2025 NASCAR TV contract

A slight increase in rights fees seems like a big win for Nascar to me. It will still net out less due to what yesterday’s dollars would be worth today but overall I’d say it was good.

A "slight increase" is not a "big win" in any way, shape or form, especially when you look at the massive contracts every other major league sport is hauling in.

The longer this drags out, the worse it is.
 
A "slight increase" is not a "big win" in any way, shape or form, especially when you look at the massive contracts every other major league sport is hauling in.

The longer this drags out, the worse it is.

A few years back I read an article stating that NASCAR was anticipating a rights fee decrease in their next broadcast deal. I should have stated that in my last post as that is why I considered a small increase as a big win.
 
The next few years are going to decide where things go with media.

Media companies are responding to losing subscribers by raising rates (which is the opposite of how supply and demand is supposed to work) and purging content. That's going to continue to be the trend for a little while. But, when does it hit a breaking point.

Nobody wants to pay $25/month for Disney, $25/month for WBD, $25/month for Netflix, $25/month for Amazon, $20/month for Paramount, and so on...

The streaming experience is worse than cable ever was, to be honest. Yeah, they have cheaper plans that offer ads, but even those are coming in at $10+/month now. And even then, these streaming services will restructure and rebrand and their $15/month base plans suddenly become loaded with commercials.
You had to expect this though. The second Apple TV's & Roku devices came out I knew it was a matter of time. But now everything is so parceled I wouldn't be shocked if it all comes back around to "one distributor". You'll probably wind up with YoutubeTV that comes with Netflix, Paramount + & Peacock subscriptions or something like that down the road.
 
For the longest time I kept hearing people say that the next NASCAR contract would be another exponential increase in revenue and I could never figure out WHY, based on the viewership, attendance, splintering of the TV audience and TV viewership overall. Now it seems that people may be starting to pump the brakes on what I have always thought were unrealistic expectations. I wonder how this will affect the owner's demand for a bigger piece of the pie?
 
For the longest time I kept hearing people say that the next NASCAR contract would be another exponential increase in revenue and I could never figure out WHY, based on the viewership, attendance, splintering of the TV audience and TV viewership overall.

Because sports with bigger drops in viewership or much less of an audience got huge increases.

NASCAR's TV negotiations fell at the worst possible time. Streaming providers would be much better off spending that money to get a piece of the NBA and UFC.
 
You had to expect this though. The second Apple TV's & Roku devices came out I knew it was a matter of time. But now everything is so parceled I wouldn't be shocked if it all comes back around to "one distributor". You'll probably wind up with YoutubeTV that comes with Netflix, Paramount + & Peacock subscriptions or something like that down the road.
From day one, I have NEVER thought the business model of a hundred different streaming services was sustainable. In a market where there seems to be FEWER consumers, splintering what's left a hundred different ways just defies solid business logic, For better or worse, we ended up with a handful of mega cable TV systems for the same reason. It stands to reason the same thing will eventually happen to the streamers. Not to mention, just as I predicted, the cost advantage of streaming is starting to go away somewhat. Content creators and content providers are NOT going to give away or low ball their product forever. If cable gives you say, 200 channels for $200, streaming services aren't going to keep giving you 50 for $10 forever.
 
Because sports with bigger drops in viewership or much less of an audience got huge increases.

NASCAR's TV negotiations fell at the worst possible time. Streaming providers would be much better off spending that money to get a piece of the NBA and UFC.
The negotiations definitely did not end up in a good time for the sports rights market but I don’t think any other major sport has seen viewership decreases like NASCAR has since the last deal was signed in summer 2013. The NBA and MLB to some degree, but not like NASCAR.
 
