Kyle Larson Believes NASCAR’s Multi-Billion Dollar Media Rights Deal Is a Step in the Right Direction Despite Fans’ Backlash

It is no secret how NASCAR’s new media rights deal has got everyone talking. The $7.7 billion deal as reported by Sports Business Journal has shocked plenty and in fact, instigated a not-so-positive reaction from the fans. However, Hendrick Motorsports’ star driver Kyle Larson believes the deal will help the sport in several ways.

Larson looked in good spirits as he hit the red carpet before the NASCAR awards evening. After a runner-up finish in the 2023 Cup Series season, the #5 driver has plenty to look forward come the 2024 campaign.

Kyle Larson voices in favor of NASCAR’s $7.7 billion media rights deal

After plenty of negotiations, NASCAR finally reached an agreement with Fox Sports, NBC, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Amazon in a $7.7 billion media rights deal this week. While the average annual value of the deals including the CW deal is $1.1 billion per year, the governing body enjoyed a 40% increase compared to the current deals.

NASCAR badly needed a deal like this considering how they have struggled with viewership issues in 2023. This year, the sport witnessed a five percent drop in the Cup Series averaging just 2.86 million viewers. With the new deal, the sport brings its availability to different platforms. This could turn out to be a game-changer.

While the deal runs from 2025 to 2031, NASCAR added two new partners and streaming elements to the sport. Fox Sports gets the first 14 races after which Amazon Prime Video will stream the next five races. This will be the first time in NASCAR’s history that the Cup Series will be exclusively streamed.

After Amazon’s five races, Warner Bros. Discovery takes over for the next five races. Finally, NBC Sports gets to complete the season with the final 14 races. While it is an interesting idea, fans have disliked the prospect of shifting the type of platforms.

However, Kyle Larson seems to have a different opinion than the fans. Before attending the 2023 NASCAR Awards, the Hendrick Motorsports star spoke to the media. When asked his thoughts on the new NASCAR deal, Larson spoke positively about it.

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He explained how this helps in bringing various types of fans to the sport. The #5 driver said, “I think as our sport evolves, I think having it on a lot of different platforms and being in front of a lot of different types of people is a good thing.”

Larson continued, “And to the money, it sounds like it’s a lot bigger too so that’s got to be great for the whole sport. So yeah, it’s good. I feel like NASCAR has made a lot of great decisions over the last five to eight years.” Like the HMS driver, even Roger Penske seems to be in favor of this deal.

Roger Penske sides with NASCAR’s new media rights deal decision

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Over the years, a lot has changed in NASCAR. With change being the only constant, it was about time the sport considered the prospect of having different platforms for viewing the races. While the new media rights help that cause, the NASCAR community faces issues with switching and the costs involved in subscription.

However, Team Penske owner Roger Penske believes NASCAR has taken the right call. In a tweet, he expressed how the greatness of the sport has helped the governing body land a fabulous deal. He said, “There’s a time period here where people are moving from linear television to streaming. If NASCAR wasn’t booming, they wouldn’t have gotten $7 billion.”

It is worth a thought if the likes of Roger Penske and Kyle Larson strongly believe in NASCAR’s new media rights deal. With the massive amount of money involved, it clearly shows the power and value the sport holds in the States.

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