NASCAR teams are making last-minute sponsor changes to comply with Mexican advertising laws.
NASCAR teams are making significant branding changes ahead of the Viva México 250 as they navigate Mexico’s advertising restrictions.
The event, taking place on June 15 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, marks the sport’s first major Cup Series presence in the country and brings with it a complex legal environment unfamiliar to many teams.
The adjustments have been particularly visible on haulers, uniforms, and liveries, where logos related to alcohol, tobacco, CBD, and firearms have been covered or removed to comply with Mexican law.
Under Mexico’s General Health Law, certain categories of product advertising are either banned or tightly restricted. These include tobacco and nicotine products, CBD or cannabis derivatives, firearms, and alcoholic beverages above certain alcohol content thresholds.
The enforcement agency COFEPRIS requires pre-approval for advertising in these categories, particularly at public events. According to a post by Bob Pockrass, motorsport journalist for FOX Sports, several teams have already complied by obscuring logos linked to restricted products:
Although NASCAR does not publish a list of approved or restricted sponsors per event, several U.S. teams with high-profile partnerships have altered car and crew branding. This includes changes made to cars sponsored by U.S.-based beer, spirits, and hemp product companies.
Brands affected include:
- 3CHI (hemp-derived products)
- Bass Pro Shops (which includes firearms-related product lines)
- Alcohol sponsors such as Busch Light and Blue-Emu
Where necessary, logos have been substituted, blurred, or replaced with neutral decals that do not violate local law.
Broadcasters also face NASCAR compliance requirements
The race will be broadcast live in Mexico by TelevisaUnivision, which holds exclusive free-to-air rights via Canal 5. Mexican broadcasting law, enforced by IFT (Federal Telecommunications Institute), prohibits the display of restricted product advertisements on television, particularly during daytime or family programming hours.
This means the broadcaster must ensure that any visual sponsor references shown on screen comply with both health and consumer protection laws.
Any non-compliant branding is typically edited or digitally blurred during production.
Mexico’s rules contrast with US norms
Unlike in the US, where sponsorships from tobacco-alternative products and CBD companies are common in motorsport, Mexico prohibits such advertising under federal law.
Additionally, the threshold for alcohol advertising is stricter: any drink above 6% alcohol content is treated more like a controlled substance and may not be advertised without a special permit.
