As renewal negotiations between NASCAR, Fox, and NBC came to a close this past Monday, the speed-loving franchise is entertaining the idea of accepting offers from other networks. NASCAR executives have set meetings with several other digital media companies early this week to discuss branching out into the streaming realm.
NASCAR previously showed a hesitant interest in joining a streaming platform when it last renewed its contracts in 2013. According to one source, back in 2021 NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Media and Productions Brian Herbst said:
“Some streaming element will definitely be in place and it will play a larger role in the next deal cycle. When you think about when we did our TV deals back in 2012, 2013, there were really just two different platforms where our content was going to be distributed to… Now, there’s a third bucket and that’s direct-to-consumer or over-the-top platforms. The balancing act for us as a sport is there’s a third economic driver that wasn’t necessarily there in 2012 or 2013, being these OTT platforms.”
Since then, many streaming platforms have added sports to their catalogs, such as Amazon, AppleTV, DIRECTV, Hulu Plus Live, Sling TV, YouTube Tv, Roku, and FuboTV to name a few. NBC recently launched GolfPass, a free streaming service. ION is adding the WNBA games to its lineup as well, so bringing NASCAR into the world of streaming isn’t outside the realm of possibility.
There’s no word yet on which streaming platforms NASCAR is considering accepting offers from. The company appears to be keeping its options wide open while deciding on any type of national streaming package. NASAR team owners could play a pivotal role in this process, as this move runs a risk of decreased viewership while they attempt to negotiate a larger revenue percentage due to decreased sponsorship deals.
NASCAR will most likely be coming to some streaming service soon. Check back with Cord Cutters News as details about when and which platform is revealed.