The CW was set to take over broadcasting rights for the NASCAR Xfinity Series beginning in the 2025 season, but on Thursday, it was officially announced that the network will take over for the final eight races of the 2024 season. Motorsport.com was the first to report the unexpected change on Thursday afternoon.
The first NASCAR Xfinity Series event to be hosted by The CW will be Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, September 20.
RELATED: Updated 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule
“As The CW prepares to be the new broadcast home of the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2025, we want to thank our partners at the league and at NBC Sports for welcoming the network into the NASCAR broadcast family and for the early opportunity to showcase these thrilling final eight Xfinity Series races of the season,” said Dennis Miller, President, The CW Network. “We can’t wait to give racing fans an early preview of all the exciting action the NASCAR Xfinity Series has to offer on The CW and we look forward to establishing the network as a new destination for live motorsports.”
NBC / USA Network was originally scheduled to televise the final eight races of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule. Interestingly enough, the eight races that are aired on The CW this season will be produced by NBC and will have an announcer booth featuring NBC talents Rick Allen, Steve Letarte, and Jeff Burton.
NBC Sports says a great partnership with NASCAR and The CW led to the “Sneak peek” of The CW’s NASCAR Xfinity Series coverage for the 2025 season.
“We have a great partnership with NASCAR and welcome The CW to the family of NASCAR broadcasters,” said Rick Cordella, President, NBC Sports. “This sneak peek of NASCAR Xfinity Series races will continue to feature NBC Sports’ critically acclaimed NASCAR production while assisting in the transition for fans to watch the Xfinity Series on The CW full-time in 2025.”
In July 2022, NASCAR announced it had signed a broadcasting rights agreement with The CW, which would become the new full-season television broadcasting partner for the NASCAR Xfinity Series beginning with the 2025 season. NASCAR’s agreement with The CW runs through the end of the 2031 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
After the announcement of the partnership with The CW, NASCAR announced the full Media Rights Deal, which will run from 2025 to 2031, in November 2023.
FOX Sports will have broadcasting rights to the opening portion of the NASCAR Cup Series season in 2025, but the races on FOX Sports networks will reduce from 18 races to 14. NBC Sports will still carry the end portion of the season, but they too will only carry 14 races on NBC Sports networks.
Sliding into the middle portion of the season is Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service, which will carry five NASCAR Cup Series events, and then Warner Bros. Discovery will carry the next five races in the Summer portion of the schedule. The Warner Bros. Discovery races will be simulcast on TNT and the Bleacher Report Sports tier on HBO’s MAX streaming service.
Additionally, Prime Video and MAX will carry the majority of the practice and qualifying sessions for the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025 and beyond. FOX will carry practice and qualifying for the Busch Light Clash, Daytona 500, and All-Star Race in 2025. The remainder of the practice and qualifying sessions will be available on Prime Video and MAX.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will remain an exclusive FOX Sports property through the 2031 season.
3 Responses
This may be the end of a long relationship with Nascar. I barely can operate the T V now. I’m 76 years old and the streaming thing has passed me buy. Will the races be on radio?
The CW is a physical television station, which is available in nearly every household without the need for a cable subscription.
Oh crap we’re doomed. Why this happened? MONEY!