Overview
- On Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, driver and 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin said restoring more Cup races to broadcast TV could come with much lower media payments to teams and warned that some teams might not survive such a cut.
- NASCAR’s current seven-year rights package, negotiated for 2025–2031 and valued at about $7.7 billion, spreads races across Fox, NBC, Amazon Prime Video, TNT Sports and others and feeds revenue into the charter system that guarantees teams entry and payout shares.
- Audience data from 2026 show a clear gap between over-the-air and paid platforms, with Fox and NBC races averaging roughly 4.1 million viewers versus about 2 million on FS1, TNT and USA Network, and some cable races drawing around 1.3 million.
- NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell has said he will meet CBS Sports chief David Berson to discuss options for moving or simulcasting TNT races to broadcast television, a developing conversation with no agreement reached.
- Owners say greater broadcast exposure could boost sponsor value but that sponsorship gains are uncertain and would likely lag any drop in media distributions, leaving smaller teams most at risk and setting a key issue for the next rights negotiations.