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NASCAR Likely Won't Change TV

Posted on: Monday, 8 August 2005, 21:00 CDT

Aug. 8--The last time NASCAR negotiated a television deal, Richard Glover was executive vice president for programming for ESPN. That cable network and its partner, ABC, lost out in the deal that went to Fox and NBC/TNT.

This time, however, as NASCAR's vice president for broadcasting and new media, he'll play a major role in the deal that will begin with the 2007 season.

"Clearly, based on what Fox and NBC and Turner have said, and what we think as well, the current deal has worked well," Glover said. "That's why I have said I don't see wholesale kinds of changes this time, as there were five years ago."

The current deals, signed in 1999 and began with the 2001 season, all included provisions that give the current rights-holders exclusive negotiating periods for new deals. The last of those, Glover said, runs out this year.

Right now, Glover said, it appears the structure of the new deal for Nextel Cup would look a lot like the current one.

Glover said he sees no reason Cup races and NFL broadcasts could not co-exist on NBC in the season's second half. NBC will be back in the pro football business beginning in 2006.

Glover said the idea of giving Fox the Daytona 500 every year, since NBC/TNT have the Chase for the Nextel Cup races, has been discussed.

He said another possible option would be to have some Busch Series races on a different network from Cup races.

"It is highly unlikely we would do a deal where the Busch Series is like the Truck Series is now, as one package all by itself for one carrier all season," Glover said. "While there has been talk about creating a larger block of Busch Series races in a separate package, that's just one of many things that have and will come up."

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Source: The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)

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