(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)
By Aaron Bearden
The first big domino in NASCAR’s next round of TV deals has fallen.
NASCAR announced Friday that The CW Network, a Nexstar property, will become the exclusive home of the Xfinity Series in a deal that runs from 2025 through 2031. The free, over-the-air (OTA) network will air all 33 Xfinity races each season, along with practice and qualifying. NASCAR Productions will produce the races and additional content in collaboration with The CW Network, utilizing a new productions facility in Concord, NC.
This will mark the first time in Xfinity Series history that each race will be available on free OTA broadcasts.
“CW’s leadership shared a compelling vision for cultivating the next generation of NASCAR talent by bringing the NASCAR Xfinity Series exclusively to broadcast television and we are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with them,” Brian Herbst, NASCAR senior vice president, media and productions, said in a Friday statement. “With more than one million viewers tuning in each week to see NASCAR’s future stars battle some of its biggest names at our most legendary tracks, NASCAR Xfinity Series consistently delivers the moments that excite current fans and create new fans of our great sport.”
Xfinity Series races are currently being split between Fox/FS1 and NBC/USA Network, mirroring the Cup Series in a deal that runs through 2024. Sports Business Journal first reported Friday’s news, saying that Nexstar will pay approximately $115 million per year, or $805 million in total, for the right to air the series.
The CW hasn’t traditionally carried live sporting events. But in recent months Nexstar has built up a small list of sports properties including LIV Golf and a package of ACC football and basketball games along with the NTT IndyCar Series’ documentary series, ‘100 Days to Indy.’ Nexstar announced in June that long-running highlight and interview show “Inside the NFL” will move to The CW from Paramount+ this fall.
“Landing the NASCAR Xfinity Series is a game changer for The CW and our CW Sports division and represents another important building block in our programming strategy,” The CW president Dennis Miller said in a statement. “Live sports are the most watched television content and with The CW’s national reach, moving NASCAR Xfinity Series to The CW will transform and elevate the viewing experience for the series and its fans.
“The CW has quickly become a destination for sports, as the NASCAR Xfinity Series joins our growing slate of sports programming, including Inside The NFL, ACC college football and basketball, LIV Golf, and the motorsports documentary series “100 Days to Indy.’ Beginning in 2025, The CW will have 48 weekends per year of live sports programming. With ubiquitous distribution across one of the nation’s five major broadcast networks, NASCAR Xfinity Series races on The CW will deliver more access for fans and far more revenue opportunities for The CW and its affiliates.”
NASCAR is still in talks over television partners for the Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series. NBC and Fox currently air all Cup races on their networks in deals that run through 2024, with Fox having exclusive rights to the Truck Series. There were prior reports that NASCAR was open to selling the Xfinity Series series to a streaming service and Sports Business Journal reports suggest a six-race slate of Cup races could go to a streaming service in the next TV deal.
Analysis
Friday’s news may come as a surprise – but it might be a positive one for many involved.
If you’re a fan of the series, this should be good news. Instead of having to subscribe to a streaming service – the previous rumor – the Xfinity Series will be free and accessible over the air or through The CW app. That makes all 33 races accessible with minimal investment – no cable or streaming subscription required. At a time when finances are tight for many around the country, that should be a welcome reprieve to the wallet.
The question is whether that will be enough to lure fans over to the new channel. The CW is a network traditionally known for airing programs like teen dramas. But Nexstar has tried to shift some sports to the netlet in recent months.
It’s uncertain how the efforts will go. We’ve yet to see how ACC sports will fair. LIV Golf was met with abysmal ratings, but the tour wasn’t popular among Americans given the Saudi Arabian ties and subsequent questioning of its morality from the PGA Tour and its fanbase. Current Xfinity Series races average just under 1 million viewers most weeks. Will the same level of fans manage to embrace change and flock to The CW?
Also left to be seen is the quality of the broadcast. NASCAR taking production in-house isn’t a major surprise, but it does call into question what changes it might make in how the sport is showcased. If The CW hires on-air talent – as reported by the SBJ – how will NASCAR utilize them? What will the network do when controversy over officiating or other NASCAR-tied decisions arise, or when a race conflicts with an ACC game? Could NASCAR’s production team also end up handling broadcasts for the Cup and Truck Series? It’s too early to know.
There are some certainties, though.
One big one: Xfinity Series teams will be able to sell potential sponsors on a network available to nearly all American households, an easier proposition than a streaming service with limited potential viewership. The series is also coming to a network where, at least for now, it will be among the lead sporting programs. That could entice The CW to push it as a key property.
That NASCAR was able to score an $800 million deal for its second series is a positive sign for the sport’s other upcoming TV deals. That makes it likely that future deals with Fox, NBC, Amazon (the rumored streamer) or other potential partners will surpass current TV deals.
It also gives Xfinity Series teams a benchmark for discussions about race purses and overall distribution of wealth in the series. If the deal sends more money to teams and helps those in the midfield make gains, it will only improve what may already be the most consistently entertaining of NASCAR’s three national series.
Time will tell if the network move proves to be a good decision. But at the minimum, it’s another sign of a sport that is continuing to embrace change and adapt to modern times.
