Could the NBA Mess With NASCAR’s TV Deal?

Did You Notice? NASCAR’s TV Contract Situation

NASCAR still hasn’t signed a new TV contract for its Cup and Craftsman Truck series beyond the 2024 season. An update by Jon Ourand of the Sports Business Journal reveals that a deal that was expected to be announced by late summer now has “no timetable” for its announcement. The NASCAR Xfinity Series is the only series that has a set future, with its races moving to CW-affiliated networks starting in 2025 for $115 million per year.

This delay in the TV contract raises the question of why it is happening. As someone who has worked in sports television production, including NASCAR races, I can offer some perspective. Let’s start with the facts. NASCAR has had three major TV contracts since 2001, when they nationalized all their races through linear networks. Based on the timing of these contracts, NASCAR is not as far behind as it may seem.

Looking at the history of the TV deals, it is not uncommon for the next big Cup Series TV deal to be announced shortly after the Championship 4 event. It is reasonable to expect an eight-year contract that aligns with the NXS deal. FOX and NBC have been consistent frontrunners throughout the negotiation process, as they have covered the sport for many years.

The delay in finalizing the deal has led to concerns and speculation. However, I highly doubt that FOX is the problem based on my off-the-record conversations. FOX has a good fit with the first half of the NASCAR schedule, and they have programming hours to fill with their sports channels. The question with FOX is how many Cup races they will get, as that number has varied over the years. It wouldn’t surprise me if NASCAR is shopping for a third network to broadcast some races.

As for NBC, they recently moved their NASCAR races to the USA Network and have been pushing their streaming service, Peacock. However, Peacock has limited reach, and NBC has faced financial constraints due to underperformance in their main sports contract, the Olympics. NBC is also interested in securing a lucrative NBA deal, which could affect their ability to afford both the NBA and NASCAR.

The doomsday scenario would be if NBC pulls out, leaving the second half of the NASCAR schedule with limited suitors. ESPN also has financial challenges as they need to bid on the upcoming NBA deal and new College Football Playoff games. CBS, due to its NFL schedule, can’t handle the second half of the NASCAR season. Turner seems like a better fit for a six-race summer deal.

There is some optimism in the streaming world, with Amazon’s success in broadcasting Thursday Night Football. NASCAR could consider making the switch to streaming in 2025, with Amazon and potentially Apple as options. However, NASCAR is still waiting on the charter deal negotiations to be resolved. It would make sense for both the TV and charter deals to be announced together to provide clarity for major stakeholders.

In terms of team ownership, NASCAR needs fresh faces to enter the sport, but many hot names are turning to Formula 1 instead. All in all, the situation with NASCAR’s TV contract is complex and uncertain, but a resolution should come soon.