NASCAR and NBC Sports Group Reach Landmark Media Rights Agreement

NASCAR and NBC Sports Group announced today they have reached a comprehensive agreement that grants NBC Universal exclusive rights to the final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series events, select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events and other live content beginning in 2015. Financial terms of the agreement, which runs through the 2024 season, were not disclosed. 

With this partnership, NBC’s 20 Sprint Cup race schedule includes becoming the exclusive home to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR’s final 10 races of the season, including its season-ending championship event which will return to network television in 2015 for the first time since 2009. Of NBC Sports Group’s 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, seven will be carried on NBC annually, with 13 airing on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN). Four of NBC Sports Group’s 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series races will air on NBC, with 15 airing on NBCSN.

In addition to rights to NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series races, NBC has also obtained exclusive rights to practice and qualifying sessions for NBC’s national series events during their portion of the season, as well as rights to broadcast the NASCAR K&N Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series, the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony and NASCAR’s season-ending banquets. Further, NBC has been granted Spanish-language rights, certain video-on-demand rights and exclusive TV Everywhere rights for its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events.

ESPN's eight-year run of broadcasting NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races will end after the 2014 season.

According to the Sports Business Journal, which first reported the story on Tuesday morning, NBC will pay as much as 50 percent more than ESPN was paying.


ESPN had exclusive negotiating rights through July 14. When it did not sign an extension, NASCAR was free to negotiate with NBC, which televised the sport from 2001-2006.

Turner Broadcasting, which televised six Cup races in the summer, also is out after 2014. The Cup races not picked up by NBC and the first half of the Nationwide schedule is expected to be bid on by Fox.


Summary of key NBC Sports Group Exclusive Rights – 2015-2024:

·         Final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races (7 on NBC, 13 on NBCSN)
·         Final 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series races (4 on NBC, 15 on NBCSN)
·         NASCAR K&N Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events
·         NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series events
·         NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony and season-ending banquets
·         ‘TV Everywhere’ live-streaming rights for Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series
·         Spanish-language broadcast rights on Telemundo and Mun2 for national series events             and NASCAR Toyota  Series