Because sports with bigger drops in viewership or much less of an audience got huge increases.
Well, I always thought most of those deals didn't make a lick of sense either, and at some point the buzzards were going to come home to roost. ESPN is being gutted like a yard sale, and we've lost a whole sports network in NBCSN. You really have to wonder if FS2 and a few of the others really have much of a future. The idea of paying vastly more for rights to a sport than the ad revenue was worth just to pump up the image of your network as a whole was always very questionable to me. It might help when you are building a new network, but does ANYBODY really care what network owns the right to NASCAR? Does it REALLY entice people to watch the OTHER shows on that network? It certainly doesn't for me... I turn on the TV during the pace laps, and depending on who won and what happened, I turn it off during the post race interviews. Much of the time I am watching it on a 1-4 hour delay on the DVR and buzzing through all the commercials too. Doesn't do much for their business model.
 
From day one, I have NEVER thought the business model of a hundred different streaming services was sustainable. In a market where there seems to be FEWER consumers, splintering what's left a hundred different ways just defies solid business logic, For better or worse, we ended up with a handful of mega cable TV systems for the same reason. It stands to reason the same thing will eventually happen to the streamers. Not to mention, just as I predicted, the cost advantage of streaming is starting to go away somewhat. Content creators and content providers are NOT going to give away or low ball their product forever. If cable gives you say, 200 channels for $200, streaming services aren't going to keep giving you 50 for $10 forever.

You're giving yourself WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY too much credit.

Everyone knew streaming was eventually going to become what cable TV is. Cable TV started out with the very same promise streaming did.

But streaming isn't "unsustainable" or "going away." It's still way more profitable. They've cut out the middle man so to speak (although, Roku is the new middleman), they're getting significantly more money per subscriber, and they're getting your data.

Right now, they get to have their cake and eat it too. They're keeping their cable networks intact to keep that money coming in, even though these channels now only Bachelor knockoffs, reruns, and occassional live sporting events. They're also moving most of their content to streaming, and now they're getting advertiser revenue from it.

The only thing nobody could have predicted, which now seems likely, is the notion that ad-free plans might be done away with. I'm fully expecting every service, by 2026, to cost $20/month or more with ads.
 
Well, I always thought most of those deals didn't make a lick of sense either, and at some point the buzzards were going to come home to roost. ESPN is being gutted like a yard sale, and we've lost a whole sports network in NBCSN. You really have to wonder if FS2 and a few of the others really have much of a future. The idea of paying vastly more for rights to a sport than the ad revenue was worth just to pump up the image of your network as a whole was always very questionable to me. It might help when you are building a new network, but does ANYBODY really care what network owns the right to NASCAR? Does it REALLY entice people to watch the OTHER shows on that network? It certainly doesn't for me... I turn on the TV during the pace laps, and depending on who won and what happened, I turn it off during the post race interviews. Much of the time I am watching it on a 1-4 hour delay on the DVR and buzzing through all the commercials too. Doesn't do much for their business model.

Live sports content is still premium, and still profitable.

ESPN goes through this at least once a decade. All the personalities that ESPN's brand built move to Fox Sports, and ESPN brings in new blood and makes them stars.

NBCSN wasn't yanked because it was failing, FWIW. It was yanked because Peacock was failing. Now, you've got more live sports on Peacock, more sports-oriented programming on Peacock, and they've managed to fill holes on USA and CNBC.

As for what NASCAR can bring to a network ... while often intentionally overlooked (football/baseball/basketbore fans don't want to admit it), NASCAR was integral in building ESPN into what it has become. NASCAR put FX on the map. The only way Fox Sports could make FS1 work was to build it on the foundation SPEED already had in place, and keep a metric ****ton of motorsports programming. NBCSN was dead, D-E-A-D dead, until NASCAR landed on there.

Marketing data proves it ... while the numbers are much smaller, brand loyalty among NASCAR fans is probably the highest in professional sports. Look at how many NASCAR fans will only drive Chevy trucks because of Dale, Jeff, and Chase.

That can translate for a cable network too. Because of NASCAR on TNT, I ended up getting hooked on Leverage and The Closer. FX probably got a lot of eyeballs on The Shield because of its NASCAR deal. However, the days of scripted dramas being on networks like TNT are over.
 
You're giving yourself WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY too much credit.

Everyone knew streaming was eventually going to become what cable TV is. Cable TV started out with the very same promise streaming did.

