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New NASCAR TV Deal Taking Shape: Fox, TNT Stay, NBC Leaves, ABC/ESPN Joins-Up

J

Joseph_Gallant

Guest
A new national television package for NASCAR stock-car racing, to take effect in 2007, is rapidly taking shape and could be officially announced at any time.

Based on several reports, here's what it will look like:

* The contracts are all for eight years, from 2007 through 2014.

* The combined TV contracts are for a total of $4.5 billion, or $550 million a year.

* Fox will broadcast the first 13 Nextel Cup races of the season, including the Daytona "500" (although not mentioned in any of the news articles, I expect that the Daytona "500" will be moved into prime-time starting in 2007 since the Daytona speedway has lights), and pay $200 million a year.

Although Fox's sister network FX has broadcast three or four Nextel Cup races during the first half of the season since 2001, none of the news articles I've seen (links below) suggest that FX will continue to broadcast any Nextel Cup races.

* TNT will carry six Nextel Cup races, during the middle part of the season, and will pay $80 million a year for the privilage.

* ABC and ESPN will combine to broadcast the final 17 Nextel Cup races of the season (all ten races in the "Chase For The Nextel Cup" would be seen on ABC; I expect that most of the seven races that precede the "Chase" will also air on ABC as well), and will gain TV rights for the entire Busch Series (Busch races are expected to air on the ESPN networks, mainly on ESPN 2). ABC and ESPN will pay $270 million a year for both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series packages.

* NBC is out after what will have been six years of covering most of the races during the second half of the NASCAR season. Given that NBC had recently signed a contract for Sunday-night NFL games, the future of NASCAR on NBC was iffy at best.

Expect more tracks to get lights and more prime-time races under the new TV deals. A couple of years hence, I anticipate that about 22 or 23 of the 36 NASCAR Nextel Cup races each year will be held under the lights for prime-time television broadcast including, as noted above, the Daytona "500".

Links to relevant articles:

Mediaweek.com.

G Nextinc.com (a website about auto racing news).

The Charlotte Observer.
 
> A new national television package for NASCAR stock-car
> racing, to take effect in 2007, is rapidly taking shape and
> could be officially announced at any time.
>
> Based on several reports, here's what it will look like:
>
> * The contracts are all for eight years, from 2007 through
> 2014.
>
> * The combined TV contracts are for a total of $4.5 billion,
> or $550 million a year.
>
> * Fox will broadcast the first 13 Nextel Cup races of the
> season, including the Daytona "500" (although not mentioned
> in any of the news articles, I expect that the Daytona "500"
> will be moved into prime-time starting in 2007 since the
> Daytona speedway has lights), and pay $200 million a year.
>
> Although Fox's sister network FX has broadcast three or four
> Nextel Cup races during the first half of the season since
> 2001, none of the news articles I've seen (links below)
> suggest that FX will continue to broadcast any Nextel Cup
> races.
>
> * TNT will carry six Nextel Cup races, during the middle
> part of the season, and will pay $80 million a year for the
> privilage.
>
> * ABC and ESPN will combine to broadcast the final 17 Nextel
> Cup races of the season (all ten races in the "Chase For The
> Nextel Cup" would be seen on ABC; I expect that most of the
> seven races that precede the "Chase" will also air on ABC as
> well), and will gain TV rights for the entire Busch Series
> (Busch races are expected to air on the ESPN networks,
> mainly on ESPN 2). ABC and ESPN will pay $270 million a year
> for both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series packages.
>
> * NBC is out after what will have been six years of covering
> most of the races during the second half of the NASCAR
> season. Given that NBC had recently signed a contract for
> Sunday-night NFL games, the future of NASCAR on NBC was iffy
> at best.
>
> Expect more tracks to get lights and more prime-time races
> under the new TV deals. A couple of years hence, I
> anticipate that about 22 or 23 of the 36 NASCAR Nextel Cup
> races each year will be held under the lights for prime-time
> television broadcast including, as noted above, the Daytona
> "500".
>
> Links to relevant articles:
>
> Mediaweek.com.
>
> G Nextinc.com (a website about auto racing news).
>
> The Charlotte Observer.
>

Very interesting information. I forget who, but there is one channel's coverage of Nextel Cup racing I don't like. It is either NBC or FOX. I think its FOX's coverage I'm not crazy about. It will be interesting to see how ABC does with Nascar. I know that ABC does carry some PGA or LPGA golfing on Sunday afternoons (a time when many Nextel Cup races are on), so does that mean ABC will likely have less coverage of PGA tours (depending on the times of the races)?

