NASCAR makes a bold move towards streaming, as it unveils new seven-year rights agreements for its Cup Series. The deals, announced recently, involve four distribution partners, with Amazon’s Prime Video and Warner Bros. Discovery including streaming coverage of certain races, and NBCUniversal’s Peacock simulcasting.
The majority of the 38-event Cup Series races will be carried by Fox Sports and NBC Sports, each securing rights to 14 events. The financial terms remain undisclosed but reportedly total $7.7 billion, representing about a 40% increase in average annual value over NASCAR’s existing deals, according to Sports Business Journal.
Prime Video has secured exclusive rights to five midseason races, practice sessions, and qualifying sessions for the first half of the season, while Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports has rights to the following five midseason races. Both platforms will also have exclusive rights to practice and qualifying sessions for the Cup Series scheduled through 2031.
The exclusive streaming rights for races on Prime Video’s direct-to-consumer service represent a first for NASCAR. Prime Video is also set to produce pre- and post-race programming, including original documentaries.
Fox Sports will air the first 14 events, including the Daytona 500, while NBC Sports will air the final 14 events of the season, including Playoffs and Championship race. NBC’s deal is a multi-platform agreement, presenting races across a combination of NBC, USA Network, and Peacock.
In addition to NFL’s Thursday Night Football, Prime Video has already begun its live sports journey and is enthusiastic about adding NASCAR Cup Series racing to its premium live sports lineup. Similarly, WBD Sports has cited benefits of the NASCAR deal for both SVOD and linear.
The move towards streaming aims to attract new or younger fans utilizing direct-to-consumer services to engage with the sport, as stated by NASCAR President Steve Phelps. NASCAR SVP of Media and Productions Brian Herbst also noted that reaching consumers on multiple distribution platforms is essential in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape.
However, having live sporting events spread across multiple distribution partners may add frustration for fans, as sports content continues to become increasingly fragmented across various platforms and services.
Olivia Carter revs up excitement in the world of NASCAR. As a dedicated motorsports enthusiast, she covers race results, driver profiles, and the latest developments in the NASCAR world, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
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