But streaming isn't "unsustainable" or "going away." It's still way more profitable. They've cut out the middle man so to speak (although, Roku is the new middleman), they're getting significantly more money per subscriber, and they're getting your data.

Right now, they get to have their cake and eat it too. They're keeping their cable networks intact to keep that money coming in, even though these channels now only Bachelor knockoffs, reruns, and occassional live sporting events. They're also moving most of their content to streaming, and now they're getting advertiser revenue from it.

The only thing nobody could have predicted, which now seems likely, is the notion that ad-free plans might be done away with. I'm fully expecting every service, by 2026, to cost $20/month or more with ads.
I don't think a LOT of people thought streaming was going to end up being like cable and at some point probably just as expensive, at least by all the talk I've heard the last however many years. I heard a lot of comments from people that thought they had discovered the key to Fort Knox and were going to have a gazillion channels and pay next to nothing for it. Eventually, it will all get conglomerated, and the ONLY DIFFERENCE between streaming and cable will be the delivery method. I also think you will begin to see far less high cost original programming on streaming too, not just cable networks.
 
I don't think a LOT of people thought streaming was going to end up being like cable and at some point probably just as expensive, at least by all the talk I've heard the last however many years.

Everyone expected it to go this route, eventually.

WB Discovery accelerated the process.

What's caught everyone off guard is the content purging that's going on while prices are skyrocketing. Again, thanks WBD.
 
I just wish nascar would do a partnership with the tv partners to broadcast all races through a paid app. I'd gladly pay that and get rid of other subscriptions that I have.
 
Does it REALLY entice people to watch the OTHER shows on that network? It certainly doesn't for me...
Outside of NASCAR, I have yet to watch anything on Fox since I gave up on football; other than that, ... Malcolm in the Middle? Outside of racing and golf, I haven't looked at NBC since ... Frazier? Friends? CBS is doing well if I even remember SRX; other than The Masters, they've been dead to me since Big Bang Theory. USA is in even worse shape with me, though; their ads are for content I actively avoid.

Most of what's advertised during races are other sports, which aren't going to attract me regardless of network.
 
Outside of NASCAR, I have yet to watch anything on Fox since I gave up on football; other than that, ... Malcolm in the Middle? Outside of racing and golf, I haven't looked at NBC since ... Frazier? Friends? CBS is doing well if I even remember SRX; other than The Masters, they've been dead to me since Big Bang Theory. USA is in even worse shape with me, though; their ads are for content I actively avoid.

Most of what's advertised during races are other sports, which aren't going to attract me regardless of network.

The bigger problem here is that network and cable television have gone to ****. If a studio lands a great show, it's more than likely being released on their streaming channel only, while their cable network airs reruns of The Big Bang Theory or Law & Order. David Zaslav can get ******.

USA's craptastic lineup probably scores really well with the "Basic White Girl" audience. If Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards were still racing, the NASCAR+USA thing would be a perfect match.
 
I just wish nascar would do a partnership with the tv partners to broadcast all races through a paid app. I'd gladly pay that and get rid of other subscriptions that I have.

Even if it's more than one app, EVERY race should be available on streaming.

Have EVERY Fox Sports race simulcast on Prime Video, and every NBC Sports race simulcast on Peacock.
 
For the longest time I kept hearing people say that the next NASCAR contract would be another exponential increase in revenue and I could never figure out WHY, based on the viewership, attendance, splintering of the TV audience and TV viewership overall. Now it seems that people may be starting to pump the brakes on what I have always thought were unrealistic expectations. I wonder how this will affect the owner's demand for a bigger piece of the pie?

I heard some people say the rights fees would go up and others say they would go down. The one thing both sides had in common was they had no clue.
 
I heard some people say the rights fees would go up and others say they would go down. The one thing both sides had in common was they had no clue.
"Going down" was a legitimate concern people had when the ratings cratered after Chase Elliott's injury.
 
Because sports with bigger drops in viewership or much less of an audience got huge increases.

NASCAR's TV negotiations fell at the worst possible time. Streaming providers would be much better off spending that money to get a piece of the NBA and UFC.

