TV ratings and viewership count have always been NASCAR’s yardstick for checking its year-on-year hustle. But, since the start of the decade, NASCAR has been taking an L with its TV ratings, and the slump kept on in 2023. Folks have been cutting the cord and going the streaming route, while a bunch of NASCAR fans just ain’t vibing with modern-day NASCAR racing.

These hiccups have definitely played their part in the major dip in TV viewers and ratings. But, despite this, the big wigs were able to lock in a banging TV deal package of $7.7 billion. This deal kicks off from 2025–31, rolling for seven years, and includes a mash-up of both old-school TV partners and fresh streaming titans.

NASCAR saw this as a bold flex, which has slipped from being the United States’ top dog in sports leagues or series in recent years as the NFL, MLB, and NBA are lightyears ahead in stacking up views and ratings. But NASCAR’s buzz was short-lived as new tea about the NBA’s new TV deal hit the net.

The NBA is close to inking a $76 billion TV deal

A report from the Wall Street Journal indicates that the NBA has agreed to a new media rights deal with NBC, ESPN, and Amazon for a whopping $76 billion over a period of 11 years. This figure averages out to just over $6.9 billion a year, which is close to equaling NASCAR’s seven-year tenure of media rights. In a year-on-year comparison with the NBA’s new deal, NASCAR would see around $1.1 billion every year.

This also marks a new chapter for the NBA as they are moving away from their tried and trusted partner, TNT, Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent organization for TNT. Meanwhile, NBC is looking to make a return after a 23-year hiatus. To put it simply, Comcast (NBC), Disney (ESPN), and Amazon are all expected to place a bid that Warner Bros. Discovery just might not be able to match.

What stood out from this reported deal is how the NBA managed to strengthen booth linear TV for broadcast while also adding streaming giants like Amazon Prime Video to the mix. They also have Peacock and ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer app to further strengthen their streaming portfolio. In fact, they are pushing a major part of the weekly schedule and playoffs on the streaming service, preparing for a potential switch on how sports fans could consume live coverage shortly.

There’s a night and day difference if we compare the NBA’s deal to that of NASCAR’s. While there might be some similarities between the two, NASCAR’s new schedule is still rather cluttered and confusing. Even deliberately pushing the race fans into adding multiple subscriptions to enjoy live racing in 2025.

Here’s how the new NASCAR TV deal is split among its partners

From 2025 on, 38 NASCAR Cup Series races will be split between four broadcasters. Disney-owned FOX and Comcast-owned will continue to telecast a major portion of the races. Both partners will have 14 events each. FOX, in the previous deal, had 18 races, while NBC had 20. So there’s a decline in their number of events, despite making up the majority of the deal.

However, NBC still holds its own in securing the playoffs and finale events. This new deal will also see a mix of race and content on the NBA, USA Network, and their OTT platform, Peacock. While WBD is looking to downsize its NBA footprint, they are attempting to enter a new market with NASCAR in the next media rights window. TNT, along with Amazon Prime Video, will stream five races each.

This is where it gets tricky; both broadcasters will also have exclusive rights to all practice and qualifying sessions. Prime Video will cover all sessions until the last race of the mid-season package, except the Busch Light Clash, Daytona 500, and All-Star race. These events will remain with FOX, while TNT Sports will stream the second half of practice and qualifying sessions via MAX and on-air via Tru TV.

Qualifying sessions have been a popular segment for NASCAR viewers. Going by the current split of events, the traditional fans will have to shell out more money out of their pocket to enjoy them. Not just one, but two streaming partner subscriptions will be needed for fans to keep enjoying their pre-race events. Moreover, they also have to secure a primary broadcaster like NBC or FOX to continue to enjoy the main events.

Going by the bare minimum assumptions, fans will have to spend $63 per month for all 36 races. And if we add all the practice and qualifying sessions, it shoots upwards in the range of $101 per month. It’s fair to say that the new TV deal is a huge boost for the sport, but it will be the fans who will have to bear the premium expense after all.