NASCAR's new TV contract -- goodbye ESPN

[Bob Cook]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/report-espn-turner-nascar-next-season-fox-nbc-155612581.html

Sports Business Journal reporting that in 2015, Fox and NBC (and NBC Sports Network) will split NASCAR schedule, with ESPN and Turner out.

As an open-wheel fan, I much prefer NBC Sports Network coverage of Indy to ESPN/ABC. Of course, the issue, as always, when you step away from ESPN is suddenly you barely exist on SportsCenter.

 

[UPChip]

If they think it's getting better, let's not forget NBC's coverage inspired the joke at the end of this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLFqobvgO4Q

Which is, by the way, my favorite joke in the movie.

 

[Boom_70]

There goes the NASCAR stories in ESPN the MAG

 

[Mark2010]

Ugh, I thought NBC was glad to be rid of that sport.

I wonder how this will affect their coverage of other events, such as the PGA Tour, in the fall? The have NFL games on Sunday night, but have an opening on Sunday afternoons for something, which is where the FedEx Cup playoff tournaments are now in September.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Since NBC Universal owns NBC, NBC Sports Network, and the Golf Channel, they won't have any trouble scheduling the two sports on the same day.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Aren't Sportscenter ratings down anyway? If fewer people are watching, not being on there would seem not to matter.

 

[Bob Cook]

NBC now has NASCAR, Indy and F1.

 

[LongTimeListener]

NBC now has NASCAR, Indy and F1.

I look forward to the ESPN The Magazine article "Auto Racing: Sport? Not A Sport?"

 

[Just_An_SID]

Chris Berman can fix this.

 

[Alma]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/report-espn-turner-nascar-next-season-fox-nbc-155612581.html

Sports Business Journal reporting that in 2015, Fox and NBC (and NBC Sports Network) will split NASCAR schedule, with ESPN and Turner out.

As an open-wheel fan, I much prefer NBC Sports Network coverage of Indy to ESPN/ABC. Of course, the issue, as always, when you step away from ESPN is suddenly you barely exist on SportsCenter.

Interesting pick for NASCAR. Must have felt like it gets lost on ESPN.

 

[Mark2010]

Aren't Sportscenter ratings down anyway? If fewer people are watching, not being on there would seem not to matter.

Maybe stuff like this is part of the reason. I can't even remember the last time I watched Sportscenter at home.

 

[wicked]

Interesting pick for NASCAR. Must have felt like it gets lost on ESPN.

NBC offering to pay a 50 percent premium on what ESPN's paying -- given, NBC will get a few more races than ESPN has -- is what this is about.

As long as Bill Weber doesn't return to our TV screens ...

 

[murphyc]

Interesting pick for NASCAR. Must have felt like it gets lost on ESPN.

NBC offering to pay a 50 percent premium on what ESPN's paying -- given, NBC will get a few more races than ESPN has -- is what this is about.

Exactly. If ABC/ESPN offered the high amount of money, Billy France would be saying the same things about them as he's saying today about NBC/NBC Sports. As usual with NA$CAR, it's all about the money.
Curt Cavin had an interesting story in Indy Star today about the potential impact on IndyCar. IndyCar leaders might be tempted to get out of their current 10-year deal with NBC Sports and help ESPN fill its void, but Cavin suggested staying on NBC Sports could actually help the series as the network becomes known as the motorsports channel. It's a good point, one that reminds me a lot of how covering racing helped ESPN grow in the first place during the 1980s.

 

[wicked]

With all the auto racing inventory, it might make sense to launch a replacement for Speed.

 

[Riptide]

Notre Dame will be the Sprint Cup favorite.

 

[Versatile]

As usual with NA$CAR, it's all about the money.

Why wouldn't it be?

Fox Sports and NBC Sports are making all the right moves now to challenge ESPN by, say, 2020. ESPN has played its hand as though it's invincible, and at the moment, it is. That may not last.

 

[apeman33]

So Fox Sports reshuffles its lineups to create Fox Sports 1 but NBC now has pieces of sports Fox once had dedicated channels for. SPEED will become FS1 and NBC's purchase of the rights to the Premier League essentially killed off Fox Soccer, which won't even be a sports channel anymore come August 17.

 

[HanSenSE]

So Fox Sports reshuffles its lineups to create Fox Sports 1 but NBC now has pieces of sports Fox once had dedicated channels for. SPEED will become FS1 and NBC's purchase of the rights to the Premier League essentially killed off Fox Soccer, which won't even be a sports channel anymore come August 17.

Throw the NHL into the mix, and NBCSN look better poised to challenge the WWL over Fox.

 

[wicked]

Fox has the cable clearance now. Speed, which will become Fox Sports 1, is in millions more homes than NBC Sports Network.

 

[Versatile]

NBC has 17 or 18 NFL games a season. Fox has at least 30 TV slots. Fox also has far superior college football rights. And Fox has baseball and college basketball.

NBC is not particularly close.