For the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR has secured multiple new media rights agreements worth a combined $7.7 billion with FOX Sports, NBC Sports, Prime Video, and Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports. The agreements will significantly increase the sport’s exposure on traditional TV and streaming.
FOX Sports will begin airing the first 14 Cup Series annually in 2025, which will include live NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events and the Daytona 500. The following five races will be shown on Prime Video, which will be NASCAR’s first exclusive streaming event. The following five midseason races will shown on TNT via Warner Bros. Discovery and on The Bleacher Report Sports on Max. NBC Sports will broadcast all 14 of the remaining races, including the Playoffs and Championship.
READ MORE: Fox Sports Is Going All Out On YouTube And X For Social Media Copyright Takedowns
Five Cup events will be televised on FOX Sports, four on NBC Sports, and the remaining events on FS1 and USA Network. For the first half of the season, practice and qualifying sessions will be streamed live on Prime Video, Max, and truTV.
The agreement is valid until the 2031 season.
According to NASCAR president Steve Phelps, “we’ve achieved that today. Our goal was to secure long-term stability with an optimized mix of distribution platforms and innovative partners that would allow us to grow the sport while delivering our product to fans wherever they are.” “Whether on broadcast, cable, or direct-to-consumer, this historic agreement highlights our collective growth opportunity to drive engagement across this diverse collection of platforms.”
According to Sports Business Journal, NASCAR is using streaming as part of its attempt to increase viewership, which had decreased by 5% from the previous year. As more people cut their cable TV subscriptions, the league’s NASCAR Cup Series averaged 2.86 million viewers this year as opposed to 3.03 million in 2022. When its existing media rights agreement with FOX Sports and NBC Sports ends at the end of the 2024 season, NASCAR stated last year that it intended to raise the price of its next agreement.
An increasing number of sports are moving to streaming. Front Office Sports reports that Thursday Night Football on Prime Video has witnessed a 21% increase in views over the previous season’s games. Pickball and NBA League Pass are also streamed on the platform. By providing live streaming of Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer in addition to documentaries and other sports-related content, Apple TV is also expanding its library of sports programming.
NASCAR senior vice president of media and productions Brian Herbst stated, “The media landscape is rapidly evolving, with new distribution platforms providing more options to the consumer than ever before.” “With this ideal combination of media partners, we can effectively market and distribute content related to our sport, setting NASCAR up for future growth in a variety of media and providing our fans with continuous access on the well-established platforms they already use.”
The CW Network and NASCAR inked an agreement in July that grants the network exclusive media rights to the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the years 2025 through 2031. Along with 33 live races, the network will air all practice and qualifying sessions. Under the league’s prior agreement, the series was divided into 20 races on NBC Sports and 18 races on FOX Sports.
At its end-of-season luncheon in Nashville this afternoon, NASCAR will formally declare.
Radiant and America Nu, offering to elevate your entertainment game! Movies, TV series, exclusive interviews, music, and more—download now on various devices, including iPhones, Androids, smart TVs, Apple TV, Fire Stick, and more.