It sounds like FOX & NBC are on board so I can’t imagine things going sideways. It’s just the waiting and not knowing that brings up different scenarios I think.
 
Outside of NASCAR, I have yet to watch anything on Fox since I gave up on football; other than that, ... Malcolm in the Middle? Outside of racing and golf, I haven't looked at NBC since ... Frazier? Friends? CBS is doing well if I even remember SRX; other than The Masters, they've been dead to me since Big Bang Theory. USA is in even worse shape with me, though; their ads are for content I actively avoid.

Most of what's advertised during races are other sports, which aren't going to attract me regardless of network.

I use the networks for Nascar but also for NCAAF & NFL games. I gave up on Network entertainment programming many years ago too
 
It sounds like FOX & NBC are on board so I can’t imagine things going sideways. It’s just the waiting and not knowing that brings up different scenarios I think.

I think NASCAR carving out a Summer Series package for Amazon (or Turner) changed the dynamics of the discussion. While Fox and NBC are probably going to pay more, they might not have liked NASCAR's number once that package was carved out. And then you have the Xfinity Series going to The CW, which means even less content for FS1 and USA.
 
I think NASCAR carving out a Summer Series package for Amazon (or Turner) changed the dynamics of the discussion. While Fox and NBC are probably going to pay more, they might not have liked NASCAR's number once that package was carved out. And then you have the Xfinity Series going to The CW, which means even less content for FS1 and USA.

Good points as I hadn’t thought about the loss of Xfinity races.
 
I thought the ratings were down before Chase got hurt. Of course I could be confused again.

They took a sharp nosedive when he was injured.

There was concern at that time that it could affect TV contracts. Once he came back, ratings didn't just rebound, they increased.

Chase Elliott probably has a higher percentage of fans than any driver in the history of the sport. The remnants of the four largest fanbases of the past 40 years all coalesced around Chase Elliott.
 
The bigger problem here is that network and cable television have gone to ****.
I don't know. There could be content I would enjoy, but the networks aren't making me aware of it via my NASCAR viewing. College football, rasslin, and Chuckie; sorry, those aren't my cups of Pennzoil. When you've hawked the same stuff for 16 weeks, maybe push some of the other programming?
 
For the longest time I kept hearing people say that the next NASCAR contract would be another exponential increase in revenue and I could never figure out WHY, based on the viewership, attendance, splintering of the TV audience and TV viewership overall. Now it seems that people may be starting to pump the brakes on what I have always thought were unrealistic expectations. I wonder how this will affect the owner's demand for a bigger piece of the pie?
They’ll still wind up with an increase, just not a huge one. Sports are the only thing keeping traditional linear TV packages a must-have for most people. Scripted programming on OTA networks/cable channels has mostly gone to ****. So networks bid up pretty much any sports rights they can get their hands on. Despite all of the challenges NASCAR has faced the past decade or so, it’s still a reliable and consistent property that’s mostly stabilized the past five or so seasons.

Though the uncertainty over the final price tag is definitely another factor in the ongoing RTA/NASCAR charter battle. I wouldn’t expect a resolution until TV is finalized.
 
A few years back I read an article stating that NASCAR was anticipating a rights fee decrease in their next broadcast deal. I should have stated that in my last post as that is why I considered a small increase as a big win.
They have smart finance folks, they would’ve modeled anywhere from a 25% decrease to a 40% increase several years ago, before any of the negotiations would’ve started.
 
They have smart finance folks, they would’ve modeled anywhere from a 25% decrease to a 40% increase several years ago, before any of the negotiations would’ve started.
My biggest question is, will the Truck Series be a part of any deal? That Xfinity Series CW thing was a game changer.

I have to believe these ARCA East/West and Mod races being on CNBC will be changing too.
 
