NBC/TNT Done in 2006

[LMITOUT]

It appears that NBC/TNT will not carry NASCAR after the 2006 season and ABC/ESPN will be picking it up.

Looks like I better get my dish so I can get ESPN-HD! I was hoping it was going to be CBS just like the good ol' days. They have much better HD too...

[NAPAFISH]

Thank you TNT/NBC Maybe next time hire some more colorful personalties.

[VMS]

Oh come on now NAPA...You really don't like hearing about loose and tight every race from Benny? :-)

No doubt it will be nice to have ESPN back on with the racing...hopefully we will get to hear some of the guys that used to call it. Dr. Jerry will be back I'm sure..

AND...AND!!! Hopefully we will see more racing and less commercials. This every 7 - 10 laps then 3 minutes of commercial is for the dung beetles.

Steve

[JohnMickish]

I don't think it's going to matter who shows the races, they will get anouncers that will explain every race like it's your first time turning on the tv. Well maybe until they bring back Dr. Jerry Punch.

[candiru]

This sounds like good news. I can barely watch the current coverage with all the comercials and nobody on the broadcast team does play-by-play. All 3 of them are just doing color commentary. The broadcast has now flow to it. They can take dramatic action and make it ho-hum, if they don't break away for a commercial.

[JohnMickish]

Good point about the commercials, but do you think there will be less now that the price has gone up? I bet there will be more. That's why I tape it and watch it later in half the time.

[OUTDOORNUT]

What are we going to do without Wally's World?? Thank you NASCAR, this is one time their greed has lead to something better for the sport! NBC/TNT is horrible!!

[VMS]

I hope that even though prices have gone up and more commercials might be shown, ESPN hopefully will use the split screen format so we can continue to watch racing...especially when something happens when commercials are going on. I hate coming back to caution or coming back when the restart is already a lap gone... That's just horrible broadcasting.

No doubt, I will not miss wally's world. Although, he does a fair job of explaining what the drivers go through out there in terms of where they generally run the car and how...

Boy...if it were possible, I'd like to see a format change and make it like MRN Radio. Amazing how interesting a race becomes when you have 4 different people calling a race that has NO commentary..it's all about who's racing who going into each part of the track. They still get a run-down etc and pit stuff too... I really enjoy listening to MRN...they do a great job!!

Steve

[OUTDOORNUT]

Through the frustration of not being able to always located the race via AM thoughout my travels during the hunting season. I opted for a XM unit, never miss a race or any of the pre and post race coverage. Plus when there isn't a race on they have tons of talk shows, everything NASCAR! Now if my buddies would quit complaining that I drive like I'm racing, it would be perfect!

[Sifty]

I know that there are a few here that will disagree, But I really like the fox broadcast team and hope that ESPN will follow those lines it is really tough to go from the fox broadcast to the NBC team. It would be great to se them bring back some of the "old timers" but in todays NASCAR the thing I think we are going to see will probably be some new and hip.

Sifty

[LMITOUT]

Read a report that the Busch series is to be shown exclusively on ESPN2. No contract details have been made public at this point, but this is the "inside scoop" from a reporter.

[heiman507]

I have to agree with Sifty. I'm young, but i have been watching Nascar for many years now and i just always liked watching it on Fox. I enjoyed watching Jeff Hammond, DW, Larry McReynolds, Mike Joy, and Chris Myers. And of course the on field reporters like Matt Yocum, Dick Berggren, and Jeanne Zelasko. They brought experience and excitement to reporting the race. Guess we'll just have to wait and see in Feb.

[VMS]

Jeanne Zalasko knows nothing of Nascar. She only does that for a short while until the Baseball season starts where she knows her stuff.

Also noted yesterday that TNT will only have races #14 - #19, but don't recall if that is this coming year or 2007. Speed will have the trucks 100%, and ABC will broadcast the chase, with the remaining races on ESPN or ESPN2. There will be an exclusive NASCAR news program starting too. Got all of this from Racingone.com in an email...

So...not sure if their stuff is set in stone, but I am not very happy that TNT/NBC is still in the mix...

I bet ESPN will not hype it up like fox or NBC...I'll bet it will be cut and dry racing...the way it should be.

Steve

[jbell1981]

This is from nascar.com explaining how its all going to work.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR on Wednesday announced the completion of comprehensive broadcast agreements that will benefit the industry and its fans for years to come.

Under the new eight year agreements NASCAR races will be broadcast on a combination of networks that includes FOX, SPEED, Turner's TNT and ABC/ESPN beginning in 2007.

"NASCAR's new network agreements mark a historic moment for the entire NASCAR community," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. "This is a major accomplishment for the NASCAR drivers, teams and track operators that have made this sport what it is today. 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," said France.

TNT REMAINS A PARTNER

Turner Sports announced a new long-term agreement with NASCAR to air six consecutive races per year on Turner Network Television through the 2014 Nextel Cup Series season.

