Say it isn't so!!

[blue oval_4]

Oh no!

NASCAR likely to move the Xfinity Series to a streaming platform, remove from TV in 2025


NASCAR has been working on its TV deal for the 2025 season and plenty of rumors have started to fly since November 2020. During the State of the Sport address, Steve Phelps, the President of NASCAR said the sport’s future will go through the two networks and that the relationship with them has never been better.

That seems to be the case as every report over the last couple of months states that FOX and NBC are likely to renew their contracts. However, NASCAR is likely to add a streaming company as a third package alongside the two networks for a stretch of races in the summer.

As of now, Amazon appears to be in the driver’s seat to secure a deal but nothing has been made official yet. Plus, if the latest report is true, fans will definitely need to buy a streaming platform once the new TV deal begins in 2025.

Related: ESPN might be interested in NASCAR’s new TV deal for 2025 season

NASCAR remains in the middle of negotiations with networks as the sport’s next TV deal and there are several things to consider moving forward. One of them is the racing divisions below the NASCAR Cup Series.

As of now, the NASCAR Truck Series is exclusively broadcasted on FOX Sports. This is different than the Cup Series as it has two separate networks. Also, the NASCAR Xfinity Series faces the same situation as the top level.

The Xfinity Series has FOX Sports for the first half of the schedule while NBC Sports takes the second half. This has been the case for years but would the second-tier series have a third package for a streaming company? It doesn’t sound like it.

In fact, according to Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand, NASCAR is likely to move the Xfinity Series exclusively to a streaming company starting in 2025. There are reportedly at least two companies showing interest with one of them appearing to be Amazon.

NASCAR ‘likely’ to add a streaming package to the TV deal starting in 2025
This would be a major change in the landscape of broadcasts for the Xfinity Series. It means the NASCAR division would no longer be live on TV and be firmly stuck behind a streaming paywall for the foreseeable future.

Could there be fewer commercials and more on-track action? Would the Xfinity Series and its smaller teams be able to survive with less exposure? The move to streaming would target a younger demographic, which is needed, but it would be a gamble.

It is a very high-risk, high-reward situation but it would be worth a shot if NASCAR thinks the future is truly going to be streaming-dependent. The idea of firmly being in the picture if streaming continues to rise is a good one.

For now, the Xfinity Series is set to be on TV for one more season no matter what happens. The 2024 season represents the final year of the current TV deal and possibly, the last of an era that no one might have seen coming to an end this quickly.

[alenigma]

Streaming, scheming. I think these people are just dreaming about more ways to milk race fans.

[Annalee]

Money, money, money…..

[alenigma]

I'm thinking that was the Temptations. Then we got new sensations/'cause I can't wait.