The end of 2023 heralded a new chapter in NASCAR. The signing of a $7.7 billion media rights deal stirred people both in the garage and the grandstands. It gave impetus to Cup Series teams clamoring for a revamped charter deal – although that has led to a dead end, with only two teams continuing the protest while risking their livelihoods. Even the fans are not so happy with this development.

A colossal monetary deal like that also means more expenses to stream races. Especially since four broadcast partners are focusing their cameras on NASCAR races. Yet fans are equally defiant as the Cup Series teams – if their purses are threatened too much, they may turn to other means.

NASCAR’s projected expense model may tip over purses

Since 1985, NASCAR viewers have mostly relied on television. The turn of the 21st century saw the popularity of the computer – but this technological innovation had little impact on the sport. So the sanctioning body continued to rely on entities like FOX, Comcast, and Warner Brothers Discovery. However, the 2025 media rights deal was different – it includes broadcast TV, cable, and streaming.

Being the most diverse deal in the sport’s history, now Amazon Prime and WBD have jumped on board with Fox and NBC. But maybe the price of utilizing these services may be bigger than before. According to a Reddit post, “It will cost roughly $250 to watch every cup race in 2025.” 

With Fox and NBC covering 14 races each, and Amazon and TNT covering midseason packages, fans would need to buy separate subscriptions. While the average cable subscription is $83, streaming throws up a lot of possibilities. If fans usually travel, then buying Amazon or Peacock deals would be necessary.

According to a report in February this year, Fox, Disney/ESPN, and Warner Bros. Discovery would launch a streaming service this fall. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic estimated that this service would cost roughly $50 per month. In case all the broadcast partners decide to simulcast every single piece of sports programming they own on this streaming service, it could lower the cost for NASCAR fans. However, another possible scenario is that fans would need to fork over some extra cash for this platform to watch NASCAR races.

In response to this bleak future concerning enjoying NASCAR, fans came up with a simple solution. Maybe they will just turn off their TV or electronic devices.

NASCAR fans are not willing to shell out the greens

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The possibility tilts over to the new media rights deal hurting fans’ wallets. The main problem is broadcast partners like Warner Bros. Discovery or Fox streaming races exclusively. The multiple subscriptions would cost more – but fans have a simple solution if any service falls outside their existing subscription. “If Amazon decides to stream their races on Freevie and/or offers a free trial of Prime next year, I might be able to watch the entire season without paying an extra dime. If not, I’m also totally OK with skipping those races.” Another fan also iterated their intention to save dollars. “It’ll cost me precisely $0 :)”

Other people came up with unique solutions. Instead of shelling out $250, one fan suggested they can just tune into social media and follow NASCAR’s updates. The post-race coverage is comprehensive after all: “I can tune out social media and just watch the Full Race Replay on Youtube. I love the no commercials anyway.” Another fan sanctioned this unconventional method to follow the Cup races’ action, sarcastically accepting $250 as a great deal. “First off, that’s a great deal. Second, no it won’t.” Somebody else wore a shadowy cape as they suggested a more mischievous solution. “Nah I’m just gonna keep pirating.”

Clearly, NASCAR’s potential hike in streaming costs is not popular among fans. Despite the financial fluctuation, 2025 is sure to be a unique experience as multiple broadcast partners will cover the exciting sport.