ICYMI: Fox and NASCAR Solidified Their Relationship Into 2024

Late last year, it was announced that Fox and NASCAR will be continuing their relationship through to the year 2024.

So basically put, starting in 2015:

FOX Sports’ Exclusive Rights (2015-2024):

·       Fox has the first 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races of each season, including the Daytona 500

        o   Nine of these will be on FOX Sports and seven on FOX Sports 1

·       They have the first 14 NASCAR Nationwide Series points races of each season

        o   These Fourteen races will appear on FOX Sports 1

·       They will also cover the NASCAR Sprint Unlimited, Budweiser Duel and NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race

·       And all NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races

-

If you don't have Fox Sports 1, well, bummer I guess.  But I'm guessing most of us have that.  It's when things go to FS2 that I think we'll get dinged.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Follow NACAR Bits, if you dare, on:

Email:

- - -

Did Anyone Catch The Banquet Award Show that Never Was?

Hey all, so who got to watch the NASCAR 2013 Award Banquet that aired live on Fox Sports 2?

Well it wasn't me, that's for sure.

Last Friday night was the 2013 season NASCAR Awards banquet from Las Vegas.  Admittedly, I can't sit through the entire event.  They try their best, but the show usually tests my patience on various levels.  But regardless, I have always tuned in every year, if even for a little bit, to catch the goings-on of the show.

And like any other year, that's what I tried doing.

Except with SPEED having been converted to Fox Sports, things have been a little different this season.  Including my higher level of withdrawal from my NASCAR fix on TV.  But hey, at least it still has a TV venue.

But last Friday, when I went looking for the telecast, it seems that I could not, for the life of me, find Fox Sports 2 on my Comcast cable lineup.  Anywhere.  I'm sure I just didn't look in the right spots.  I can't imagine it's not somewhere in my channel lineup.

Sigh...  another bit of missing coverage to add to my NASCAR TV anxiety attack!

Well, it's the off season.  Teams are testing and prepping for the 2014 Daytona 500 and hence, my anxiety levels should be returning to normal, as they expect little or no TV coverage this time of year.

The Daytona 500 will take place on Sunday, February 23rd, 2014.  At least that should still be on TV.  Right?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You can follow NASCAR Bits and Pieces on Google+, Facebook or Twitter if you're interested.
Thanks!

FOX SPORTS Renews with NASCAR, Retaining The Daytona 500, The Truck Series and Other Aspects

Today it was announced that NASCAR and FOX Sports Media Group reached a new agreement that involves a multi-year contract with implications affecting a multi-platform agreement.

Fox Sports still has two years left on their present telecast agreement with NASCAR, but that didn't stop them from planning ahead and inking a new multi-year deal with NASCAR that will exist through to the year 2022.

Talk About Planning Ahead!

{Despite the grumblings of some fans about the FOX coverage of the sport, you have to step back and admire the faith that the network just put into the sport of NASCAR.  That's good money and good coverage/exposure for NASCAR, despite some opinions of the setup.}

-

This new contract locks up a few existing scenarios and presents a few new ones.

The new contract takes effect in 2015 and ensures that FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) :

"Retains the television rights to 13 consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races beginning each year with the prestigious Daytona 500. In addition, FSMG retains the rights to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, the Daytona Shootout, the Duel at Daytona, the entire NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season and practice and qualifying for both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races that FSMG broadcasts."

{Does their retention of Truck Series races mean that even though SPEED Channel is going away, that the new Fox Sports Channel will still cover the series?  Seems that way on the surface.}

-

The newest aspect of the contract is the digital angle.  In the new contract, FSMG has the rights to stream...

"All FSMG races, along with pre- and post-race coverage, race highlights and in-progress race highlights to events it televises."

