercars events contributed $445 million to economies across Australia.

The 2024 Panasonic Air Conditioning Sydney SuperNight kicks off today at Sydney Motorsport Park.