Turner, which has been a NASCAR broadcaster since 1984, will enjoy scheduling continuity for the first in what will be a 31-year partnership with NASCAR by contract conclusion. TNT's new deal begins in 2007 with the June Nextel Cup race at Pocono and includes races at Michigan, California, the marquee July 4 primetime race from Daytona, Chicago and New Hampshire.

The deal also includes unique new media distribution opportunities for TNT to distribute its race telecast highlights across the Time Warner family of properties.

"Extending our 20-plus year partnership with NASCAR has been a priority for our company for a long time, and we're looking forward to airing Nextel Cup races on TNT well into the next decade," said David Levy, President of Turner Sports. "Our expertise in marketing, promotion and production, combined with our new schedule, will provide benefits to viewers, cable operators and to the entire sport of NASCAR."

"NASCAR is proud to continue its relationship with FOX, SPEED and TNT, while welcoming back ABC/ESPN into the family of broadcasters," said NASCAR Vice President Dick Glover. "By signing deals with three of the largest and best media companies in the world, NASCAR will meet the growing nationwide fan demand for more NASCAR content into the next decade," Glover said.

NASCAR expands its relationship with News Corp as FOX becomes the official home of the Daytona 500. FOX's broadcast agreements for the NFL playoffs, the Super Bowl, the Bowl Championship Series and American Idol provide an excellent opportunity for cross promotion around the Daytona 500 held each year in mid-February. The deal also includes a brand-new comprehensive multi-media distribution program which includes Internet, wireless and broadband platforms.

"FOX is extremely excited to extend its relationship with NASCAR for another eight years, and come 2007 be known as the official television home of the Daytona 500, by far the most watched auto race in this country," said FOX Sports President Ed Goren. "Our production team has done an amazing job over the last five years to put NASCAR broadcasts on par with America's most popular sports, and we look forward to pushing the production envelope further as we move forward."

SPEED will increase NASCAR programming as the continuing exclusive home for the Craftsman Truck Series as well as the new home for the Gatorade Duels, Nextel Cup Series Pit Crew Challenge and Nextel Cup Series All-Star Challenge.

"This new television package solidifies the evolution of NASCAR TV on SPEED," said Hunter Nickell, SPEED executive vice president and general manager. "Building on our signature Daytona Speedweeks coverage, the viewership growth of the Craftsman Truck Series since moving to SPEED and the success of popular SPEED programs like NASCAR This Morning, Trackside and Inside Nextel Cup, the network is excited to have the opportunity to elevate fan-favorite events, including the Gatorade Duels, the Nextel Cup Series Pit Crew Challenge and the Nextel Cup Series All-Star Challenge."

ABC and ESPN will provide comprehensive coverage of NASCAR on their numerous outlets. The final 17 Nextel Cup Series events will be broadcast on ABC or ESPN with the last 10, the Chase for the Nextel Cup, on ABC. All Busch Series races will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN or ESPN 2. In addition, ESPN will bring NASCAR coverage to its full suite of media including its cable TV networks, ESPN360, Mobile ESPN, ESPN.com and affiliated international networks throughout the world.

"This agreement totally embraces NASCAR's multimedia future," said George Bodenheimer, ESPN Inc. and ABC Sports president and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks. "NASCAR is a strong and growing property, and the ESPN of the 21st century -- an array of new media platforms and content outlets reaching fans wherever and however they consume sports -- will take the sport to even higher levels of exposure and growth.

"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. Our tradition is rich, and our future is bright. To NASCAR, its drivers and fans we say, 'Welcome back."

"NASCAR thanks NBC for its stellar coverage and commitment to the sport for the past five years and looks forward to another great year in 2006," Glover concluded.

About the agreements:

Beginning in 2007, each NASCAR season will be launched on FOX with the telecast of the Daytona 500. FOX will also carry NASCAR "Speedweeks" events including the Budweiser Shootout and Daytona Pole Qualifying. FOX will also broadcast the 12 Nextel Cup races following the Daytona 500.

TNT will broadcast six consecutive Nextel Cup Series races (races 14 through 19).

TV deal announcedBrian France talks about the new TV broadcast deal

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The final 17 Nextel Cup Series points races will be broadcast on ABC or ESPN. The final 10 races, the Chase for the Nextel Cup, will be broadcast on ABC. The Busch Series will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN or ESPN 2, with no less than four events on ABC.

SPEED will be home to the Craftsman Truck Series with the exception of two events, which will be broadcast by FOX.

Nextel Cup Series qualifying practice and "happy hours" will be broadcast on a combination of SPEED Channel, ESPN and ESPN2.

SPEED will broadcast the Gatorade Duels held each year during "Speedweeks" to determine part of the Daytona 500 starting order.

SPEED will also broadcast the Nextel Cup Series All-Star Challenge and its companion all-star event, the Nextel Cup Series Pit Crew Challenge.

ESPN will launch specially NASCAR-branded news and information programming.

All broadcast partners will have new interactive rights, special "season preview" and "season end review" programming rights and other ancillary content.

NASCAR fans will be able to receive NASCAR coverage from an expanded range of outlets including highlights and live streaming, content from and on each network's Web pages, datacasts and newly-developed multimedia programming.