ESPN and Turner sports done with NASCAR after next season

[Jims_Doors]

By Tripp Mickle & John Ourand

July 23, 2013 11:31 AM

ESPN and Turner Sports will be out of the NASCAR business after next season, according to several sources. NASCAR is planning a press conference later today to announce that Fox and NBC will share rights to the sport starting in 2014.

Financial terms of NBC’s deal and its broadcast plans aren’t known, but the network had been pitching NASCAR on returning the Sprint Cup series to broadcast TV and could air races on Sunday afternoons on NBC prior to "Sunday Night Football." NBC also picked up rights to the second half of the Nationwide Series. It’s unclear if those races will be on NBC or NBC Sports Network. See today's SportsBusiness Daily for more details.

ESPN, Turner out of NASCAR; Fox and NBC to share rights - SportsBusiness Daily | SportsBusiness Journal | SportsBusiness Daily Global

 

[jeffro151]

Damn that sucks. NBC's coverage of all motorsports has always sucked.

 

[Jims_Doors]

But it's good news for those fans who do not have cable or satellite TV. There's probably more than what we would think.

No pun intended whatsoever.

 

[NickVT10]

Damn that sucks. NBC's coverage of all motorsports has always sucked.

Not familiar with NBC's motorsports but TNT's coverage is awful to watch. I did like ESPN's though...

 

[Steelboy84]

Now if every other network would join in.........

 

[Jims_Doors]

Read where there are going to be some races shown on the NBC sports network so not all will be shown non cable.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

But it's good news for those fans who do not have cable or satellite TV. There's probably more than what we would think.

No pun intended whatsoever.

This ^^^.

I haven't had cable for a while, since almost everything is available thru the interwebz, anyway, but it'd be nice to see the races on the telly again.

 

[bored at work]

Read where there are going to be some races shown on the NBC sports network so not all will be shown non cable.

Most of them will be on NBC Sports Network. I think only 7 are on NBC, with 3 or 4 NW races. The rest of Cup races and NW races will be on NBC Sports.

And I like NBC Sports' broadcasting of Indycar races. It's much better than ABC. And I never had an issue with them broadcasting NASCAR the last time they did. I wonder if they will just take most of the guys who do the TNT races now, much like TNT took much of the NBC guys

 

[bored at work]

It just took a couple of clicks, but here are some of the details:

Summary of key NBC Sports Group Exclusive Rights  2015-2024:
· Final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races (7 on NBC, 13 on NBCSN)
· Final 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series races (4 on NBC, 15 on NBCSN)
· NASCAR K&N Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events
· NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series events
· NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony and season-ending banquets
· TV Everywhere live-streaming rights for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series

 

[wildturkey]

At least we lose TNT. They're crew was total garbage. Commercial every 2 minutes and that's even with having ads all over the damn screen during the race. Plus Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach suck ass. ESPN was pretty good but it was apparent the network itself doesn't care about the sport. They devote less and less time to it. Hopefully some of their peeps get a job with NBC like DJ, Bestwick, and Shannon Spake. I love me some Shannon Spake.

 

[#1BostonFan]

Those rednecks in the south don't all have cable.

 

[jeffro151]

At least we lose TNT. They're crew was total garbage. Commercial every 2 minutes and that's even with having ads all over the damn screen during the race. Plus Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach suck ass. ESPN was pretty good but it was apparent the network itself doesn't care about the sport. They devote less and less time to it. Hopefully some of their peeps get a job with NBC like DJ, Bestwick, and Shannon Spake. I love me some Shannon Spake.

Dont forget your fellow hokie Marty Smith.

 

[Retroram52]

NASCAR is beginning to see more and more empty stadiums. If the economy continues to be in the tank, I suspect nobody will continue to have no money to go to the races and NASCAR will start to fold up shop. The Nationwide race at Chicago this past weekend ran to a nearly empty stadium. So, ESPN and and TNT have pulled out partly due to the costs and the failing ratings. Kyle Petty and Wally sucked. The racing product is boring for the most part. You can turn on the race, mute the sound, and go do something else for the majority of the race. You can come back and watch the end of the race and not miss much.

 

[wildturkey]

Dont forget your fellow hokie Marty Smith.

He's a writer for their site so ESPN may keep him. I met him once at a game in the burg. Seemed like a nice guy.

 

[Hincheec]

Dont forget your fellow hokie Marty Smith.

I knew there was a reason I didn't like him. Funny how the dots connect sometimes.

 

[Brees#1]

I've lost focus of nascar even though Harvick has been winning races. I just don't feel it now. I think there is an unfair precedent set for Junior to dominate the series and he is just not cut out for that and he shouldn't have joined a team with Jimmie Johnson if the fans wanted him to win titles. When was the last time JJ finished second among HMS in points? And drivers like Hamlin, Kyle, Edwards, Biffle, Kenseth are not likable enough to warrant ratings.

 

[Retroram52]

Small teams are being forced out by the mega teams and when that is complete, the average guy will completely lose interest. This lies at the feet of Brian France who has fallen in love with corporate money. He doesn't get the notion that the average guy are the guys that put their fannies in the seats, not corporate assholes who are usually in the pits somewhere and then they go to their corporate boxes or areas.

Teams like the Pettys, Furniture Row racing, and Swan Racing are just treading water. I'd like to see more product loyalty to give small guys a chance. I know Richard Petty would jump at the chance to run a Dodge Hemi if Nascar removed the ban. He would kick butt with that engine. But the mega teams and Chevy would scream bloody murder as an unfair advantage. Well what do they think they have now with all that corporate money?

So, the alternative has occurred. Boring pack racing that is corporate driven. I have lost alot of my enthusiasm for this BS and I have been watching Nascar since Richard Petty was hardly known outside of the Mason-Dixon line.