Don’t know if you all saw this, but just went from a Summer Series to “Summer into Fall Series”. If this deal is split, the more things change the more they stay the same. We’d potentially have races on Fox, FS1, NBC, USA Network, Amazon, TBS and TNT which would remind me of ESPN, TNT, TBS,CBS, TNN days
 
Don’t know if you all saw this, but just went from a Summer Series to “Summer into Fall Series”. If this deal is split, the more things change the more they stay the same. We’d potentially have races on Fox, FS1, NBC, USA Network, Amazon, TBS and TNT which would remind me of ESPN, TNT, TBS,CBS, TNN days
I could see WBD putting a race on BR Sports on Max too.
 
Don’t know if you all saw this, but just went from a Summer Series to “Summer into Fall Series”. If this deal is split, the more things change the more they stay the same. We’d potentially have races on Fox, FS1, NBC, USA Network, Amazon, TBS and TNT which would remind me of ESPN, TNT, TBS,CBS, TNN days

Cue all of the people who pine for the "good old days" bitching because of the race not being in the same place every week.
 
If WBD moves races to their streaming service, the complaining will rightfully be a lot.

The way they restructured Max to screw AT&T customers over, combined with how they keep moving content to premium tiers is already pissing a lot of people off.

Prime Video is doing the same thing. I full expect, within a couple years, TNF and NASCAR NOT be included with the standard $15/mo Prime plan.
 
Peacock is great.

I hope NASCAR doesn’t jump all in on this streaming stuff.

Their model is so broken. They lose subscribers so they drop content and increase prices. That goes against the laws of supply and demand.

WBD leads the charge.
 
Don’t know if you all saw this, but just went from a Summer Series to “Summer into Fall Series”. If this deal is split, the more things change the more they stay the same. We’d potentially have races on Fox, FS1, NBC, USA Network, Amazon, TBS and TNT which would remind me of ESPN, TNT, TBS,CBS, TNN days
I still see a lot of value and potential with Amazon but have no interest in Turner if it’s predicated upon being primarily through the Max sports add-on.
 
I still see a lot of value and potential with Amazon but have no interest in Turner if it’s predicated upon being primarily through the Max sports add-on.

One thing to keep in mind, it’s still being widely speculated inside the entertainment industry that NBCUniversal is gonna buy WB from Discovery next year or in Q1 of 2025.
 
Cue all of the people who pine for the "good old days" bitching because of the race not being in the same place every week.
Call it what you want, but if you are trying to grow the audience, this is NOT the way to do it. One of the given excuses for the original TV deal was to put an end to this nonsense. Of course we know NASCAR would put the entire schedule on a local high school public access channel if the check was big enough.
 
Call it what you want, but if you are trying to grow the audience, this is NOT the way to do it. One of the given excuses for the original TV deal was to put an end to this nonsense. Of course we know NASCAR would put the entire schedule on a local high school public access channel if the check was big enough.
This isn’t entirely true.

There’s data showing the Thursday Night Football games on Prime are getting more young viewers than games on Fox and CBS.

NASCAR isn’t going to survive if they cater exclusively to boomers.
 
Call it what you want, but if you are trying to grow the audience, this is NOT the way to do it

Putting it on cable isn't going to grow the fanbase period. Young people are cord cutting so you need to do a combo of OTA and streaming. And on the OTA front, there needs to be a streaming option in tandem with that since a lot of Gen Z like to watch **** on their devices (for some reason).

NASCAR would put the entire schedule on a local high school public access channel if the check was big enough.

The coverage couldn't be worse than what we've gotten from Fox the last few years. If NASCAR cares about their presentation, they need to find a broadcast partner who won't treat the sport like a joke. Fox does not deserve the Daytona 500.
 
Putting it on cable isn't going to grow the fanbase period. Young people are cord cutting so you need to do a combo of OTA and streaming. And on the OTA front, there needs to be a streaming option in tandem with that since a lot of Gen Z like to watch **** on their devices (for some reason).

The CW deal is absolutely perfect.

The coverage couldn't be worse than what we've gotten from Fox the last few years. If NASCAR cares about their presentation, they need to find a broadcast partner who won't treat the sport like a joke. Fox does not deserve the Daytona 500.

The Daytona 500 isn’t even the premier race to Fox. Los Angeles is. 😳
 
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