I didn't know NBC grabbed Sunday Night NFL football. Does that mean some Sunday evening programs will be moved or their seasons will start after football season?
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Radiolover78 asked:

> Does (NBC's deal for Sunday-night NFL football starting in 2006)
> mean some Sunday evening programs will be moved or
> their seasons will start after football season?

I doubt "West Wing" (now on Sunday nights at 8 ET) will go past the end of the current TV season. If "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" and "Crossing Jordan" return for 2006/2007, I doubt they would remain on Sunday night, unless both those shows don't return until January, 2007 and that their 2006/2007 seasons consist of only 14-15 episodes each. "Dateline Sunday" probably would return to Sundays at 7 P.M. Eastern after being bumped during the NFL season for a pregame show.

More likely, I think NBC will probably schedule TV-movies, miniseries, or other specials from 8 to 11 P.M. ET/PT on Sunday nights in the NFL "off-season".
 
> A new national television package for NASCAR stock-car
> racing, to take effect in 2007, is rapidly taking shape and
> could be officially announced at any time.
>
> Based on several reports, here's what it will look like:
>
> * The contracts are all for eight years, from 2007 through
> 2014.
>
> * The combined TV contracts are for a total of $4.5 billion,
> or $550 million a year.
>
> * Fox will broadcast the first 13 Nextel Cup races of the
> season, including the Daytona "500" (although not mentioned
> in any of the news articles, I expect that the Daytona "500"
> will be moved into prime-time starting in 2007 since the
> Daytona speedway has lights), and pay $200 million a year.
>
> Although Fox's sister network FX has broadcast three or four
> Nextel Cup races during the first half of the season since
> 2001, none of the news articles I've seen (links below)
> suggest that FX will continue to broadcast any Nextel Cup
> races.
>
> * TNT will carry six Nextel Cup races, during the middle
> part of the season, and will pay $80 million a year for the
> privilage.
>
> * ABC and ESPN will combine to broadcast the final 17 Nextel
> Cup races of the season (all ten races in the "Chase For The
> Nextel Cup" would be seen on ABC; I expect that most of the
> seven races that precede the "Chase" will also air on ABC as
> well), and will gain TV rights for the entire Busch Series
> (Busch races are expected to air on the ESPN networks,
> mainly on ESPN 2). ABC and ESPN will pay $270 million a year
> for both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series packages.
>
> * NBC is out after what will have been six years of covering
> most of the races during the second half of the NASCAR
> season. Given that NBC had recently signed a contract for
> Sunday-night NFL games, the future of NASCAR on NBC was iffy
> at best.
>
> Expect more tracks to get lights and more prime-time races
> under the new TV deals. A couple of years hence, I
> anticipate that about 22 or 23 of the 36 NASCAR Nextel Cup
> races each year will be held under the lights for prime-time
> television broadcast including, as noted above, the Daytona
> "500".
>
> Links to relevant articles:
>
> Mediaweek.com.
>
> G Nextinc.com (a website about auto racing news).
>
> The Charlotte Observer.
>

I remember ABC airing one or two Nascar races a few years ago... I even remember CBS airing one...

As far as your "under the lights" prediction goes, I think it will be more than a couple of years.. Especially for the Daytona 500.... Time will tell..

Has it really been 6 years since TNN/ESPN covered nascar? Holy crap! I remember the last Nascar Winston Cup race on TNN, followed by a 5 minute tribute to TNN/Espn... I'm glad Fox is staying with things.. Darrel Waltrip provides good commentary, as he is a former Nascar driver and Champion...
 
Although it would never happen, I wish ABC, Fox and TNT could jointly hire one team of announcers (play-by-play, analyst, pit reporters and host[ess]) who would work all 36 Nextel Cup races.

As it is, there are a couple of pit reporters who work for both Fox and NBC/TNT, so it's not impossible...
 
>> I remember ABC airing one or two Nascar races a few years
> ago... I even remember CBS airing one...
>
> As far as your "under the lights" prediction goes, I think
> it will be more than a couple of years.. Especially for the
> Daytona 500.... Time will tell..
>
> Has it really been 6 years since TNN/ESPN covered nascar?
> Holy crap! I remember the last Nascar Winston Cup race on
> TNN, followed by a 5 minute tribute to TNN/Espn... I'm glad
> Fox is staying with things.. Darrel Waltrip provides good
> commentary, as he is a former Nascar driver and Champion...


I remember CBS airing the Daytona 500 many times. I think Fox's Mike Joy was an announcer for CBS but I might be wrong. I seem to remember him calling a few football games before he became all-NASCAR with Fox.
 
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