Last Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway marked the beginning of NBC’s broadcast coverage for the NASCAR Cup Series 2025 races under the new seven-year, $7.7 billion media rights agreement. This deal introduced notable changes by adding Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports alongside NBC and Fox, reshaping how races will be distributed.
To accommodate the newcomers Prime and TNT, each taking five races between May and July, NBC and Fox had to reduce their race allotments. Fox decreased from 18 races to 14, while NBC’s total fell from 20 to 14, with NBC still responsible for concluding the season.
Detailed Look at Races NBC Lost in the New Schedule
Under the previous contract, NBC’s 2024 schedule would have kicked off on June 22 at Pocono Raceway. However, in 2025, NBC no longer airs that race nor several others that have shifted away. These include the five-race inaugural In-Season Challenge at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Chicago Street Course, Sonoma Raceway, Dover Motor Speedway, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The most significant hits for NBC were the Chicago Street Race and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, both moved to TNT this year, which led to a notable viewership drop on NBC’s platform. Races at Pocono and Atlanta, traditionally part of NBC’s June calendar, have also shifted out.
Additionally, the July events at Sonoma and Dover, formerly Fox’s in-season races typically held in June and early May respectively, were postponed to later dates but have now been reassigned within the overall broadcast schedule. Other races that had been staging NBC broadcasts last year, such as Nashville Superspeedway and Michigan International Speedway, were moved to Fox’s early June slate.
In a notable realignment, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway transitioned from Fox’s regular season schedule (2022-2024) into NBC’s playoff coverage, while the Homestead-Miami Speedway race reverted from the playoffs to the regular season, shifting to Fox’s schedule for 2025.
The Full List of NBC’s Lost and Gained NASCAR Races
Summarizing the movement between the networks: NBC lost coverage of Pocono, Atlanta, Chicago, Indianapolis, Nashville, and Michigan races. In exchange, NBC gained Gateway as a playoff event while trading away Homestead. Most NBC races will not air directly on NBC itself but on USA Network, continuing the trend seen with Fox’s reliance on Fox Sports 1.
Of NBC’s 14 races, only four are set for the NBC broadcast channel; the other ten, beginning with Iowa, are on USA Network. NBC’s first actual race air date on network television will be the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway on August 23. The network will then return for three late-season playoff races at Talladega Superspeedway, Martinsville Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway.
This broadcast structure carries on USA Network’s role as NBCUniversal’s secondary NASCAR outlet after NBC Sports Network was shuttered following 2021. Regardless of channel, the broadcast team remains consistent, anchored by lead announcer Leigh Diffey, with longtime analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte.
Broadcast Team and Upcoming Coverage Highlights
Leigh Diffey, who took over for Rick Allen in August 2023, leads the NASCAR Cup Series commentary on NBC and USA Network. Diffey, with NBC since 2013, transitioned from <a href="https://www.big14news.com/indycar/”>IndyCar coverage as that series moved to Fox beginning 2025. Analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte have been part of NBC’s NASCAR broadcasts since 2015, providing continuity alongside Diffey.
Diffey’s former IndyCar commentary role was filled by Will Buxton, who partners with James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell for those broadcasts. For upcoming NASCAR coverage, USA Network will air live the Go Bowling at The Glen from Watkins Glen International this Sunday, August 10, starting at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Implications of the 2025 Broadcast Changes for NASCAR and Viewers
The 2025 broadcast realignment reflects NASCAR’s evolving strategy to expand platform diversity while maintaining strong national coverage. With major races like the Brickyard 400 and Chicago Street Race moving to TNT, NBC and Fox have adjusted their calendars to accommodate new partners, which may affect traditional viewership patterns and fan experiences.
This redistribution aims to balance race exposure across networks and streaming services but requires fans to navigate multiple channels and platforms to follow the full NASCAR Cup Series season. NBC’s reliance on USA Network for most of its races also highlights the increasing role of cable networks in motorsports broadcasting.
As the season progresses, the impact of these changes on ratings and fan engagement will become clearer, potentially influencing future negotiations and broadcasting strategies for NASCAR races beyond 2025.
