Nexstar widens live sports push by bringing NASCAR to The CW

NASCAR and The CW, owned by Irving-based Nexstar Media Group, have come to terms on a seven-year media rights deal for the car racing league’s second-tier circuit, the Xfinity Series.
The deal runs from the 2025 season through the 2031 season and is worth $115 million a year, according to Sports Business Journal. It’s the latest in a string of sports broadcasting deals for The CW, which has been aiming to become a full-service network since being acquired by Nexstar in late 2022.
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“Landing the NASCAR Xfinity Series is a game changer for The CW and our CW Sports division and represents another important building block in our programming strategy,” CW president Dennis Miller said in a statement.
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A Nexstar logo marks the company’s headquarters in Irving. (Liesbeth Powers / Special Contributor)
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In January, the CW worked a deal with the controversial the Saudi-backed LIV Golf that gave the PGA’s former nemesis a broadcast home in the U.S. Since, the network has taken on weekly sports show Inside the NFL, the Indianapolis 500 docuseries 100 Days to Indy and, most recently, a four-year deal to broadcast 50 games a season of ACC football and basketball.
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The CW is one of five broadcast networks that can reach almost all households in the U.S., along with ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox. However, until recently, the CW’s programming had been limited in scope and more known for scripted dramas like Gossip Girl and The Flash.
The Xfinity Series, along with NASCAR’s other circuits, is now shown on Fox Sports and NBC Sports in the first and second halves of the season, respectively, with select games on USA Network. The CW will exclusively broadcast all Xfinity Series events, including races, qualifying events and practices, during the period of the deal.
The Xfinity Series, on average, draws about 1 million viewers per race, according to NASCAR. Races usually occur the day before the corresponding Cup Series race, NASCAR’s highest circuit.
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Fox and NBC produce NASCAR broadcasts, but when the series moves to The CW, production will be handled by NASCAR’s in-house team. There are 33 races per season, including playoffs.