The 2025 NASCAR season could turn out to be a head-scratcher for the fans and viewers. In the previous media rights deal, NASCAR had two exclusive partners, FOX and NBC, that would stream and air races. But with a new $7.7 billion deal, Amazon Prime and TNT have not joined the party.

This was a clear indication that NASCAR slowly but steadily is transitioning towards streaming services and away from cable networks. Meanwhile, for a sport that was believed to be on the decline, it bagged a good deal. Well, this deal worked out in favor of NASCAR, but the fan had to shell out extra money to access the practice and qualifying sessions that are being streamed on Prime and TNT.

However, there’s more concerning news for the race fans, as a major shakeup at Comcast could see NASCAR fans being on the bitter end of things.

Is NASCAR moving away from cable to streaming platforms?

Comcast, the parent company of NBC Universal, has announced the spinoff of the cable networks that fall under its umbrella. This means that we might see new owners of these cable networks. And with 9 Cup races scheduled to be on the USA Network, it’s hard to guess what the fate of this race will be in the long run.

Comcast President Mike Cavanagh, announcing the change via CNBC, stated that the company is “a new, well-capitalized company owned by our shareholders and comprised of our strong portfolio of cable networks.” Not just the USA; networks included in this spin-off include Syfy, Golf Channel, and Oxygen. But the Bravo channel is expected to stay with NBC Universal.

The whole process is going to take a year or so, which means the 2025 schedule is likely to remain unchanged. But we saw what happened with the Xfinity Series this year, where NBC pulled out of its agreement and CW had to come in early to broadcast the playoff races. There is a possibility that beyond 2025, they could put a bunch of USA network races on Peacock. Well, don’t forget about Bravo Channel; it is effectively an alternative if Comcast isn’t able to find a suitor to broadcast NASCAR races.

But what’s clear is that these media corporations are moving away from cable and shifting towards streaming services. Comcast lost 365,000 TV customers, and the report by CNBC stated that the industry lost nearly 4 million traditional TV customers. It feels like NASCAR cashed on a good deal knowing that they would be mired in a transition period from traditional TV to streaming.

While it may work out for them, the fans who are already forced to take in multiple subscriptions are not sure where to watch their favorite sport. But was this NASCAR’s plan all along?

NASCAR is in a transition period

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NASCAR has been touted as a sport in decline with dwindling TV viewers over the last few years. While the 2024 season did garner good numbers overall, it was only a +1.210% uptick compared to last year. Cable is a dying product while streaming is the new avenue that media companies are banking on. While NASCAR has a strong following of traditional viewers on cable, they want to grow and expand beyond their horizons. And streaming partners like Amazon can help them achieve those objectives.

If Comcast does decide to stream the USA network races on Peacock, this will bring in more Cup races on the streaming platforms. None of these options helps a fan who wants to tune into a network to enjoy good Cup Series racing action. Not to forget, on average, a viewer will have to shell out $125 per year to watch the races from next year on. But, without a clear roadmap or idea of the network or channel, it makes little sense for the end user to make that investment.

NASCAR could find itself on the bitter end of things if things go south. But with a year-long transition phase without confirmation of the new owners, nothing can be said for certain on how NASCAR will be affected by this overhaul at Comcast.