Brazilian fans finally get live NASCAR coverage again, and Dover is set to be the third race under the new experimental partnership. NASCAR had been without a broadcasting partner in Brazil since the conclusion of the 2024 season at Phoenix. Previously, the rights belonged to Grupo Bandeirantes, specifically through BandSports, which aired all NASCAR Cup Series races and select Xfinity and Truck Series events, either on cable or via their YouTube channel Esporte na Band.
However, for 2025, NASCAR and Band were unable to reach a new deal, leaving Brazilian fans with no official way to follow the races during the first half of the season. This came despite continued interest from the local audience, who had followed the series through various platforms over the years, including ESPN, Fox Sports, and Band.
Halfway through the 2025 season, a new broadcasting arrangement was launched through PicTV, a streaming platform backed by PicPay. This deal, still considered experimental, initially includes three races: Chicago, Sonoma, and the upcoming Dover round. Reportedly, the current agreement is limited to these events, and following Dover, a performance evaluation will determine whether coverage continues.
Grande Prêmio’s ambition is to maintain the broadcasts for the rest of the season. They see this as an opportunity to reconnect with NASCAR’s loyal Brazilian fan base and attract new viewers now that races are again accessible in Portuguese.
PicTV allows viewers to choose between different broadcast teams:
Each partner offers its own commentary booth, giving fans a choice in how they want to watch the race.
All races are recorded and made available on-demand via PicTV’s platform, allowing fans to rewatch and switch between the available commentary tracks.
As of now, there is no confirmed schedule beyond Dover. Should the project be extended, it’s also unknown whether they will continue in the same format.
According to sources, Grande Prêmio maintained conversations with NASCAR throughout the year, aiming for a broader deal. Ideally, they would like to broadcast races via their YouTube channel (with over 360k subscribers), as well as on GPTV, their FAST channel (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV). However, no formal agreement was reached in time for the 2025 season. If the experimental phase proves successful, a longer-term commitment remains possible.
While the current effort is still in its early stages, viewership is growing. For Dover, Grande Prêmio alone is expected to reach around 3,000 concurrent viewers, especially with fewer live sporting events competing that day. Last Sunday, NASCAR went head-to-head with the final of the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup, broadcast free on multiple platforms, an unfair challenge in a country where soccer is overwhelmingly dominant. Still, momentum is building, and according to a journalist familiar with the situation:
“There’s a lot of potential. We’re just getting started, but the audience is starting to catch on.”
The platform is completely free. The only requirement is to register with an email and set a username. Once logged in, you can access multiple channels and subscribe to all content available.
Some key features:
Although NASCAR holds streaming deals with HBO Max and Prime Video, coverage on those platforms is restricted to North America. NASCAR content remains unavailable in Brazil and most countries outside the U.S., preventing loyal fans worldwide from having the same access as American viewers and limiting the sport’s global growth.
Earlier this year, NASCAR streamed select races directly for Brazilian viewers on its official YouTube channel, including the Daytona 500, which featured Hélio Castroneves’ Cup Series debut and attracted nearly 500,000 viewers despite a English-only commentary.
The Brazilian presence on NASCAR’s YouTube broadcasts has always been strong. For example:
This renewed attention toward Brazil comes when NASCAR is reportedly in continued talks with the Brazilian sanctioning body to potentially host a race at Interlagos in the future. Should that materialize, re-establishing consistent broadcast access becomes even more essential—not just for longtime fans but also for bringing new audiences.
Regardless of what happens after Dover, Brazilian fans finally feel NASCAR’s presence again. Even if the deal doesn’t go forward, it has shown what’s possible when broadcasters listen to the fans and deliver accessible, local-language coverage. The audience never stopped caring. Now there’s a chance to bring it back, and it’s more interactive than ever.
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