NASCAR Inks $7.7 Billion Media Rights Extension
NASCAR has sealed a seven-year media rights extension valued at ‘US$7.7 billion’ with major broadcasters Fox Sports, NBC, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), and tech giant Amazon.
The staggering $7.7 billion agreement marks a substantial 40% increase from NASCAR’s existing $820 million-per-year media rights deal, as reported by Sports Business Journal. Factoring in the Xfinity Series deal secured with The CW Network, the annual average value of these contracts reaches an impressive US$1.1 billion.
Commencing in 2025, the media rights extension will see 38 NASCAR Cup Series races distributed among the four broadcasters, spanning through the 2031 season.
In this renewed collaboration, Fox, under Disney ownership, and NBC, a Comcast-owned entity, will continue to dominate the majority of races, broadcasting 14 events each. This signals a slight adjustment from the previous agreement, where Fox covered 18 Cup Series races and NBC aired 20.
Cup Series races will be broadcast on both Fox and FS1, with the entire 23-race Craftsman Truck Series season exclusively on FS1. Meanwhile, NBC’s deal encompasses playoff coverage, featuring a mix of races and content across NBC, USA Network, and their over-the-top (OTT) platform, Peacock.
Amazon and Warner Bros Discovery enter the NASCAR broadcasting arena. Amazon’s Prime Video and TNT Sports are set to broadcast five races each, bringing fresh perspectives to the NASCAR viewing experience.
Originally eyeing six to eight mid-season races for a streaming platform, NASCAR expanded the offering to ten events due to increased demand. Despite seeking a single bidder for this new package, NASCAR eventually welcomed Amazon as its first direct-to-consumer (DTC) partner, while Warner Bros Discovery will simulcast its races across TNT Sports and OTT platform Max.
In addition to race coverage, both Amazon and TNT Sports secure exclusive rights to all practice and qualifying sessions. Prime Video will cover sessions up to the last race of its mid-season package, excluding the Busch Light Clash, the Daytona 500, and the All-Star Race, which remain under Fox’s jurisdiction. TNT Sports will stream the second half of the season on Max and air on TruTV.
NASCAR 2023 Champion Ryan Blaney
Steve Phelps, President of NASCAR, expressed satisfaction with the monumental deal, stating, “Our goal was to secure long-term stability with an optimised mix of distribution platforms and innovative partners that would allow us to grow the sport while delivering our product to fans wherever they are – and we’ve achieved that today.”
“Nascar has been a cornerstone property for both new and established platforms for several decades. These agreements demonstrate the staying power of our sport and the consistent, large-scale audience it delivers. This landmark deal underscores our collective growth opportunity to drive engagement across this diverse collection of platforms – whether on broadcast, cable or direct-to-consumer.”
“With the talented young drivers, exciting new teams and record-breaking racing we’ve seen since the Next Gen car was introduced in 2022, we’re looking forward to working with each of these partners to bring some of the best racing in the world to fans everywhere.”