{As noted in the press release, the digital contract was made possible when NASCAR reacquired their own rights back of their digital platform content from Turner.}

Here are the highlighted points from the press release that's still sizzling in my inbox:

• An eight-year term from 2015 to 2022. The current FSMG/NASCAR rights agreement began in 2006 and runs through 2014
• Thirteen (13) consecutive points races beginning with the Daytona 500 on FOX
• The Daytona Shootout; Duel at Daytona; NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race; and Daytona 500 Qualifying
• Full NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season
• Right to televise all practice and qualifying sessions for FSMG races
• Ability to re-telecast races on a FOX network and via video-on-demand (VOD) for 24 hours
• Right to ancillary programming including, but not limited to, a nightly NASCAR news and information show as well as weekend at-track shows
• Right to NASCAR branded pre- and post-race shows
• Extensive digital rights beginning in 2013, including:
• TV Everywhere – live digital distribution of all races FSMG has rights to broadcast
• Pre- and post-race coverage
• Race highlights
• In-progress race highlights
• Replays of FOX-televised races

-

Don't forget, the other networks have yet to even think about going into renewal negotiations with NASCAR and there's been some noise in the wind that there could be some changes down the road for those networks.  And those changes could possibly mean more coverage of the sport from FOX's perspective.  We'll have to sit and wait until ABC/ESPN and TNT finalize their own contracts with NASCAR and how it all pans out.

What do you folks think about this new renewal?

How Much Will NASCAR TV Coverage Change In The Upcoming Years With SPEED Going Away?

The present TV landscape for NASCAR is going to be coming up on a big change soon and I'm not sure everyone is aware of it.  For one thing, SPEED is getting rebranded by FOX, since their attempt at making SPEED TV an all NASCAR channel seems to have soundly floundered.

In place of SPEED will be Fox Sports 1.

But then, as pointed out at The Daly Planet, once FOX locked up NASCAR with the SPEED channel set up, we didn't always get NASCAR.  That is, if you count the reality TV programming Monday through Thursday.

The reported hopes are that SPEED ala Fox Sports 1 can capitalize on the established subscriber base to SPEED to instantly start competing with other "all sport" networks like ABC's ESPN.

But I don't know if they're counting on it or it doesn't matter, but If there are enough NASCAR fans though, I have to wonder how many cable subscribers will quit paying for that "extra tier" in their cable package.  NASCAR fans won't be needing it.  And I'm not sure they'll miss the glitzed up broadcasts where the good looking gender has been injected across the board, but what I find to be especially noticeable at SPEED.

Plus, with SPEED going away, I have to wonder what will become of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series?  Will SPEED, I mean FOX SPORTS 1 cover those races still?

But NASCAR is wrangling TV deals right now.  Fox is reported to be finalizing their part of the TV season.  But ESPN and TNT won't be doing any early negotiating until they have their ball sports contracts wrapped up.  And if anyone has ever taken note, almost anything on ESPN seems to have preemptive weight over NASCAR, including little league games.

ESPN and TNT are in year 6 of their 8-year agreements.  But NBC & CBS sports might also be getting in on the fray.  So NASCAR could be looking at having themselves a bidding war.  But will that work?

NBC may want in.  Could CBS want a piece of the pie?  TNT wants more than their 6 summer races.  And NASCAR is sitting pretty trying to decide if they'll spread the wealth around and keep it mixed up, or possibly stay with one network.  The early negotiations with FOX could set the tone for the other TV contracts if the other nets aren't careful.

But as the question is posed by The Daly Planet, if or once Fox has a NASCAR contract locked up, what's their incentive to create great, compelling content?  And I ask, where does the Truck Series end up?

As it is, some of the FOX coverage already seems to irk fans to no end.  If FOX locks up more races, what will happen then?  I've heard enough grumblings about some of the coverage or personality staffing.

Yet the landscape of TV coverage is always something of a mixed bag.  On one hand, folks are pretty quick to grumble about what can be done better during and after a telecast.  Yet if you remember back to the early days, NASCAR TV coverage is fairly non-existent.  You have to pick and choose your battles!

The 2 links below have some great content on the issue, with TDP talking about the "rebranding of SPEED" and the SN has a bit on the contracts.
-

The Daly Planet

sportingnews