NASCAR Agrees to Eight-Year TV Deal

By JENNA FRYER

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – NASCAR agreed to an eight-year, $4.48 billion television deal Wednesday that will split its schedule among four networks beginning in 2007.

NASCAR’s 36-race schedule will be divided among Fox, ABC/ESPN and TNT, and the annual all-star race will be aired on the Speed Channel. The deals with all the networks will run through the 2014 season.

“This is a major accomplishment for the NASCAR drivers, teams and track operators that have made this sport what it is today,” chairman Brian France said. “It represents a significant reward for the competitive side-by-side racing our fans have come to expect. It also validates the marketing and production enhancements our current media partners have brought to the sport.

“The new broadcast partnership is also good for the fans, because they will have so much more NASCAR content from a variety of media and new media sources.”

The deal marks a return to the sport for ABC/ESPN and the furthering of a long-term relationship for TNT.

ABC/ESPN had been shut out of the last TV contract, a six-year, $2.8 billion deal that began in 2001 and split the schedule among Fox, NBC and the network’s sister stations. When NBC declined to extend its contract with NASCAR, it opened the door for the Disney Company to negotiate.

Under the deal, Disney will pay about $270 million a year to split the final 17 races on the schedule between ESPN and ABC. The agreement includes all 10 races in the Chase for the championship – NASCAR’s version of the playoffs.

ESPN’s networks also will be home to the lower-tier Busch Series.

“ABC Sports first exposed sports fans to the racing excitement of NASCAR in the 1960s, and ESPN and the sport grew up together in the 1980s and ’90s,” said George Bodenheimer, president of ABC/ESPN. “Our tradition is rich, and our future is bright. To NASCAR, its drivers and fans we say, ‘Welcome home.’”

TNT, meanwhile, fought to continue a 22-year relationship with NASCAR. The network, in conjunction with NBC’s part of the 2001 deal, has aired seven to eight races a season and wanted to remain involved despite NBC’s withdrawal.

So TNT ponied up about $80 million a year for the a stretch of six races in June and July. The deal gives the network continuity and a marquee event in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona.

Fox, meanwhile, continues its run of scheduling the first portion of the season. The network extended its deal to pay about $2 million to $5 million a year for the season-opening Daytona 500 and the next 12 Cup races.