TV coverage of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has fallen under some criticism in recent years. With the newest TV deal set to begin in 2025, the Craftsman Truck Series could fall underneath a new broadcast partner. What are some bold ideas for the Truck Series’ next TV deal?
If NASCAR is looking to take over the production of Xfinity Series broadcasts, they may look at doing something similar for their Craftsman Truck Series broadcasts. This offers a unique opportunity for NASCAR to train people specifically for NASCAR races. This goes for commentators, producers, directors, camera operators, et cetera.
Getting into NASCAR broadcasting is tough to do, and the more reps people can get in these critical broadcast production positions can gain reps in a specialized way. The more experience these people can gain in producing NASCAR races means that the production quality will eventually go up as time goes on.
Now, it may be a bit rocky at first, so, something like this may need to be brought on more slowly. However, what better way to develop young broadcasters than to give them reps in an environment like this?
The NASCAR Xfinity Series TV deal was a big win for NASCAR in one major aspect, it is free to all who want to watch. That is very important for race teams in the lower series because of how difficult it can be to sell sponsorships for these races. It is vital to put these races in front of as many people as possible.
The reason why Cup Series races could work on streaming is because there is a large audience who would be willing to pay the extra expense to watch Cup Series races. That audience is not nearly as big for Xfinity Series races and it is even smaller for Truck Series races. That means that, for now, the Truck Series may be best advised to avoid streaming.
Now, that may change in a few years as streaming gains more subscribers, cable subscribers decrease, and streaming becomes the dominant entertainment platform in the world. At some point, it will move to streaming, but for now, it may be best to stay away.
One of the strangest aspects of the 2024 Truck Series schedule is that there are three races that start between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. ET on a Friday. These races are tough to catch on TV for many fans because they are driving home from work at this time. It is tough for fans at the track because it is tough to get to the track at that time after work.
This needs to be fixed with the next TV deal. It is no secret that TV networks play a large role in race start times. These races need to be at a reasonable time when fans both at the track and at home can watch these races, and these are not reasonable times.
Hopefully, it will be fixed with the next TV deal, and maybe giving it to an extra company could allow that to happen. If the Truck Series is seen as a larger priority to them, it could push them to have better start times.
What else can there be in the Truck Series next TV deal? It will be interesting to see how NASCAR packages its third-tier series in the next TV deal.
