The future broadcasting home of the NASCAR Xfinity Series will be The CW Network beginning in 2025, in what will be the first of a seven-year deal through the 2031 season.
Sports Business Journal first reported the news, saying the deal is worth $800 million, or approximately $115 million a year.
The CW will carry all 33 races for the Xfinity Series as well as practice and qualifying. NASCAR Productions will produce the events.
Every race will be available on free, over-the-air broadcast television. Additional content will be available through The CW’s digital platforms.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]
“Landing the NASCAR Xfinity Series is a game changer for The CW and our CW Sports division and represents another important building block in our programming strategy,” said Dennis Miller, president of The CW. “Live sports are the most watched television content and with The CW’s national reach, moving NASCAR Xfinity Series to The CW will transform and elevate the viewing experience for the series and its fans.
“The CW has quickly become a destination for sports, as the NASCAR Xfinity Series joins our growing slate of sports programming, including Inside the NFL, ACC college football and basketball, LIV Golf, and the motorsports documentary series 100 Days To Indy. Beginning in 2025, The CW will have 48 weekends per year of live sports programming. With ubiquitous distribution across one of the nation’s five major broadcast networks, NASCAR Xfinity Series races on The CW will deliver more access for fans and far more revenue opportunities for The CW and its affiliates.”
NASCAR Productions is moving to a new state-of-the-art facility in Concord, North Carolina, next season. It will be adjacent to the NASCAR R&D Center. It was not announced who the on-air talent will be for the Xfinity Series broadcasts.
“CW’s leadership shared a compelling vision for cultivating the next generation of NASCAR talent by bringing the NASCAR Xfinity Series exclusively to broadcast television and we are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with them,” Brian Herbst, senior vice president for NASCAR, said. “With more than 1 million viewers tuning in each week to see NASCAR’s future stars battle some of its biggest names at our most legendary tracks, NASCAR Xfinity Series consistently delivers the moments that excite current fans and create new fans of our great sport.”
The CW is owned by Nexstar.
“Nexstar is already NASCAR’s third-largest broadcast partner, carrying NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series races across its FOX and NBC affiliates and has a deep understanding of NASCAR’s value,” Andy Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, said. “NASCAR’s loyal and passionate fan base and adrenaline-fueled races will provide CW stations with highly valuable live sports content that can deliver big audiences. These exciting events resonate in our local markets and with a local Nexstar station within driving distance of each and every NASCAR market, we are uniquely suited to drive attendance, viewership and revenues through local coverage, fan engagement, promotion and value-added marketing solutions for advertisers and brands.”