NASCAR Might Be Moving the Xfinity Series to Streaming…Exclusively

What’s Happening

John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reported that NASCAR is looking at moving the Xfinity Series to streaming exclusively beginning in 2025. This comes amidst rumors of NASCAR dipping its toe into streaming with its’ current TV deal ending at the end of 2024.

.@NASCAR is looking at taking the @NASCAR_Xfinity Series off of linear TV and moving it exclusively to a digital streaming service starting in 2025, per @Ourand_SBJ. https://t.co/FB0T6MzCAV

— Adam Stern (@A_S12) May 19, 2023

• John Ourand reports that NASCAR is looking to move the Xfinity Series off of linear TV during the next TV deal. This comes despite the expectation from Ourand that NASCAR is going to have a “handshake deal” in place with Fox and NBC by the Fourth of July. He also mentioned Amazon as a front-runner for some sort of streaming deal.
• This comes amidst NASCAR shopping its brand around to different streaming companies for their next TV deal. The current TV deal runs out after the 2024 season, and it includes no promises of exclusively streamed races. Although, NASCAR has simulcasted their NBC races on Peacock.
• Fans on social media are generally not happy with this move. They want NASCAR to stay exclusively on linear TV.

The Main Characters

This comes amidst a recent report that NASCAR had begun meeting with digital media companies about a potential part of the TV broadcasting rights.

CLIP: NASCAR met with Amazon, Apple TV+ and other streamers about a new mid-summer package.

Amazon could be in driver's seat.

POD: https://t.co/rRwuFVKgTz pic.twitter.com/bxL7m7fG0w

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) May 4, 2023

Around the Garage

The responses on this Twitter post will probably not sway NASCAR.

In the Stands

Zachary Peters wishes for a hybrid option

Nathan is concerned about how this could effect sponsorship opportunities.

John talked about how the Trucks should be on streaming exclusively rather than Xfinity.

Zachary Peters believes this will “destroy the series”.

Mark Jarman believes that NASCAR should go full-streaming rather than part-cable and part-streaming.

Austin does not like Xfinity Series potentially going to streaming exclusively.

Dylan believes that trying this on a series like Xfinity could be a good idea.

Good cropping job by CPK Diecast.

Ahh the classic Michael Scott meme.

This may be a bit extreme, but he gets his point across. DT000000 does not like this move.

FireLynx would like Allen Bestwick as the lead commentator to keep him around.

Could the teams get the TV rights increase they need?

Comment
by u/puffadda from discussion [Stern] NASCAR is looking at taking the @NASCAR_Xfinity Series off of linear TV and moving it exclusively to a digital streaming service starting in 2025, per @Ourand_SBJ
in NASCAR

I guess that is not the worst thing in the world.

Comment
by u/theasfldotcom from discussion [Stern] NASCAR is looking at taking the @NASCAR_Xfinity Series off of linear TV and moving it exclusively to a digital streaming service starting in 2025, per @Ourand_SBJ
in NASCAR

KWeber94 believes this could be a good idea, but wonders about how this could impact the older fanbase.

Comment
by u/KWeber94 from discussion [Stern] NASCAR is looking at taking the @NASCAR_Xfinity Series off of linear TV and moving it exclusively to a digital streaming service starting in 2025, per @Ourand_SBJ
in NASCAR

Surely not

Comment
by u/dooldebob from discussion [Stern] NASCAR is looking at taking the @NASCAR_Xfinity Series off of linear TV and moving it exclusively to a digital streaming service starting in 2025, per @Ourand_SBJ
in NASCAR

MaxPres24 sees that this is where sports viewing is going.

Comment
by u/MaxPres24 from discussion [Stern] NASCAR is looking at taking the @NASCAR_Xfinity Series off of linear TV and moving it exclusively to a digital streaming service starting in 2025, per @Ourand_SBJ
in NASCAR

On Your Screen

y e s

ElitePrecision29 believes that NASCAR should more ease into streaming rather than go all-in into it.

Eric gives some insight into the potential impact on the business side of the sport.

I think David Land is trying to mimic Scooby-Doo here.

In the Pressbox

Pete Pistone offers insight into how the landscape of watching sports could change in the near future.

Michael McIntyre is pretty right here.

Is NASCAR’s sponsorship model going to change in the near future?

NASCAR moving to streaming seems more and more like a matter of “not ‘if’ but ‘when'” as time goes on. Regardless of how NASCAR fans feel about it, sports viewing in general is going in this direction.